With the recent troubles with that group of people in Texas who were living a quiet religious life that included child brides and multiple wives, literature has found itself exploring the issue. This is the most recent addition to that genre for young adults.

Kyra is a 13 year old growing up in a large family on a secluded compound. She is one of the Chosen Ones, a group that is totally dedicated to God. They have pulled out of regular American culture because it is being overcome by the forces of Satan. The Prophet Childs, the sect's leader, inherited his position from his father years earlier. Since that time, things have become more strict. Books were outlawed and destroyed in a community burning. Families cannot get medical treatment outside of the community. The Prophet also received the Word of God, which includes highlighting which men in the community the girls will marry.

It is in that way that Kyra is also a different kind of chosen one. Prophet Childs has recently announced that she will marry the Apostly Hyrum, who is also her father's older brother. She would be his seventh wife. Besides being so young and the idea of marrying such a close relative, the idea of marrying Hyrum is repungnant because she wants to marry for love. She doesn't want to end up with a man in her 60's in whom she finds no interest. In fact, Hyrum is quite strict about staying within the traditional beliefs of the compound and is not opposed to using physical punishment to enforce those beliefs.

Her family is also one with multiple mothers. her father has three wives, including his mother, as well as 14 children. They are all close, loving and caring. It is this environment that clashes so much with the restrictions and punishments doled out by the Prophet and his Apostles.

To make matters worse, Kyra is finding herself attracted to Joshua, another member in the community He would be happy to choose her if he could, but she is promised to another man. That does not prevent them from getting together in secret from time to time, though, they do not cross the line of appropriate behavior outside of a chaste kiss.

Besides playing the piano, Kyra does have one other escape in her life. Every Wednesday the nearby library's bookmobile passes by. Of course, Patrick, the librarian had never expected to have someone from the compound take advantage of his services, but he is more than happy to set her up with a card and help her select titles.

Not only does he connect her with the worlds of Tarabithia and Plum Creek, he becomes a friend to her. She sneaks the books onto the compound and reads when she has the time. He even offers to help her escape if she ever decides that she wants to, something he strongly suggests after she receives a punishment with visible bruises.

The book builds to the predictable climax. The reader has no trouble with connecting to Kyra and the challenges she faces, but it is probably difficult for the reader to understand why most of the people, particularly Kyra's own family, remain on the compound. They definitely have the strong faith that is at the core of the community, but they are not brainwashed. They clearly see the wrongs, which not only include beatings but also murder, that have happened since the new Prophet took over. It does not make sense the Kyra finds herself so totally alone in being the voice of resistance.

I can say that I was drawn into the story, but there was nothing really new or fresh about the story. While it has gotten good reviews, I felt that she really had strong feeling about the moral ("Cults are bad,") and that seemed to drive the story more than a sense of reality. I would definitely recommend The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante as a stronger read on the same subject. There is a greater depth to the characters and the story flows a bit more realisticly.