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If one touch can infect... then a kiss is deadly.

All Ruby Behl wants for her seventeenth birthday is a good career path match, and to kiss her best friend and long time crush, Wesley Fairchild. Unfortunately, the simplicity of teenage wishes evaporated a decade ago when the Tercera virus nearly wiped out the human race. Transmitted through touch, the slightest contact is prohibited in the safe haven community of Port Gibson.

An innocent game of Spin the Bottle, a rite of passage for Port Gibson’s teens, provides the opportunity Ruby’s been waiting for, but when Wesley winds up Marked, Ruby realizes her first kiss may also be her last. Ruby races the viral clock to uncover long buried secrets about her dead parents, and her once cloudy future becomes clear. She’s the key to finding the cure, but is she willing to pay the price?

296 pages, ebook

First published September 15, 2018

2503 people are currently reading
4923 people want to read

About the author

Bridget E. Baker

52 books625 followers

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5 stars
909 (36%)
4 stars
977 (38%)
3 stars
477 (19%)
2 stars
110 (4%)
1 star
37 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
Profile Image for Tammie.
1,608 reviews174 followers
September 17, 2018
If one touch can infect. . .

Then a kiss is deadly. . .


Marked is the first book in a new YA post-apocalyptic trilogy and it was very hard to put down. I have to say that it was one of the best self-published books I've ever read. In fact I really couldn't tell it was a self-published book. It didn't have a lot of the issues I've run into while reading most of them. The plot was good, there were no grammar or spelling issues that I noticed, and I felt like the characters were consistent.

As for the characters, for the most part I liked Ruby, although she annoyed me a few times with her self-loathing and headstrong behavior. Despite those weaknesses, she was a strong, independent thinker. I kind of liked that her strengths were not in physical strength or combat, but in other areas. I also felt like the love triangle was handled pretty well, and the fact that there was a love triangle in this book didn't annoy me at all, which was a relief, because sometimes they can be so bad. The guy who becomes the main love interest in the book was a bit over-protective at times, but at least he listened to her when she asked him not to do something, and I was also really happy when she called him out on some of his behavior. That's more than I can say for some of the adult characters I've read about in books (see my review of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness for an example).

There were some nice twists in the book. I did predict a couple of them, but that was ok, it didn't make the book any less enjoyable. I recommend this if you like post-apocalyptic YA books. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.

Thanks to the author for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
Profile Image for Denise Mcintire.
38 reviews2 followers
September 18, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I finished it about 9 hours after I started, including several lengthy interruptions (making dinner for and eating dinner with guests, having another set of guests come by, plus several other smaller interruptions). This was a "can't go to sleep until I finish it" book! I limit 5 star ratings to probably the best 1% of books I've ever read. 3 stars is a book I'd recommend to almost anyone, a good solid story (the majority of what I read and like gets 3 stars). 4 stars is probably what most people would give 5 stars. To get 4 stars from me means it's way above average and I definitely want to read more of this series/author.

"Teen" books with a romantic slant are not my usual favorite genre so I was a little hesitant when I realized the heroine is just turning 17 and the setting is a potentially very emotionally-charged one. But as I said, I quite enjoyed it! A good, tight, well-thought-out plot and well-drawn characters are essential for me to like a book. Good writing can be the icing on the cake and poor writing a thorn in my side. This book had everything right. The plot is very well done with interesting twists that you don't see coming, and no gaping holes that a thoughtful reader just can't get past that are too common in this genre. Everything fits together. The world-building is believable. The characters are likeable and personable and "real"; I felt invested in them. The protagonist is strong, but has some realistic flaws and weaknesses that she struggles to overcome; she is neither an angsty drama-queen (thank you!!), a helpless victim, nor an unbelievable super-heroine. She's the perfect balance for a protagonist - imperfect and human, but with noble aims. I love that the heroine grows and develops in a plausible and believable way during the book. (I find it hard to like a book where the protagonist doesn't grow in some way.) Secondary characters balance the protagonist well. The writing is well done - excellent descriptions and narrative without long passages you have to wade through to get to the next bit of action - a great balance on that.

There is a love triangle, and while that is almost a mandatory trope for a novel with teen main characters, it is handled well in this book : there is genuine emotion without endless angst. The heroine is undeniably a teenage girl (and that's OK, because she IS a teenage girl), but is also thoughtful and not constantly driven by hormones. The relationships are not based on "insta-love" (my sister-in-law's term, don't you love it?) and "chemistry" and sexual attraction, but develop based on character and more realistic long-term elements as the characters spend time together and go through experiences together. The driving relationships in the book are not limited to romantic love but also include deep and sincere relationships with family and friends. The adults are not portrayed as a gaggle of evil idiots while the teenagers are the only wise and level-headed ones (yay!) and there are realistic relationships between the adults and teens. The teens are not 14 year olds running around doing ridiculously unbelievable things and thinking unrealistically mature thoughts, but are 17-20ish and are portrayed in an age-appropriate way (not "kids", but not quite fully grown and experienced adults), yet with a good dose of adventurous experiences that provide tension and anticipation. In short, this is a story of relatable characters struggling to solve a high-stakes problem in an intense world. First person point of view can be a slippery slope. It works in this book because the heroine feels real.

I also love that, although this book is written as the first of a series, it has a satisfying conclusion - you'll definitely want to read the next book (be warned!), but it has a logical end that doesn't abruptly stop in a cliff-hanger. I certainly intend to read the next book in this series and anything else this author writes. Bottom line : well done in every way! [Disclosure: I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review; I am happy to say this review is entirely my honest and sincere opinion!]
Profile Image for Kelsey Castro.
38 reviews41 followers
March 5, 2019
When I received this ARC, I did what I always do, I read the first chapter. I was in the middle of reading two other books, so I had no intention of starting this one until I'd finished those. But one chapter turned into two which turned into ten and suddenly I was putting off work just to get to the end.

The characters are compelling, the twists and turns are unexpected, and the world building is intricate. I'd recommend this book to fans of the Unknown trilogy by Wendy Higgins or the Young World by Chris Weitz.
Profile Image for Claire Ingram.
Author 2 books16 followers
April 4, 2023
Interesting concept that had a far too immature FMC for me
She was whiny and irresponsible to the point I’m surprised she didn’t get anyone killed
She is a hypocrite as well and kept plowing headfirst into danger
Which could just be that character there are definitely people like that but when combined with her cousins bizarre reactions and super human Sam it made it hard to relate or root for any of them
It was cliche and predictable so none of it was a surprise and although am I retesting premise it’s not reallly anything new or interesting enough to keep my attention
I was bored through a lot and with the use of a slur (although only once which made me cringe) it just all added up to an unenjoyable read
Maybe teens might like this that’s all I can say
As the FMC is a teen who wants to be treated like an adult while stripping like a teen so realistic but dislikable and frustrating and not a character I wanted to root for
Also I kept trying to work out how old Sam was
And I am pretty sure I know where this is going including the supposed “twists” that will show up in later novels
Profile Image for GK.
149 reviews17 followers
April 25, 2020
Surprisingly good for a quick, easy read. Fast paced plot, decent characters, and good twist (though I kind of guessed it early on) at the end. Most likely will continue on with the series!
1 review
September 9, 2018
An amazing book. I loved every minute reading it. The storyline captivates you from the start and keeps you hooked til the very end. This wonderful story will not disappoint!!
Profile Image for Esther.
Author 14 books1,052 followers
August 31, 2018
Fast paced, post apocalyptic, fantastic read. It was hard to put down and reminded me of The Hunger Games, but with even more romance.
Profile Image for Becky Moynihan.
Author 16 books375 followers
July 2, 2019
*4.5 stars! I love a good post apocalyptic book! This had all the things I enjoy about the genre plus a bonus romance I ended up falling hard for. The tension in the first half of the book was glorious! There were some twists I didn’t see coming, but for the most part, this story is pretty straightforward. The end felt a little rushed compared to the consistent pace throughout the majority of the book, but it’s a great setup for book two. Don’t expect a dark and gritty tale here, but more along the caliber of The Darkest Minds!
Profile Image for Donna Weaver.
Author 87 books459 followers
September 11, 2018
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
If one touch can infect. . .

All Ruby Behl wants for her seventeenth birthday is a good career path match, and to kiss her best friend and long time crush, Wesley Fairchild. Unfortunately, the simplicity of teenage wishes evaporated a decade ago when the Tercera virus nearly wiped out the human race. Transmitted through touch, the slightest contact is prohibited in the safe haven community of Port Gibson.

Then a kiss is deadly. . .

An innocent game of Spin the Bottle, a rite of passage for Port Gibson’s teens, provides the opportunity Ruby’s been waiting for, but when Wesley winds up Marked, Ruby realizes her first kiss may also be her last. Ruby races the viral clock to uncover long buried secrets about her dead parents, and her once cloudy future becomes clear. She’s the key to finding the cure, but is she willing to pay the price?

MY TAKE
Ruby is a feisty girl just coming into her society's "adulthood" when her life is turned upside down with something as simple as a kiss from a guy she's been crushing on for a while. It sets her on a journey of discovery about her past that poses questions she hasn't considered (including her feelings for her friend Sam), all while being chased by a bunch of Marked (people with a terrible disease that will kill them quickly).

This dystopian tale has an interesting assortment of characters, a sweet romance (I mean Sam!), and some fun twists at the end. The overall story is obviously not finished, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Suppressed.

4 1/2 stars
Profile Image for Kate.
Author 2 books53 followers
September 16, 2018
Okay, this book is fantastic. I thought I'd read every spin on YA post-apocalyptic love triangle there is. Boy, was I wrong. How wrong? It's 1:30 in the morning and I have to get up for church tomorrow. This book is amazing, the characters real, the conflict fascinating and dynamic and real. And there's plenty of good kissing scenes while still keeping it clean. Highly recommended.
2 reviews
September 16, 2018
Great read

This book was refreshing. After all the vampire, werewolf, and shifter books it's nice to read something with a new twist. This book has romance, action, and excitement. Not to mention a couple unexpected plot twists. I can't wait for the next book to come out!
3 reviews1 follower
August 29, 2018
For me a good book is one that I don't want to put down while I'm reading it and stays with me after I've finished reading it. The characters have to be realistic and the challenges and setting understandable and engaging. Marked met these requirements and then some. The book was not only riveting as I read it, but I continued to ponder options available to the main character (Ruby) after I finished reading the book. One might say the author drew me into this world and Ruby's life.

I appreciate that the ending wasn't a gut-wrenching cliff hanger, but gave a moment of relief even though the reader knows that Ruby's trials and journey are far from over.

Thank you, Bridget Baker for an excellent departure from our reality into Ruby's world.
Profile Image for TheQDB.
281 reviews
September 25, 2018


~Review🖋~
✨Angst + drama + suspense + budding romance + Divergent vibes✨

Fans of dystopian YA, this one's for you. The story arc itself has been written before: virus wipes out most of the world, there is a potential solution, hero/heroine is critical in implementing the solution and saving the world. What makes this book original however, is where the twists and turns lie. When we're first introduced, Ruby is the seemingly less "important" figure between her and her crush Wesley, solely based on their social standings. When one kiss between the two of them causes her to suspect she's infected though, lies start to unravel, secrets are revealed and suddenly her past and present collide, making her a vital piece to finding the cure...

Overall: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 💋 make out only
Feels: 😧😥💖😤😱

~QD Story Details~
Tear jerker: No
Paranormal/Fantasy: No
Location: Texas, USA
Character age range: mid-late teens
Lead: Ruby
Love interest(s): Wesley/Sam
HEA: No - Cliffhanger

~QD Book Info~
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Audible: No
Series: Yes - Sins of our Ancestors Book 1
1. Marked - released 9/15/18
2. Suppressed - releases 10/15/18
3. Redeemed - releases 11/15/18

~QD 🔥~
Sex/kink type: N/A
Possible triggers: Violence, misogyny, mentioned death of a parent
Profile Image for Kelly LaVoie.
7 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2018
Wow! This book kept me on the edge of my seat! Our family did a read aloud (or I would have finished this book in one sitting)! This genre is interesting to me, but I’m definitely hooked. I can’t wait to read the next two books! The plot was well designed with unanticipated twists and turns along the way. I do like how the “romance” and “violence” in this book are family friendly and “clean.” This was a perfect book for us to read as a family. Characters were believable and real with everyday qualities of even my own girls. I liked how the protagonist was “real” with regard to her insecurities and feelings. I liked her, and she touched on my own feelings (I found myself yelling at her, laughing at her, and feeling with her). I felt like I was present in this book. The story was written with great expression and emotion. I did immerse myself and “felt” this book! Greatly written young adult novel that moved quickly and threw me for a loop or two. I did anticipate one twist, but it wasn’t exactly as I calculated! The ending leaves the reader in a good place but wanting more...again, very well written!!
Profile Image for Nadara.
73 reviews2 followers
February 8, 2020
I almost didn’t read this book. The first few pages seemed like it would be a quick, light, and maybe not so exciting read, and I thought about DNFing it.

But man I’m glad I kept going! It soon got so interesting, I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up until 2am reading it last night... and I’m usually in bed by 9:30pm! I had 60 pages left and decided I would leave them for tonight.

I absolutely love the chemistry between Ruby and Sam and seeing how much he cares for her. I also really enjoyed all the shocking surprises along the way, some that gave me goosebumps.

While I didn’t have high hopes for this book, it turned out to be a really exciting story and I’m glad I stuck with it.
Profile Image for Marie.
255 reviews2 followers
October 2, 2020
DNF at 45%. I just can't finish this book because I'm so incredibly bored. The storytelling is so slow, plain, and matter-of-fact. It's as though every moment and thought in this girl's life is just as important as the next. There's an incredibly long backstory explanation given by her family members that should have been done a different way. Throughout it all, I kept asking myself, "Why do I care about any of this? The book hasn't made any of the characters interesting enough to want to find out what happens to them. And it doesn't help that the audiobook narrator reads it like she's a pastor on a pulpit.
Profile Image for Elle.
411 reviews14 followers
October 15, 2018
I really wanted to like this. I just could not handle the immature dialogue of the first %11 of the book and I really could not subject myself to more. The main character yells at this boy that she hates him within seconds of loving him - which it so very ridiculous. Too much reaction - she was all over the place. Immature. ridiculous. I have a headache from rolling my eyes. This was not very thought out and I can only imagine it gets worse.
Profile Image for Sean.
362 reviews11 followers
October 29, 2019
While I appreciate the Houston/Galveston references, I found this book to have terribly forced exposition, cringe worthy dialog, and a very unbelievable timeline. That being said, the last third of the book was much more enjoyable than the beginning. I can see many of my readers enjoying this book, but I had a very hard time getting past the writing.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews131 followers
Want to read
March 24, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/24/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for Bridget.
96 reviews
April 30, 2019
⭐️

Real so many great reviews, I had to read it. I’m not sure where all the hype is from, I couldn’t get passed the second chapter.
Profile Image for Rarity.
6 reviews
July 23, 2019
The book is super boring, can barely hold my attention. Poor written with several grammatical errors. I had to put it down after just a few chapters. Would not recommend!
Profile Image for Jules.Bookverse.
448 reviews4 followers
October 11, 2018
Welcome to a new apocalyptic universe! This story reminds me of Hunger Games and Divergent. It takes you into a world that is shortly before distinction. A dangerous virus changed everything and one single touch could change your life forever.

I loved how you got right into this world from page one. it's not too fast and you get everything about this world easily, including all their specific rules. Ruby has the fear of being worthless and pushes people away. I love how this topic gets more important throughout the whole story. Somehow she feels abandoned by everyone, lost in between her community. Especially her family story gets twisted up a lot and some shocking facts get to the surface.

Of course, this story also doesn't lack an epic love story. The question is just with whom this story will be. First, we get to meet Wesley a long time crush of Ruby but some tragedy separates them and it seems like they are pulled apart for forever or maybe not. ;) But as many of my beloved stories, this one forms a love triangle too. Sam was never on the radar of Ruby, but he helps and protects her whenever she gets herself in some danger again. Trust me this happens quite a lot. ;D To make it even more complicated Ruby's cousin Rhonda seems to have also a crush. Throughout the book, I changed my mind about who Ruby should end up with, but I believe her journey will take her many more curves, so you never know.

I love these kinds of twisted things when you get surprised with something totally new you didn't think about. That's what especially happened to me during the last couple of chapters. I swear I couldn't put this book down and read until late at night to finish it. It was so exciting, packed with lots of drama and various new realizations. For me a perfect start for this new series.

I can't wait to see how Ruby's journey continues and what obstacles she has to face next. Her whole world is about to change again, but I'm still not really sure if it finally will become better or even worse.

I recommend this book to any lover of the Hunger Games or Divergent series and other apocalyptic stories with an adorable love story on the side. :)

Also, thanks so much for the author to send me her amazing book. I really love it and can't wait for the second book to come out!!
Profile Image for Natalie  all_books_great_and_small .
3,119 reviews166 followers
January 19, 2019
This book was sent to me by the author for an honest review.

This book grabbed me from the very first chapter and didnt let me go. What a fantastic book. The story line is fantastic and the twists are amazing. I love Ruby's character and as for Sam...(hot, hot, hot).
If your a fan of books like Divergent and the hunger games you will love this book!
I cant wait to read the 2nd book in the series!
Profile Image for Jennifer Wheeler.
713 reviews87 followers
October 13, 2019
3.5 stars. An easy, quick read. Fairly common love triangle subplot for YA. Interesting storyline and virus concept. Good enough to continue the series, because I got it for free through Freebooksy - I don’t think I would have bought the rest in order to continue though.

Edit to add: I’m fairly certain that Sam has been genetically modified/enhanced in some way. So I don’t think he’s actually dead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
19 reviews
August 25, 2024
my goodness me that was almost at a dnf until about 70% through the book. main character yapping on about how she was too small like okay??? and a love triangle that didn’t even really work, was far too forced
I enjoyed the ending but got confused for a good few pages but genuinely took so much effort to read as it was so slowly paced.
Profile Image for Jessica Earl.
180 reviews5 followers
November 21, 2018
Really good adventure story, had me hooked! It had more of a middle grade feel to it but the writing was still solid.
Thank you to the author for gifting me an e-copy.
Profile Image for Rene Reyes.
Author 3 books50 followers
January 21, 2024
Dang

That was amazing. I'm so surprised I hadn't heard of it before. Well written and a page turner. Excited to read the next.
Profile Image for Teresa.
1,900 reviews33 followers
January 23, 2024
Seems like many YA fiction books are better than many adult books. The story is good the characters great, the romance and angst brings it down a star for me, but a good book
492 reviews33 followers
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