Plot Synopsis

The Chosen One is based on a true story: Kyra's life is about to change. God has spoken to the Prophet and dictated that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle, an abhorrent prospect for Kyra on many levels.

My Thoughts

First, I want to thank Elizabeth at As Usual I Need More Bookshelves for sending me this book as part of the BBAW Giveaways. The Chosen One was a wonderfully quick read. I picked it up around 9pm and was finished and in bed by 10:45. It was hard to sleep though, but more on that later.

The fast-paced plot doesn't dwell on unnecessary details or wax poetic on morality, but instead presents one girl's life clearly and concretely. The deeper philosophies are identifiable and intrigue through their simple presentation. The horror of living under the tyrannical power of "The Prophet", of having your entire life planned out for you and controlled, reveals itself to the readers through concrete action.

Kyra's personality is revealed in similar anecdotes. She questions her community, her life, and even goes so far as to outright defy conventions. She reads books, thinks of killing The Prophet, wishes for outside help for her mother, secretly meets with a boy; all things she is not only forbidden from doing, but if caught, her punishment could be as severe as death.

I should not read books about polygamists, Fundamentalists, child abusers, or gated communities. Nightmares on the page, that is what these books are for me. I see Kyra's parents defy their own logic and emotion, and for what? They are unhappy with their life, disbelieving in The Prophet, and yet they are willing to abuse their children, physically punish them, give them as wives to men 50+ years older? These people should be quickly caught and executed. It is that strong emotion which tells me I should probably stop reading such books. After finishing one, I am horrified, disgusted, and almost violently angry; and it is a feeling I can't shake for days.

I had the same negative reaction when reading Carolyn Jessop's Escape, the true story of one woman fleeing from a fundamentalist Foundation for Latter Day Saints' compound. As I said in that review, "I can not possibly understand a faith which allows for spousal and child abuse, a faith which elevates the man/husband to a position of such power that even those who disagree with the way he "runs" his family will not step in and help because they still believe it is his right. I also found myself annoyed that as a country, we allow a community to violate our laws and commit oppressive and abusive acts. People say this country was founded on the concept of religious freedom, but I would like to think that personal freedom is the real foundation. And when religion calls for the subjugation of the individual, personal freedom must trump religion. We will use the civil rights violations occurring in the Middle East to encite support for a war, but we won't deal with those same civil rights violations within our own boundaries. Seems...illogical and self-destructive."

Memorable Scene: Mariah, 8 months old, cried when the Prophet and some respected Brothers visited Kyra's family. Later, Kyra's uncle comes over and forces the family to punish Mariah. The mother has to submerge Mariah in water until the Brother says she can raise the baby up. Twice. After he leaves, it is a quick race to get Mariah to breathe again. The mother doesn't want to do this; the father doesn't want it done; Kyra is screaming to stop; and yet they give in to the power of their "religion".

Memorable Quote: We are here for the men...It's as though someone punches me in the throat. ( )

Kyra has many secrets: the books she checks out each week from the Ironton Country Mobile Library, the kisses the gives to Joshua Johnson, her desire to kill the Prophet Childs.

Kyra is thirteen years old. Her father has three wives, and she has twenty brothers and sisters. Her whole family is hoping that Kyra's father will be Chosen to become an Apostle, as her uncle Hyram had... but on the night that the Prophet Childs visits Kyra's family for dinner, he announces a disturbing vision. Kyra is to marry her Uncle Hyram, fifty years her senior.

Kyra knows she cannot, will not marry Hyram. But can she run away and leave her family behind? ( )

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams manages to be sweet, sad, and disturbing all at once. It tells the story of Kyra, a thirteen-year-old girl who lives in a compound for people who call themselves Chosen Ones, their lives dictated by Prophet Childs. Prophet Childs announces that he has had a vision showing that it is God’s will that Kyra be married to a man who already has six wives, a man who is her very strict and greedy sixty-year-old uncle. Kyra fights the decision every step of the way and her family backs her, even if there isn’t much they can do about it. Readers will also find themselves rooting for Kyra and hoping that she won’t be stuck in what seems like a bleak future. Kyra is afraid that this is happening to her because she has sinned by meeting with Josh, the boy that she really wants to spend the rest of her life with, and by going to a bookmobile and reading forbidden books. Kyra’s strength is admirable and the topic is thought-provoking. It shows what can happen when people start to think that they are above the laws and know best, and how they can ruin others’ lives. The book is overall well written and an engaging coming of age story. It manages to show a realistic yet harsh reality and give hope.

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

WOW!

That's the first word that came to mind as I turned the final page of THE CHOSEN ONE. I sat contemplating what I had just finished and had to process everything that Kyra had been through.

Meet Kyra Carlson. She is the second daughter to one of her father's three wives. She has been brought up in the Chosen One compound. Life wasn't always so strict. But when Prophet Childs takes over the lead, he takes tighter control. A fence is placed around the grounds. Women can no longer leave as easily. Reading is forbidden. Women and children must be obedient.

One night, Prophet Childs and three of his Apostles come knocking on Krya's trailer. The whole family is there for the visit. In stunned silence, Kyra hears the words that she has been Chosen. She is to become the seventh wife of her Uncle Hyrum.

Kyra is only thirteen. Her older sister, Emily, isn't right in the head, so no one is surprised that Emily hasn't been chosen. But it is shocking to be so young and to then have to wed her own uncle. It's just wrong. Even Kyra's father is flabbergasted at the pronouncement. The wedding is to be in four weeks.

Kyra is a rebel at the compound. She sneaks off to meet the weekly bookmobile on the main road. She keeps her library book hidden in the branches of a tree. She also secretly meets up with Joshua. He vows that if given the chance, he will choose Kyra for his wife.

Once Kyra hears the news that she is to wed, she does all she can to convince her family not to make it happen. But everyone is scared of the society they live in and know that going against Prophet Childs' wishes will make life worse for her entire family.

Kyra knows that marrying Uncle Hyrum is wrong. She doesn't accept the rules of the Chosen Ones. But she is torn. She knows she should run away before the wedding. But that will bring troubles to her family. How can she possibly leave her family? How can she possibly leave Joshua? Where would she go?

THE CHOSEN ONE may not be for everyone. The story is powerful and will leave you feeling angry and disgusted. But it will also leave you amazed at the power of the human spirit and what can be overcome. The story is definitely controversial, and those with strong religious views will more than likely be deeply disturbed by the life that Kyra has been brought up in. But if you can get beyond the religious context, the story will leave you breathless as you cheer and pray for Kyra to do what must be done.

Though Kyra is a thirteen-year-old girl, the subject matter of THE CHOSEN ONE may not be appropriate for younger readers. Though there is no actual sex within the story, the subject matter is quite obvious and referenced throughout the entire book. ( )

A book about a girl being forced to marry her abusive 60 year-old uncle as part of a polygamist cult? I picked this book up *hoping* that it would be really good, but deep down I was expecting it to be a lot like a sappy, emotionally manipulative made-for-TV movie. Luckily, it didn't let me down that way -- the main character Kyra was truly well-developed, and the plot took some incredibly intriguing twists and turns.

Things I really loved about the book -- 1) How Kyra's strength and determination grows throughout the book, instead of springing from nowhere. 2) The fact that very few characters in the book are all good or all awful -- even if there are so many family members (and with that many mothers and siblings, it's unavoidable!) and other characters that few are developed with any depth, they at least aren't black and white. As the story progresses, Kyra finds surprising little nuggets of support from people she'd feared and disliked, and is let down by some people she had idolized.

The only thing about the book that left me really unhappy was how abrupt the ending was -- I really hope that there is a sequel planned, because that is the only good excuse I can think of for leaving the ending hanging so oddly. ( )

This book grabbed hold of my soul and shook it. It's one of the most powerful books I've ever read.

Kyra has grown up in a community of polygamists, but when she is chosen to marry he 60 something year old uncle, who already has 6 wives, she refuses. But it is being forced upon her, and her defiance starts to hurt the people around her. I thought the book was really sad, but it still ended on a pretty good note. To think people could live like this is... someting to think about. I loved this book. I normally get into my books, but this one especially. The ending was good, but in a way was left open to where it could stand alone, or could have a sequal. I am hoping there will be a sequal.

Thirteen-year old Kyra has grown up in a desert community of polygamists. Her dissatisfaction reaches a crisis point when she is promised in marriage to her own elderly uncle. Hard to put down. ( )

For me, the make or break point comes about 10 sentences into the book. The narrator's voice makes all the difference. If it's good, I'm in (unless the actual book is terrible). If the narrator's voice is annoying or he or she tries any cheesy mimicry - then I shut it off.

"The Chosen One" is narrated beautifully by Jenna Lamia. I'm not sure her actual age, but she takes on the main character, 13-year old Kyra, beautifully. And when voicing other characters, older/younger, male/female...she gives them their own tones and emphasis and really makes the listening experience compelling.

The story of "The Chosen One" is at turns incredibly frustrating and incredibly sad. As I listened, I wanted to scream at most of the adults. The "chosen" ones who devalue the lives of children and women and who put blind religious dogma and hunger for power above all else. Fathers who allow their wives (plural, of course) and children to be abused or taken from them in the name of God.

It was incredibly sad because although I know this story is fiction, there are real girls, women, children who live this life, and worse, at the hands of men. When the book is over, author Carol Lynch Williams is interviewed and when asked if there are many girls like Kyra out there, I could hear the fear and despair in her voice as she answered, "I hope not...I hope not."

Kyra is a wonderful character who finds an escape from her narrow world through books, through the Ironton County Mobile Library on Wheels. From a world of banned and then burned books, she is able to experience some freedoms through the power of words. This knowledge prove both a blessing and a curse as her eyes are opened to the injustices of her world and as she realizes not only how wrong that which is being done to her is, but that all of her sisters will suffer the same fate. (Paraphrase) - "We're here for the men," she finally understands. In a compound where age 10 is almost a woman, she understands that she will have no life as long as she stays.

Frustrating and sad as Kyra's story may be, it is a gripping one - told well by the author and the reader. ( )

Kyra is a thirteen years old and has all the problems of a regular teenager she likes a boy, she has problems with her family but she in not a am regular girl. She is living in a world of plural marriages where the prophet has complete control of what happens in the isolated world. Kyra loves her family and mostly obeys the prophet until she is told she will have to marry her own uncle who is very old and already has six wives. Kyra is horrified and looks for help but she is worried she will have to be a seventh wife to her own uncle. This novels is a powerful tales of hope and taking fate in to your own hands and fighting back when you know things are wrong. Carol Lynch Williams writes a novel that is sure to be a classic. ( )

If you’re looking for a book that’s hard to put down, read The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. It has a gripping plot, suspenseful action, and a thrilling conclusion that had me reading as fast as possible so I could find out what was going to happen, and then regretting that the story was finished!
Kyra, who is thirteen when the story starts, has grown up in an unusual community; one where it is considered normal for men to have at least three wives whose main function is to have as many children as possible. As a result, Kyra has three mothers, and more than twenty brothers and sisters. She would probably have been content to live out her life in this community, until she finds out that the Prophet, who is the head of the community, has spoken to God, and Kyra is destined to marry a sixty year old man who already has six wives and happens to be her uncle. This is absolutely appalling to her first because she considers him repulsive, but secondly because there is a much younger man to whom she is attracted. What Kyra soon finds out however, is that refusing to marry Uncle Hyrum is going to get her absolutely nowhere, and if she is to escape this union, she’ll have to think of something else in a hurry and find a way to avoid the attention of the God Squad. ( )

Kyra is a thirteen year old girl who is a member of “The Chosen Ones,” a polygamist sect. Her father has three wives and she has twenty siblings, plus two more on the way. She has vague memories of what things were like before the current Prophet came into power – before books, trips to town, dancing, etc. were banned.

Kyra likes to wander and one day as she is roaming, she encounters the Ironton County Mobile Library and the driver tells her she can check out four books. Since she will have to hide whatever she borrows, she limits herself to one book at a time. Her week and her world revolve around her family, chores, the books she checks out and a young boy named Joshua.

One day the Prophet comes to visit Kyra’s family. Her father thinks he might be appointed an Apostle, but he’s wrong – the Prophet has come to tell the family that Kyra has been chosen to be the seventh wife of her Uncle Hyrum, who is sixty years old. Kyra is appalled, especially since she’s in love with Joshua.

When Kyra and Joshua express their desire to get married, they are both beaten and Joshua is kicked out of the sect. Kyra still refuses to marry her uncle and is told that her family will suffer if she doesn’t. Now, at thirteen years old, poor Kyra must decide if she should try to follow her own happiness or make the ultimate sacrifice for her family.

Just before I started my blog, I went through a “polygamist phase.” I read every book on polygamy I could get my hands on. Most of them were memoirs written by women who had actually escaped from a polygamist sect. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams is the fictional account of a young girl in a fictional sect, but after all of the other books on the subject I’ve read, it really rang true for me. I was totally engrossed in this book from start to finish. I could really relate to Kyra and her love of books and her family. My heart ached for her (and her mother) and I found myself rooting for her to make what I thought was the right decision. I think The Chosen One is well written and Kyra is a great narrator. I recommend this wonderfully compelling book. ( )

People will be tempted to compare this book to Shelley Hrdlitschka's Sister Wife, which came out just months before The Chosen One. The books share certain similarities: both are about a girl in her early teens who lives in an insular polygamist community and yearns for life on the "outside." In both cases, the girl is in love with a boy her own age, but is commanded to marry an older man.

Williams's book, however, is much darker than Hrdlitschka's. I think the focus is also different. Hrdlitschka tried very hard to present all sides of the polygamy issue and maintain a neutral point of view. In Williams's story, however, the male leaders of the community are indisputably evil, and one dark event follows another. An infant is deliberately ducked in water and nearly drowned simply because the previous day the adults were unable to stop her crying. Disabled babies are killed at birth. A teenage girl forced to marry a much older man is accused of adultery and murdered. And so on.

Many people might accuse Williams of prejudice against polygamists, but the polygamy seemed almost incidental to the story. Take the polygamy out and you wouldn't lose much. You've still got girls into marriage with men many times their age, the murder of infants, etc. I think the story wasn't about polygamists, it was about an isolated and thoroughly cowed group of people in the grip of some truly terrible leaders. This book could have been about Jonestown. Or North Korea.

The Chosen One is a quick read. Not only is it relatively short at a little over 200 pages, but the atmosphere of suspense -- as the protagonist's wedding date approaches -- kept me rapidly turning pages. I actually found it more realistic than Sister Wife, particularly at the end. The ending is ambiguous and it's clear that the girl and her family's troubles are far from over, but it was about as hopeful as you could reasonably expect.

I liked the story a lot, but it's not for everyone. The sheer darkness of it, and the violence, make it lean towards the older end of the YA spectrum, though the protagonist is only thirteen. ( )

This was a well-written book about a lifestyle that is very different and difficult for many to understand. Though a hard topic, the author did a good job capturing the emotions of Kyra as she struggled to make the choice between her family, her lifestyle, and her freedom. ( )

Gripping and terribly unsettling, The Chosen One is about a 13-year-old girl (Kyra) in a polygamous community who is told by the leaders that she must marry her 67-year-old uncle and become his seventh wife. Her father and mothers (her father has three wives and numerous children) are unhappy, but are afraid to rebel too strongly against the directive. Kyra clearly sees that if she fights the marriage or tries to run away the consequences for her family could be horrible, but she is repulsed by the idea of the marriage. Quite intense. ( )

"Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way. That is, without questioning them much---if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.
But when the Prophet decrees that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle---who already has six wives---Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family forever."

This book was a quick read, right to the point.
It was also pretty different from the fantastical books that I typically read, so that made it refreshing, as well.

I loved the way that the story was set up (between flashbacks and the present moment).
I loved the way the characters in the story changed before Kyra's eyes, and thus before the reader's.
I loved the way Kyra grew.
I loved the way Kyra explained how the outside world looked at them (a interesting take, as the reader most likely feels that way) and how that made her feel.
Finally, I love books where the character loves books, and this was a great one.

I rooted for her, and that is what makes this book special, is that you want Kyra to be happy.

I immediately lent this book to a friend, who finished it in one night and was thrilled with it.

On a final note, after reading William's bio in the back, I would love to know why she wrote this book...

This review is also a post on my blog ( )

Kyra has three mothers, one father, and twenty brothers and sisters. She lives in a compound led by The Prophet, a man who is in “close communication with God.” Over the years, the compound has become more and more closed off from the outside world. With the fence that was built around the compound and the mass book burning, any freedom they had is dwindling away.Kyra is the most headstrong out of all of her siblings. She sometimes has a difficult time accepting the laws of the community. Because of her headstrong ways, she keeps secrets. Even though books aren’t allowed on the compound, she has found a way to read. On one of her walks she discovers that a bookmobile passes the compound. When the bookmobile driver stops, she gets up the nerve to get a library card and check out one book at a time. She keeps it hidden in her favorite tree where she spends a lot of her time.Reading isn’t the only secret Kyra keeps. There is also Joshua - the boy she loves. They sneak out at night to talk, to kiss, and to read. She sees herself getting married to Joshua and starting a family, but she begins to question her feelings about husbands having multiple wives. Could she stand sharing Joshua with another woman?Kyra’s life begins to spiral out of control when her and her family get the word from The Prophet that she has been Chosen. Chosen to be married. Married to her sixty-year-old uncle. Unable to believe this is possible, she runs and hides in her tree until it is dark enough to go to Joshua’s. From the minute Kyra discovers she is supposed to marry her uncle, her life is a living nightmare. She gets a glimpse of what life will be like when her uncle comes over to discipline one of her siblings for embarrassing him in front of The Prophet. As she goes through the wedding preparations like a zombie, she hopes somehow her father will talk The Prophet out of his decision.Threats, beatings, banishments. This is what life is like in the compound. Kyra must decide if she can live this way or if she will take the risk and run away and leave her family forever.This novel is very powerful and disturbing. The contrast between the family life Kyra is used to and the other families in the compound is interesting. Where Kyra’s father is always loving and kind to his wives and children, the other men of the compound rule by fear and harsh discipline. This is one of the main reasons Kyra is headstrong.Something that would have made this novel even better though, is if the author would have given us more examples of what went on behind closed doors in the houses that weren’t as friendly as Kyra’s. THE CHOSEN is a book everyone should read, especially in light of recent news events concerning a situation much like Kyra’s. THE CHOSEN is a page-turner. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down until you see how it ends. Your heart will go out to Kyra. THE CHOSEN is one of those books that will leave you pondering for days. ( )

This novel was nothing short of spectacular. This is a very intense topic and I was glad to see it represented in a young adult novel. I was enraged, disgusted, and saddened by this novel. Told from Kyra’s point of view, this novel unfolds a story of desperation, love, fear, and freedom. Kyra’s internal struggle was masterfully depicted. I never once questioned her desire to stay. Why would you not? To leave your family and everything you have come to know. I only hope that I would posses that type of courage, that she must have had to posses in order to leave. Williams seamlessly balanced Kyra’s world. At one end of the spectrum Kyra’s family is full of love, from her father and her many mothers, sharing many of the same qualities, you’d expect from any family, polygamous or not. And yet the other end contains the darker side, the killing of defective babies, beating, and tortuous discipline. It’s almost impossible not to become emotionally invested in this story. There was one aspect that bothered me, and it had to do with the cell phone. And perhaps it was just me, but for as completely forbidden everything from the outside world was, I find it very hard to believe that Kyra could operate a cell phone with such ease. But despite that small complaint, I don’t feel that it took away from the story. Overall, all the hype had it right: “Compelling”“powerful”“a masterpiece”“an important book” ( )

When I first picked up The Chosen One, I was a bit weary-- it's not the kind of book I usually read. I didn't know a whole lo about polygamy, except for the stereotypical information we get through the news. Could I get into this book even though everything about their life style goes against my beliefs and my morals? I didn't think so... but I would soon be proven wrong.

Though I still find polygamy wrong (and not just because of the multiple wives), I found out more about it through this book, and hopefully that knowledge will help me to be more open minded in the future-- after all, many of the followers are born into this cult/religion, but that doesn't mean they agree to everything their 'God' has said they should do. Kyra's family, for example, seems much closer, more loving, than the others, and they don't take everything they've been raised to believe to heart. They don't want Kyra to marry her 60 year old uncle (and become his 7th wife), and they wish they could change they would do anything to change the Prophet's decision.

Also, looking at Kyra and Joshua's forbidden love, you can't help but reach out and connect with the characters, even if they do have different beliefs. They love each other and want to get married, grow old, all the same things we want from life-- but their family, their whole community, is against them. Sound familiar? We've heard the same basic idea before, but never in this type of setting. That's one of the reason I love this book-- she connected it to things we could relate to, and in doing so make the characters seem real.

4.5 STARS! An in depth look at a culture we know very little about-- enlightening, interesting, yet gut-wrenching because of the clear pictures Williams paints in your mind. Emotional, compelling, and eye opening, Kyra's story is sure to make you stop and think, not just close the book and put it aside. Fast-paced and exciting, The Chosen One is sure to grab your attention from the very beginning! ( )

Kyra Leigh Carlson lives with her father, three mothers, and huge brood of brothers and sisters in a polygamous religious community, known as “The Chosen Ones.” When The Prophet commands Kyra to become the seventh wife of her 60-year-old Uncle Hyrum, Kyra’s world begins falling apart and brings her to question the life her parents have chosen for themselves and their children. Kyra vacillates between the forthrightness and courage to escape the community and the absolute fear of losing her family and of the vicious retribution handed down on those who disobey or try to escape from The Prophet and his Apostles.

Carol Lynch Williams’ novel is both beautiful and challenging. Williams has written Kyra with a depth and sensitivity that make her a truly sympathetic and inspiring character. There are no easy answers to the questions posed by this novel: is the individual more important than the whole (i.e., should Kyra put her family at risk by seeking her own destiny) or when does power become an abuse? Williams, I believe, ends on an incredibly powerful note, leaving readers with an uncertainty or ambiguity about what really happens to Kyra, allowing the reader the space to thoroughly grapple with this incredibly emotional narrative. I would recommend this title readily and without hesitation. ( )

This was such a compelling, powerful book of choice and rebellion. The Chosen One has such strong emotions that kept you thinking and feeling for Kyra(the main character) the entire book. With The Chosen One, there were varying shades of gray, everything wasn't just black or white. It made the book so much better.

The Chosen One was one of those books that after you read, the plot still keeps reeling in your mind. The fact that Kyra "escapes" with her books if another thing that really draws you in. The Chosen One isn't just a book, it's a story that's a long trek of emotions. It was a great read, that carries you to the end of the book, captivating you, making you read wanting more. This is a must read! ( )

I started this book and finished it the next night...I was just drawn into the plot so quickly that the only thing that stopped me from reading it straight through is having to go to work, and I left the book at the house on purpose.
This is a story about a young girl in a polygamist group called The Chosen Ones, and she has been chosen to marry her Uncle, which she finds horrible and so does her Father. She is also a little on the wild side for the community, she sneaks out to read books and she has dreams of marrying someone she chooses. This is a very moving story about her struggle against the community and how she tries to break free and live. I think I cried for the last 20 pages of this book, it was so good. This is something that I could see myself buying for my friends and passing on to others to read. ( )

This compelling story about Kyra, a teenage girl (not quite 14 years old) growing up in a fundamentalist, polygamous compound, is a very fast read. When Kyra, one of 20 children between her father and his three wives, is told by her religious community's prophet that she has been "chosen" to become her 60-year-old uncle's sixth wife, she decides to fight back against the system she is no longer sure she believes in. Buoyed by her encounters with the outside world through secret visits to a mobile library, Kyra is one of the few people in her sect to ever take the very dangerous step of standing up to the prophet and his self-titled apostles.

My only complaint about this book is that I thought it ended rather abruptly, and I would have liked to read more about the consequences of Kyra's brave decision. ( )

The Review

This novel was inspired by a real-life story that was told by a girl who escaped from her polygamist society. Carol Lynch Williams, an experienced and award winning author, took this girl’s harrowing tale and wrote a novel about how being brave enough to live your truth will set you free.

The thought of being forced to marry your own uncle who is fifty years older than you… with age spots and yellow teeth… NO NO NO! I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. I could live in the mind of Kyra and completely understand her repulsion to this insistence by her family and her community. There is absolutely NO WAY that I would do that!

Kyra is in love with Joshua… a young man who loves her in return and just as deeply. When he attempts to speak with ”The Prophet” (how they can use that adjective to describe these polygamist LOONEY TOONS is beyond me!) to convince him to allow Kyra to marry him instead of ICKY, OLD UNCLE PERVY! Instead of being met with reason, he is met with violence. After his brutal beating, he is then forced to flee the compound and never return. However, Joshua isn’t the only one beaten over the simple act of loving another. The “Prophet” (ugh, that word again) and his men beat the daylights out of Kyra as well.

It is at this point that I wonder if we can even consider Kyra’s parents to be any kind of parents at all. I mean, what kind of people allow their children to be beaten and forced into a statutory rape situation? I cannot even imagine the amount of severe brainwashing that these individuals must have suffered. Even so, I still DON’T GET IT! I’m a mom. Once you’ve given birth to a child, you would do anything to protect and love it. Anything! Including self-sacrifice. Why Kyra’s mother didn’t stage their escape is beyond me! She is no mother, in my book.

Moving on to more outrageousness… what is the deal with these compounds at their “private police?” (BTW: In this book they are referred to as “The God Squad”… PAHLEASE!) How is it that our national and local security forces are unable to monitor this stuff? I understand that this is private property that it is happening on… however, crimes on private property are still subject to the laws of the city, state and nation. How murders and beatings are occuring without any recourse is beyond me! We have forces at our borders. If this type of insanity is still occuring in our nation, we need boundary patrols of these private compounds. We need to ensure that these children have a means of escape into safety. We need to pass laws to regulate the upbringing of these children. If it is a known fact that polygamy is existing, then we need to ensure that there are regular inspections by child services departments. This type of abuse should NOT exist in today’s day and time. I don’t care what they consider “religious freedom,” this is just child abuse. No 60-year-old man needs a 14 year old bride for a 7th wife. Disgusting.

The last thing that really “got my blood boiling” is this concept that “secular things” are the works of Satan and will cause you to go to hell. I cannot imagine scaring my children with such words. And, these so-called-secular things are books… like Dr. Suess or Bridge to Terabithida. What? A child reads Green Eggs & Ham and is going to Hell? Absolutely absurd! Kyra’s first love with Joshua was also deemed something that she would be sent to Hell for. Ridiculous. So… FEAR, not love is how these Mormon Polygamist Sects control their children? Nice.

On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale:”
Be ready to be impassioned when you read this book. The fact that this novel is based upon a true story is really what sets me into orbit! I just can’t believe that this type of stuff is actually happening within our own country! I am outraged! Don’t get me wrong… I’ve read about this stuff and I watch Big Love. But, I guess somewhere inside myself I thought that the government wouldn’t allow these types of things continue… they wouldn’t let our nation’s daughters be raped by old men and call it “religious freedom.” No… our government has put an end to this… right?

I would allow my children to read this book and find it to be age-appropriate for 10-11 and up. I will share this with my girls and circle back around with you readers to tell you what they think.

This is a very fast book to read. I think I was done within an hour. However, as a mother, I was so completely angry that I had to let this book sit for days before I wrote this review. If I hadn’t… let me tell you that the cursing & swear words would have been everywhere in this post! What I need to remember is that this novel is also the celebration of one girl’s bravery and how that bravery gave her a new lease on life.

For the genre: Fiction:YA, I will rate this book a 10 OUT OF 10. I highly recommend this novel to book clubs (especially mother/daughter clubs) as it will promote A GREAT BOOK CLUB discussion. ( )