Review Detail

From the blurb I got the feeling this was about a society that was maybe a little out there with their thinking and beliefs, but it was a lot more than that, it about a cult ran by a seriously deranged man. Lyla is just 17 years old, stay off the radar, observes those around her, and when an outsider comes to Mandrodage Meadows, she begins to question the things she has been taught about the upcoming apocalypse. There are so many question that she want answers to. The big one for me, was what is going to do if she finds the truth she is looking for, and what is she going to do with?

Lyla was a great character and narrator, maybe a little out of place in a society like she lived in. She thought different, she was bold and strong and stood out, and wasn’t like the other teenagers that truly believed Pioneer. But something about her, just worked for me. The secondary characters brought their own level of intensity to the story, from Cody is the outsider that comes to visit and Lyla is drawn to, to Marie the best friend who has a fascination with the books from the outside. There a few others, that I enjoy as well. There was a little bit of a romance between Lyla and Cody but it didn’t play a big role.

This isn’t a fast paced story at all, and it needed be this way to give the full feeling of the life they live in the Community and especially the domination Pioneer had over “his people”. They have been lead to believe the world outside their walls is in a state of chaos. Pioneer the leader, was a fantastic villain. I’m not sure whether he truly believed what he told them, or he was just plain psycho. Anyway, Lyla is stuck, she wants to be with her family but at the same time, she is certain that things aren’t what they seem. She does all she can to find the truth. Following her and watching her grow into her own was a part that I liked watching. And with the twist climatic twist toward the end, I so engrossed I just couldn’t stop reading. It’s not a happy ending but closure for those in the Community, and an ending that was just right for a book like this.

Gated is dark and thrilling, and takes the reader into cult living, and was horrifying and intriguing all at the same time. The quotes at the start of each new chapter, just added to the creepiness of it all. I think this definitely makes you think, and worth reading.


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