Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Vanessa | Holmdel High School, Grade 12

Rating: ****

In a galaxy far, far away, there are no lightsabers nor a Force to be found. Instead, the currenstream hums through every individual in the galaxy like a flowing river of magical energy, bestowing each individual with what is known as a current gift: a power that can be magical or otherwise unique and tend to pertain to very personal aspects of one’s childhood.

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth, acclaimed author of the Divergent trilogy, is an inventive imagining of a sci-fi world that readers will find themselves drawn into. Cyra Novek, one of two protagonists in the novel, is tormented by a difficult family name and history, but nothing compares to the constant pain she feels and is able to push onto others thanks to her current gift. Given Roth’s own openness about her anxiety, her handling of Cyra’s pain and insecurities read as very personal and realistic. Her battle to overcome her circumstances will certainly touch the hearts of readers.

Roth’s secondary protagonist, Akos, taken from his family at a young age, truly earns the title of survivor. Despite the hardships that Roth writes into his galaxy, Akos’s desires remain a driving force that will surely linger in the minds of readers.

It is when these two narratives link that Carve the Mark turns into more than just a science-fiction novel. The interactions between the two leads shape both of them and are pivotal in the development that Roth takes care to ensure that each character in this galaxy undergoes. The three-dimensionality of this novel will appeal to readers, as we will the reminder that we’re all heroes in our own stories.