Gated | Amy Christine Parker | Book Review

Y’all, there is never a time in my life where I would say no to an interesting, traditionally published book featuring cults. For serious, like one time Christina recommended an adult fiction cult book to me and I read the heck out of it. When I saw Gated by Amy Christine Parker on Netgalley, the description basically immediately grabbed my attention. Because, you know, CULT BOOK! I am so glad I decided to read Gated because it’s one of those books that has a slow build to an intense crescendo and if you read all the cult books, as I do, both fiction and nonfiction, you will recognize so many elements of a cult. Frankly, I got so excited reading this book and cannot recommend Parker’s debut young adult book enough.

When Lyla was a little girl, her sister Karen was abducted. They never found Karen. Unfortunately, just when an effort was mounted to find Karen, 9/11 happened, and so all the focus went on that. It’s not as though tragedies compete with each other, but 9/11 took precedence over Karen. Lyla’s parents basically went nuts with their grief and turned for comfort to a man named Pioneer who preached of a group of gods known as the Brethren who basically picked them along with some other families for survival when the end times come. Lyla’s parents then uproot the family from New York City and they move across the country to a compound known as Mandrodage Meadows, where the families are separated from society by a fence and a gate. At the Meadows, they are stockpiling and preparing for the end times, where they will all wait it out in an underground bunker known as the Silo. When we first meet Lyla, she is having difficulty shooting targets shaped like people, her conscience weighing on her. This sets the tone perfectly for the thriller that is Gated by Amy Christine Parker.

Lyla is another in a line of characters that I would consider to be quiet. She’s introverted and shy. She’s an artist. Her quietness is so pronounced that Pioneer often refers to her as Little Owl because she is constantly observing the world. Anyways, Lyla does not think anything is amiss with the community she lives in until she is tasked with giving a tour to an Outsider, Cody. As can be guessed, Cody opens her eyes to the ultimate sketchiness that is Pioneer. But really,Gated is at it’s heart, the story of a young girl who finds independence within herself and learns to question and think for herself. I love that. I love that this sort of renaissance of Lyla is the main point of the story, not the romance.

Speaking of the romance, you might notice that at the very bottom of this review there are 4.5 stars. That is because while I liked the romance, I am not sure that I believe it. Like many young adult books, the romance is instalove. Which, okay, I get it. The boy is new and mysterious and represents something exotic to Lyla. I just thought the pacing and the feelings were very, very quick to happen and I am not sure I believed it. It just stretched the limits of what I consider plausible. Also, there are two guys who are vying for Lyla’s attention. I just felt it was lackluster.

Now, you guys the romance totally is not the most interesting thing in Amy Christine Parker’s Gated. Instead, the really interesting thing is how the sociology of cults in real life plays out in this fictional cult. Now, I’ve read books about Charles Manson and Jim Jones, so while I am not an expert, I am knowledgeable. Both dudes were hella sketchy, but managed to prey on people and get them to do heinous things. Pioneer is totally like them both. Like Manson, he’s definitely got a checkered past. Like Jones, he is able to get people to give up their lives and worldly possessions. What further enhances the book is that each chapter begins with an epigraph that is either a Pioneer quote, a quote from a real life cult leader, or a Bible verse. It just totally sets the tone and draws, to me, a parallel between fiction and real life zealotry. I loved it.

If you are cuckoo for cults like me, you need to get your hands on Gated. It is all that I wanted when it comes to young adult books that feature cults. The sociology within made sense. It clearly lays out why someone would join a cult with sensitivity. The characters are interesting. The cult leader, Pioneer, is charismatic when we first meet him. The writing is tight and clean. It is well paced, sure it starts off kind of slow, but trust, that’s to build up to the crescendo of the intense amount of action at the end. I highly recommend Gated by Amy Christine Parker to those who share my taste in books.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher

Other reviews of Gated by Amy Christine Parker:

Itching For Books – “wonderful writing, intriguing characters and fantastic twists”
Xpresso Reads – “a surprisingly good read”
Fiction Frenzy – “entertaining and unique entry”

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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