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The Chosen One

de Carol Lynch Williams

MembresRessenyesPopularitatValoració mitjanaMencions
95811821,727 (3.98)47
In a polygamous cult in the desert, Kyra, not yet fourteen, sees being chosen to be the seventh wife of her uncle as just punishment for having read books and kissed a boy, in violation of Prophet Childs' teachings, and is torn between facing her fate and running away from all that she knows and loves.… (més)
  1. 10
    Such a Pretty Girl de Laura Wiess (weener)
  2. 00
    The Patron Saint of Butterflies de Cecilia Galante (ForeignCircus)
    ForeignCircus: Another young adult novel about growing up in a religious cult and facing unbearable choices to further the greater good.
  3. 00
    Sister Wife de Shelley Hrdlitschka (meggyweg)
  4. 00
    Burned de Ellen Hopkins (meggyweg)
  5. 00
    Hush de Eishes Chayil (BookSpot)
    BookSpot: Both books deal with girls in insular religious communities that are not all that they appear to be from the outside. Both also deal with things that it's hard to imagine can be going on like that today but they do it well.
  6. 00
    The 19th Wife de David Ebershoff (Maggie_Rum)
    Maggie_Rum: Both this book and The Chosen One portray stories of the danger of polygamy, especially to young women.
  7. 00
    Armageddon Summer de Jane Yolen (MyriadBooks)
    MyriadBooks: For the lack of adults who were supposed to protect you.
  8. 00
    Forbidden de Judy Waite (Runa)
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» Mira també 47 mencions

Es mostren 1-5 de 119 (següent | mostra-les totes)
"Think of it," I said to Laura when I turned twelve. "I'm almost Mother Sarah's age when she was married."

Carol Lynch Williams- "The Chosen One"

Old Review edited.

4.5 stars for an amazing and very dark book.

As you may realize if you read the description this book is about Polygamy. Our main character is a child who is lively, vivacious and loves to read. She has her whole life before her..until "The Prophet" chooses to marry her off to her cruel elderly uncle. She does not want to marry him but he is the Prophet. And this is the way things have always been.

This book was utterly heartbreaking. I have not read too many books on the subject of polygamy and you learn a lot through this book. Some of it may seem almost incomprehensible to the reader and I will warn that some of the subject matter, actually almost all of it, it’s quite dark. Start reading this when you’re not down or gloomy .

What makes it particularly stark and horrifying is because, although this particular story is fiction, these things have and do happen. It was a bleak read but it was written so beautifully.

I found this to be a powerful story about one girl’s fight to break free of her family and the only life she has ever known. ( )
  Thebeautifulsea | Aug 4, 2022 |
The Chosen One is a stand-alone YA contemporary novel about Kyra, a thirteen-year-old girl who’s spent her whole life in the insular compound of a polygamist cult known as The Chosen Ones. For the most part, she’s been content with her life and hasn’t questioned it much. However, the group’s elderly Prophet somewhat recently died and after that his son stepped into the role. The new Prophet Childs is far more strict than the old Prophet. He forced all the cult members to burn every book they owned with the exception of the Bible, and members’ visits to the nearest town are now pretty rare. He also has a God Squad, brutish bullies who enforce his commands with violence. There are even whispers of them committing murder. Kyra is old enough to remember better days, so she doesn’t like the Prophet much. The story opens with her family preparing for an honored visit from the Prophet, during which he declares that he’s received a vision that Kyra is to become the seventh wife of Brother Hyrum, her own blood uncle who is fifty years her senior. From the moment the declaration is made, Kyra is resistant. She’s been secretly meeting with a boy named Joshua for a while. She’s fallen in love with him and was hoping that he would be the one she would marry. However, both her father’s and Joshua’s pleas to the Prophet on her behalf fall on deaf ears, eventually leading to harsh “discipline” for Joshua and Kyra and threats against her family. Throughout all of this, Kyra often likes to take walks through the desert surrounding their compound, and on one of her wanderings, she comes upon the Ironton County Mobile Library on Wheels. This bookmobile and all the wonderful stories in it become an escape from her troubled life, while showing her a window into a world she didn’t know existed. With her wedding date looming closer every day and with no other escape in sight, Kyra begins to consider leaving her beloved family behind and trying to escape, but The Chosen Ones won’t let her go easily.

Kyra is the first-person narrator and a strong, smart girl. It’s clear from the opening line where she tells her baby sister she wants to kill the Prophet that she has a major beef with the guy. As all the atrocities he’s committed allegedly in the name of God are revealed, I certainly couldn’t blame her for her animosity. She tries to be a good, obedient girl, but between her own bright mind and the things she’s learned from the reading materials in the bookmobile, she knows there’s something inherently wrong with being told to marry her own uncle. She also knows other things, too, such as the fact that there’s medical treatment that could help her mother who’s having a difficult pregnancy that’s left her sick all the time. Yet the Prophet has declared that modern medicine is of the devil and any woman who dies in childbirth is sinful. Kyra, like any girl her age, has started to notice boys and is sweet on one in particular, Joshua. He likes her, too, and they engage in a number of late-night rendezvouses in dark, quiet places around the compound where they share innocent kisses and make promises to each other that the Prophet makes impossible for them to keep. When the Prophet declares that Kyra is to marry her uncle, I admired her for fighting back even though she’s bombarded from all sides by people trying to “put her in her place” and eventually by being literally beaten down. Even though inside she’s incredibly frightened and sometimes uncertain about the course of action she’s taken, she simply doesn’t give up on forging her own destiny.

Since The Chosen One is classified as a YA novel, I’ll discuss potentially objectionable content in this paragraph. There are a handful of times that hell is used as a profanity, but no other language issues. There’s no drug or alcohol use. Although the term adultery is briefly discussed and Kyra thinks of how she can’t even stand the idea of her uncle touching her, there’s also no actual sexual content. So the most concerning things would be violence and an overarching sense of fear. There’s a feeling of suspense surrounding whether Kyra will ever be able to escape her fate, which eventually leads to some nail-biting moments that I can’t say too much about without giving away spoilers. Then there’s the violence, which overall isn’t rendered too graphically. It’s more the fear that leads to a psychological response. However, there is a scene where an infant is “disciplined” for crying in the presence of the Prophet, nearly leading to her death. There’s talk about murders that have taken place in the past, both of infants and girls, and the implication of a supporting character being killed in the story. There are other abuses, including Kyra herself being beaten, although after the first blow, it fades to black with the story taking up again afterward with the mention of all her injuries. There’s also the twisted nature of the things the cult believes and how the Prophet keeps everyone under his thumb, which can be rather disturbing. So while the thirteen-year-old age of the protagonist might draw the interest of middle-grade kids, I’m not entirely sure if they would be old enough to handle the subject matter given that this isn’t some fantasy world but one that really exists for some people. It would probably vary depending on the maturity of the child and whether they have parental or educator guidance available to help process it. That’s why I would only recommend the book for older teens who I believe would have the maturity level to handle the more realistic nature of the story.

Overall, The Chosen One was a great read. It’s by turns powerful, thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and anger-inducing. IMHO, the ability to elicit all of these emotions from the reader is the mark of good writing. Kyra is a strong, admirable heroine who eventually figures out that she must be her own hero no matter the cost. The Prophet and his God Squad made me want to jump into the story to give them a taste of their own medicine. Then there are Kyra’s family members, who drew a certain sympathy from me. Her father seems like a good man who genuinely loves his family, while her mothers are generally good people as well, particularly Kyra’s biological mother. Her siblings just try to please their parents, but I admired her sisters who share the same mother for standing up for her. On the one hand, I sometimes wanted to be angry with her parents for not doing more to protect her, but at the same time, it was obvious that deep down, they had some doubts of their own which they’d stuffed away. They’re simply a product of their upbringing, never knowing another life besides the cult compound, and they’ve had fear—fear of the Prophet, losing everything, and/or going to hell—instilled in them from a young age. So they’re stuck as well and perhaps unable to dredge up the courage Kyra has. The story is at times, tense and suspenseful, making me wonder if Kyra was going to find a way out. It was on track to receive five stars from me right up until the ending, which while hopeful, was a little too open-ended for my taste. I like everything wrapped up in a neat bow, but this one left me with many questions, which I’ll have to answer on my own in a way that will satisfy me. I begrudgingly admit that real life isn’t usually neat, so in that way, the book was sticking to it’s more realistic tone. Otherwise, it was an excellent read, my first by Carol Lynch Williams, but most certainly not my last. ( )
  mom2lnb | Feb 13, 2022 |
I read this in two hours with my stomach clenched the entire time. ( )
  readingbeader | Oct 29, 2020 |
One of the most emotionally wrenching and powerful books I've read in a long while. So much suspense, pain, and horror, and in the end, a little bit of hope. Incredibly done.

Kyra lives within an isolated polygamist sect in the desert, among her many beloved brothers and sisters, and her kind father and his three wives. Kyra doesn't mind her life much; she cares deeply for her family and tries her hardest to be obedient to God. But sometimes, it's too much. Things add up, weighing Kyra down from within. Sins in the eyes of the cruel Prophet that leads the sect.

Kyra reads forbidden novels from the area's bookmobile. She thinks hateful thoughts about the Prophet and his merciless squad of religious enforcers. She sneaks out at night to meet Joshua, the boy she loves and wants to choose for herself. She dreams about running away.

And when the Prophet decrees that it is God's will that Kyra become her uncle's seventh wife, she knows it is the final straw. Everything in her rebels against it, and with it, everything that the Chosen Ones stand for.

Fighting a wrenching internal battle, Kyra must choose between she has been taught and what she feels in her heart, her love for her family or her hatred for what her community does.

Suspenseful, heartbreaking, and terrifyingly real, this novel brings vividly to life the story of one girl within what could be a very real setting. It's not long, and the style is quick, simple, and filled to the brim with emotion. It's easy to believe Kyra's narrative voice, and she carries the story with utterly realistic fear, horror, grief, strength, and joy. Other characters, while described quickly, are fully their own people, and you come to easily love or hate them. Many of the scenes touched me personally, especially the scenes involving books. And the emotions really did get to me; there were scenes where I wanted to hug the characters, wanted to laugh or cry with them; some made me so furious I wanted to punch something. A few times I held my breath worrying for them.

A beautiful, emotional-rollercoaster book, and a very well done portrait into a lifestyle few authors would probably choose to broach. I highly recommend it. ( )
  booksong | Mar 18, 2020 |
This was a random library pick. I was immediately attached to the character of Kyra. Though it was a little drawn out in parts, I was into the story. I hesitate to say I "enjoyed" it, like The Room it is hard to use a work like that with such a disturbing topic. But, it kept me interested and pulling for Kyra right to the end.

I do wish the author would have said more about Patrick at the end. I was still hoping they might find him alive in the end, maybe left for dead. And, I was hoping Joshua might have been there waiting for her somewhere before the end...I'm a sucker for a happy ending. ( )
  Amelia1989 | Jun 10, 2019 |
Es mostren 1-5 de 119 (següent | mostra-les totes)
Kyra's terrible dilemma--escaping her fate means betraying her family--is heartbreakingly real, and the final scenes are riveting and suspenseful.
afegit per Katya0133 | editaKirkus (Apr 1, 2009)
 
Williams’ portrayals of the family are sharp, but what’s most interesting about this book is how the yearnings and fears of a character so far from what most YAs know will still seem familiar and close.
afegit per Katya0133 | editaBooklist, Ilene Cooper (Feb 15, 2009)
 
This page turner will appeal to all readers who enjoy fiction with an important message, combined with suspense and danger beautifully crafted within.
afegit per Katya0133 | editaLibrary Media Connection, Judith M. Garner
 
The cinematic drama of [Alis and Kyra's] lives, not to mention the fact that they'd both feel at home in ''The Crucible,'' is a means to reach a quieter truth, revealing that moment in childhood when you recognize your thoughts as your own and discover forces in the world that your parents cannot -- or will not -- protect you from.
afegit per Katya0133 | editaNew York Times Book Review, Jessica Bruder
 
Williams creates sympathetic characters, and readers will hold their breath right to the end, hoping that Kyra wins her freedom.
afegit per Katya0133 | editaHorn Book Magazine, Chelsey Philpot
 
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For the Cliff-hangers and for Julie, Margaret, Rita, and Uma. But most especially for Christian Green.
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"If I was going to kill the Prophet," I say, not even keeping my voice low, "I'd do it in Africa."
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In a polygamous cult in the desert, Kyra, not yet fourteen, sees being chosen to be the seventh wife of her uncle as just punishment for having read books and kissed a boy, in violation of Prophet Childs' teachings, and is torn between facing her fate and running away from all that she knows and loves.

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