ARC Review: The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

I just finished reading an ARC of The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams and wow!  This book left me reeling a little bit.  It is the story of a 13 year old girl named Kyra who is part of a polygamist cult and has been chosen to marry her 60 year old uncle.  Forced to choose between freedom and family, Kyra has to make a decision which could have deadly consequences.

Williams writes sparingly and powerfully, giving her readers an all too real look into the dark world of polygamy, the ties that bind families together and the power struggles which break them apart.  I devoured this book in one sitting, completely horrified and moved by Kyra’s struggle.  From the opening line to the final paragraph, I was completely engrossed.  Just like in David Ebershoff’s The Nineteenth Wife, the author provides a human side to the life inside a cult and we sympathisize with the characters in ways we could never imagine.  I was moved to tears in several parts and the ending, while hopeful, is heartbreakingly sad at the same time.  I predict this book will be a huge success.