The Chosen One

978-0312-55511-5

Available May 2009 

Carol Lynch Williams’ The Chosen One might be what one gets when they throw the Duggars of TLC fame into a little darker environment. It is powerful, like a gruesome car wreck that has to be viewed again and again. It is a well told story and skillfully adapted to address a subject that is taboo for most readers. Thankfully, it is fiction, but we all know this has probably existed.

Kyra is thirteen and about to marry her uncle, but only because it is God’s will. Polygamy aside, violence and skewed religious views exact control over all who live within the compound. Outsiders are viewed as anathema.

Kyra’s curiosity leads her back to books, familiar and forbidden, that have been purged from the community when she was little. Toss in an adolescent boy along with a would-be-hero, who happens to drive a bookmobile, and the stage is set for violent and almost unbelievable conflict.

Teenage girls will make this book circulate, but reserve a few copies for the guys too. It is action packed in a refreshing way that makes several important points about basic human rights. The Chosen One will likely open discussions concerning a wide range of family dynamics. Encourage the conversation and know that this book will make a difference.