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    The Chosen One: A Novel
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    The Chosen One: A Novel
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    The Chosen One: A Novel
    Ebook194 pages2 hours

    The Chosen One: A Novel

    By Carol Lynch Williams

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Carol Lynch Willams' The Chosen One is a dazzling novel about a young teenager's rebellion from the polygamist cult that would have her become the seventh wife to her 60-year-old uncle

    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.


    PLUS SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT: FIRST CHAPTER "SNEAK PEEK" OF CAROL LYNCH WILLIAMS'S MILES FROM ORDINARY.
    "Imagine Anna Quindlen or Sue Miller turning her attention to writing a young adult novel, and you have an idea what [Williams] has done for early teen readers…" --Audrey Couloumbis, author of the Newbery Honor Book Getting Close to Baby
    Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....

    "No one can get inside the head and heart of a 13-year-old girl better than Carol Lynch Williams, and I mean no one," said James S. Jacobs, Professor of Children's Literature at Brigham Young University, of her breakout novel, The Chosen One. Now this award-winning YA author brings us an equally gripping story of a girl who loves her mother, but must face the truth of what life with that mother means for both of them.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMay 12, 2009
    ISBN9781429984546
    Author

    Carol Lynch Williams

    Award-winning author of more than twenty-five books and a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults, Carol Lynch Williams facilitates a week-long workshop to help writers get published (www.wifyr.com). She lives in Utah with her family. Visit her at her blog, Throwing Up Words.

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    Reviews for The Chosen One

    4/5

    94 ratings85 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Kyra, at the age of 13, has been officially ordered by Prophet Childs (leader of the cult) to marry her 60-year-old uncle - in turn, becoming his 7th wife. Kyra is emphatically opposed to the idea and does whatever it takes to prevent it from happening. Does she succeed?This book has watered the seed of curiosity in me. I am now, more than ever, ready and eager to learn more about the polygamy culture.The Chosen One was well-written, and it opened my eyes to what may actually take place in a polygamist compound, but not knowing where truth and fiction blur, it wasn't easy for me to just accept what was happening. The characters and Kyra's home life seemed realistic, but once the tension began to build and reach an alarming state - I questioned the validity of the practicing cult members. I know it's fiction and my questioning didn't change my thoughts about the book, but I want to know the truth behind the fence. (4.25/5)Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
    • 2/5
      I must be hard-hearted, because this book didn't appeal despite all the glowing reviews it has received. The story's premise was good and should have had me totally hooked, but there was something about the writing that just left me cold, and I could not connect with Kyra at all. Disappointing!
    • 4/5
      Kyra is thirteen when the Prophet Chooses her for marriage to her 60-year-old uncle. Women don't get a choice - they must be obedient. Kyra can't help wondering if this is payback for the sins she's committed. She's committed many sins. And now she'll commit one more. Because even if it means risking the lives of the people she loves, she has to get away. If she can. Kyra comes to live in this poetic novel about a polygamist religious commune. I couldn't put it down and this will be a hit with teens who love books that are ripped from the headlines.
    • 4/5
      The Chosen One offers an insightful look into a religious cult and the realistic hold that it has on its people. Carol Lynch Williams suggests sexual abuse through forced marriage, but deals primarily with the physical abuse and the heavy emotional captivity.I love the main character, Kyra. She is strongly determined, caring, and bookish. The Chosen One reminded me of Keep Sweet by Michelle Greene, perhaps more than any other book has ever reminded me of another. I imagine that there are certain hallmarks of these cults that would make one similar to the other.I think that it is important to remember that while The Chosen is written as fiction, these sort of religious cults are real and active today. These woman are often put in a positions where they have to choose whether to stay, or to leave their own children or siblings behind in order to save themselves. It is a horrific form of abuse. These girls are groomed their entire lives, and taught that it is all God ordained.
    • 4/5
      A heartbreaking story about Kyra, a 13-year-old girl living in a polygamist compound. She is arranged to marry her 60-year-old uncle, who already has 6 other wives. Her own father has 3 wives, and 20 children. Her experiences in this compound are so disturbing and horrific, that she desperately plans an escape that may cost her life and her family's. This story made me incredibly angry, because I know that it is somewhat based on what goes on in these compounds today, and it also makes me angry that they use God to justify their despicable actions against children.
    • 5/5
      It's not often that I open a book and free fall into an all consuming world full of unique circumstances, emotional turmoil, and swoony romance. The Chosen One buried deep within my soul... The words seeped into my fingertips and the story filled my heart with desperation, hope, and love. It was a tragic tale, but the inspiration and strength that Kyra displayed made her one of the fiercest heroines I've ever read about.

      The story is about a thirteen year old girl, but the feel is way more mature. Kyra is living in a dark world that forces her to grow up fast. She is suppose to marry her uncle and bear his children. Instead of obeying and cowering down to him though, she seeks solace in books and searches for an out to freedom. There are many failed attempts, but eventually she breaks free of the chains that are the community.

      I'm still speechless and awestruck by the story content. I love unique reads with dark features and this one packed a hard punch. While romance wasn't the main focus, I found myself completely wrapped up in the forbidden Joshua. The desperation and sacrifice was epic level romance and I couldn't have swooned harder. To say this story was amazing is an understatement. It was such a well thought out book with twists and turns that left me begging for more. I highly recommend it to all readers looking for an intense page turner with a heartfelt feel.
    • 3/5
      I listened to the audio of this book. The Narrater, Jenna Lamia, was great. She has a very soothing voice. When the audio first begun, I realized quickly that it was written truly for a teenage audience. I pushed forward and continued to listen because I wanted to know about Polygamy and what goes on behind "The Gates". Albeit a bit slow at times, the story was a good one and I would recommend it to anyone who has a curiosity about the subject.
    • 4/5
      Review for the audiobook version: The story is engaging, and the characters developed well enough for one to get quite attached. There are some you love, some you hate, and others that seem to have strong good and bad sides and one can't be sure how to feel about them. Really, just like real life. The end does stretch things a little, and I personally didn't care for the reader's voice as much as some others, but it's still engaging.This is one of those YA books that deals with very real and very serious subject matter. It may be difficult for young readers to read about for that reason, and parents might want to be ready to turn it into a learning experience and have a serious talk with their children. There is serious violence involved, and discussion of young girls marrying and having children with middle-aged men (and older). It's very real and, while written for a YA audience, stays true to what's known to happen in many of those communities, which can make it truly upsetting at times. Overall, I'd consider it a worthwhile read for those who like YA books.
    • 5/5
      This is a very short read and definitely one you will want to do in one sitting. I seriously couldn't put this book down, because within those pages I saw myself. No, I haven't ever been in a polygamous community, nor have I been forced to marry my uncle, so I cannot really relate to the situation. However, I can see myself in Kyra. She questions everything and loves to read. Her voice was mine and I found myself lost in the tale because I felt as if I were living it. The author does a fantastic job connecting with the reader. She makes you stop and think, "What if this were me? What would I do?"

      I really loved this book and will probably add it to my collection. This is one of those moments that I love the book so much that I doubt I will ever be able to adequately express through words what I am feeling. Just seriously go pick this one up.

      The one thing I do have slight issue with is the cover. I love the symbolism of the braid coming undone, because Kyra's perspective completely shifts and her whole life comes undone. I do not like the fact she is in a spaghetti strap dress, because that isn't Kyra. She can't even imagine wearing something "that revealing." I think perhaps that was chosen because Kyra is becoming more "worldly" than before, but I don't think she is quite to that point by the end of the tale. I do think the colors on this cover are perfect because they seem a tad haunting as well.

      Overall? 5/5 stars, because I connected with this tale and it has left me changed.
    • 4/5
      Kyra is almost 14 when she finds out that the Prophet who leads the polygamous cult she belongs to has decided that she is to marry her own 60 year old uncle. Wondering if this is punishment for her sins of reading and liking a boy her own age, she decides she can't go through with this marriage.
    • 3/5
      We can track many of our beliefs and deeply held convictions to our parents and the communities around us. We are raised to uphold the values our families hold dear. And most of the time, this doesn't hurt anyone despite variations in belief. Occasionally people rebel against the deepest held convictions of their family and friends but such a rebellion is difficult and has consequences. When the rebellion is against a strict fundamentalist, polygamist cult and the rebel is a mere child, as in Carol Lynch Williams' novel, The Chosen One, the stakes are that much higher.Kyra Carlson is thirteen. She's been raised by her father and three mothers, along with many siblings, in a closed off desert compound. Her family is a member of The Chosen, a group of people practicing polygamy and following the teachings of their leader, the Prophet. The Prophet is assisted by his close group of Apostles and the community's rules are strictly enforced by the God Squad. The Chosen Ones' interaction with the outside world is limited and infrequent in an effort to keep them free of the taint and temptation of Satan. While Kyra and the other children may be kept away from the outside world, Kyra's native intelligence and curiousity lead her to question the blindly faithful life that her family lives. In fact, Kyra has started visiting the local mobile library secretly after discovering it under a tree one day as the driver took a rest. Now the library stops once a week to allow Kyra to borrow a book. This isn't the only forbidden thing that Kyra does either, falling for a fellow member of The Chosen, Joshua, a boy close to her own age. But the Prophet sees a different life for her than the one she has hoped for, revealing the horrifying news that she is to be the seventh wife of her own uncle. If Kyra refuses, it will mean terrible things for her beloved family and even possible death for her.In this YA novel, Williams indeed captures the horror of a group that offers up its young girls as sacrifices to old men, a group that tolerates zero disobedience and requires complete and total submission, a group that punishes independent thought or desire. Told from Kyra's perspective, the writing is unsophisticated and simple. Her desperation to escape and her revulsion towards marrying her uncle wars on every page with the pull of love for her family and the only life she's ever known. Although much of the book is slow moving, the climax of the novel is sinister and fast paced. Kyra's immediate family is portrayed as normal as a polygamist family can be, with loving parents and caring siblings but the greater community around them is unforgiving and rigid. Kyra doesn't recognize all of the undercurrents and tensions swirling around her although she does mention a few of them in passing, such as noting that her aunt seems to no longer like her now that she's been chosen as her uncle's next bride. She is, though, a young teenager, and as such may not be savvy enough to see the everyday unhappinesses around her that stem specifically from their unquestioning belief in the Prophet's connection to divinity and in the practice of polygamy. The difficulty of the decision to leave or not leave played out fairly constantly and ultimately a bit too much to keep the narrative tension taut and the book felt as if it really just skimmed the surface of the whole situation. There are some graphic bits, beatings and murders and disappearances, that attest to the violence and danger of those in charge of the cult but for some reason they don't pack the emotional wallop the reader would expect. The ending was rather abrupt and, at least for me, not terribly satisfying. It's an interesting subject for sure and Lynch, in writing this for a YA audience, has brought it to a new readership but I'm not certain it captures all of the psychological drama and truth one would expect of it.
    • 5/5
      Pretty brutal for a teen book - but very well written.
    • 5/5
      Page turner alert! Listened to Jenna Lamia read this while commuting. Had to listen to the last five chapters at home because this author had me on the edge of my figurative seat. Kyra Carlson is a 13 year old girl living in a polygamous family on a compound in the desert. The compound is run by Prophet Childs and his Apostles and protected by their God Squad. This prophet has the faithful in a vise-like grip where only those willing to bend to his will and are older men are allowed to have wives. Kyra is a strong character who, as the story opens, already hates the Prophet for the way he controls their lives. Then Kyra is promised to one of the Apostles, her uncle Hiram, who is 60 years old, has six wives and rules by cruelty. There is a scene where he forces a mother to discipline her baby because the baby cries too much--the discipline is a form of torture practiced on modern-day terrorists. Jenna Lamia creates a very believable young girl in her voicing of Kyra--I wonder if the written version of the book will wring so much emotion out of readers as Jenna Lamia's voice. Give this book to teens who like tough realistic fiction like the Crank series.
    • 4/5
      Kyra is almost 14 when she finds out that the Prophet who leads the polygamous cult she belongs to has decided that she is to marry her own 60 year old uncle. Wondering if this is punishment for her sins of reading and liking a boy her own age, she decides she can't go through with this marriage.
    • 5/5
      Part of the reason I love reading is to get to experience another world. This book delivered that very well.
    • 3/5
      Narrated by Jenna Lamia. Thirteen-year-old Kira is a member of The Chosen Ones, a polygamist religious group. She has three mothers and a large number of siblings. Kira, however, is not as devout as she is expected to be. She fantasizes about how she would kill the Prophet, the group's leader. She's discovered the local library bookmobile and covertly checks out books to read in secret. She's in love with a 16-year-old boy (forgot his name!) and they steal away at night to spend time together. Now the Prophet has envisioned that Kira is to marry her 60-year-old Uncle Hiram. Kira wants no part of the marriage but her refusals and desperate actions are impacting the family in the eyes of the Prophet and his God Squad. Teens who've heard recent news about polygamist cults will be intrigued by Kira's story. Although Kira is only 13, I found the narrator's voice a touch too young for Kira. After the reading, the author is interviewed about how she wrote the book.
    • 5/5
      I hope there are not a lot of kyra's out there! This is a haunting book; one that will stay with me...
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Kyra’s life comes tumbling down around her on the day that the “Prophet” declares that he had a vision from God that she is to become Brother Hyram’s seventh wife, ignoring the fact that Hyram is fifty years older than Kyra and that he is her blood uncle. She has been brought up in an isolated religious community, never questioning the multiple marriages or the strict rules as her family, with it’s three loving mothers and a father who is both gentle and good, have been like a buffer between the her and the harshness. But there is no choice here, she is going to be forced to marry unless she runs away. But saving herself means endangering everyone in her family as people who disobey the “Prophet” and his minions are punished severely or are even killed.I found The Chosen One is be a very emotional read. I was angry and appalled at the pain and ugliness that Kyra and other young girls were being forced to endure. These girls were being raised to simply warm the bed of the church elders. Many of the cults’ young men were being forced to leave, especially the young men that looked at the girls. The families were terrorized and threatened until they silently allowed their daughters to be used this way.Although this book is about families that practice polygamy, the main emphasis is on the control that they have given to one man, enabling him to set himself and his friends up like demi-gods. Nevertheless, this is a memorable book that engages the reader immediately and has given me a desire to read more about polygamy and cults.
    • 5/5
      I read this in two hours with my stomach clenched the entire time.
    • 4/5
      Compulsively readable story of a girl who has been raised in a compound where all the men have multiple wives. Other than have three moms, she's a pretty normal teenager, until the compound gets new leadership, and bit by bit things begin to get scary. The books are taken away, the women are married off to the elders while the younger men remain single. When she's promised in marriage to her elderly (CREEPY) uncle, Kyra begins to wonder whether she can leave everyone she loves, especially the boy she has just fallen in love with, to do what's right for herself. As the book progresses, things look more and more hopeless as Kyra explores small rebellions that keep her sane. This book grabs you. It's hard not to be shouting for her to run away as you read it!
    • 4/5
      This book will make you cry. This book could makes a person ill knowing this lifestyle is in our world.
    • 3/5
      I listened to the audio of this book. The Narrater, Jenna Lamia, was great. She has a very soothing voice. When the audio first begun, I realized quickly that it was written truly for a teenage audience. I pushed forward and continued to listen because I wanted to know about Polygamy and what goes on behind "The Gates". Albeit a bit slow at times, the story was a good one and I would recommend it to anyone who has a curiosity about the subject.
    • 3/5
      This was a really quick read.

      That being said, I found it difficult to get through some of the passages due to the violence against children. I'm not sure if I actually liked this book, especially the ending. It was too much up in the air for me without any real closure. The nook edition was only 119 pages and it just felt more like a short story than a novel. I would have liked more.
    • 4/5
      Strong, gutsy girl who is beginning to question everything she was raised with. Excellent voice, too-tidy ending.
    • 5/5
      I could not put this book down. I got it on a random whim when I was browsing Amazon and it was one of the best books I have read in a long time. But it's sad and shocking... you really feel afraid for Kyra and you're just desperately begging her to get away, to escape with Patrick in his library on wheels.

      Basically, Kyra is a 13 year old in a place where the leader (called the Prophet) chooses who you marry. It is a very different novel and explores religion and culture and especially the way in which women have very little control in polygamous traditions. Near the beginning of the book we find out that the Prophet has decided that Kyra will become the 7th wife of her 60 year old uncle. But Kyra is not so ready to accept things the way they are, she has already found love in the form of Joshua and cannot stand to think of bearing her uncle's children. Kyra must make a desperate and risky choice which could result in losing everything, even her own life.

      This is a frightening, thought-provoking novel that constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat. Rarely have I ever connected with a narrator so much as I did with Kyra, her story will leave you moved and shocked at what you have just read. A masterpiece.
    • 3/5
      MSBA Nominee 2010-2011

      This book is definitely for the older end of the MSBA audience. Kyra is part of a polygamous cult and at age 14, is "chosen" to be the seventh wife of her uncle. This disgusts her and her family. Her family, however, seems paralyzed to do anything to change it. Should Kyra stay, because this might be just punishment for her transgressions, or should she go?
    • 5/5
      In this riveting "ripped from the headlines" thriller, thirteen-year-old Kyra who lives in a polygamist cult is told by the prophet that she is to become the wife of her 60-year-old uncle. Suddenly Kyra is faced with an impossible choice—run away and never see her family again or stay and be forced into an unbearable marriage. A gripping, powerfully written story.
    • 3/5
      This was a riveting YA novel that tackled some common teen issues in a rather unique way, including alienation with one's community and the concurrent push to rebel against one's family and culture and pull to remain within the safety of the familiar. Few teens grow up in a polygamist compound, but I think anyone whose been a teen can relate to the conflicting feelings Kyra has. It's also a story of the high price of awareness, kind of a modern-day Garden of Eden tale (except that in this case, her perception of Eden is what changed and she ejected herself from the Garden when the outside wilderness turned into a place of relative safety).
    • 4/5
      "Woah. Just, woah." That's how a student described her experience reading this book, and I couldn't really put it better. It's a fast-paced story that immediately draws readers in and doesn't let go. Once I opened this book, I didn't put it down until I finished.