The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

I have read/heard about The Chosen One from many different blogs, and though I tend to not read Young Adult books, I had to read this one. I am fascinated with cults, especially those based loosely on the Mormon faith and polygamy. I read The Chosen One in about 2 hours and throughly enjoyed it. I give it a B+.

Inside cover:
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 Ironton County 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 mush 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.

As I said, this was a very difficult book to read. Some of the things that Kyra goes through is incredibly disturbing, and it brought me to tears. The fact that things like this really does happen in our world, even in our own country, just makes it that much more troubling. I wanted to jump through the pages and rescue Kyra myself. My hear absolutely breaks for her and you can just feel her helplessness. I loved her passion for reading and the escape and courage that books brings to her, and it helped me remember how precious the freedoms that we have in this country, including the ability to read whatever we want whenever we choose to. I highly recommend this book, even if YA books aren't your thing. They normally are not mine but I still loved this book.

I am not sure what I am going to read next but I am out of library books, so down to my bookshelves I will go. I hope to squeeze in a few more hours of reading tonight. Even though it is quite cloudy out and overcast, I think my front porch is calling my name. If you have a few minutes to spare, please head over to Musing of a Bookish Kitty where the lovely and always wonderful Wendy has spotlighted me and my little blog today. If you haven't alread read her, it really is a must read for everyone as she is such a wonderful blogger and more importantly, a wonderful person. Happy Reading everyone!