Review: "The Chosen One" by Carol Lynch Williams

From Goodreads:  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.

My Thoughts:  This was such a sad book and even though it ended on a hopeful note, it still was heart-breaking.  The picture that the author paints of a religious compound run by crazy zealots is shocking even more so by the fact that the inhabitants of the compound were left so powerless to do anything to better their situation.  Kyra is an amazing character; she is tough, smart and curious.  Even though it is forbidden, she still visits the book mobile and reads in secret and the strength it took to do this was remarkable.  She survived beatings and other horrible events but still doesn't let it break her.  This book was suprising in that I never thought I would see a Young Adult book written about polygamy and fundamentalists but I have to say the story was well executed.  The writing is excellent:  there are times where you can almost feel the fear emanating from the characters as their lives are dictated by the 'Prophet' and his God squad.  This was a fascinating read.  4 stars.