The Chosen One is the story of 13-year-old Kyra who has grown up in an isolated polygamous community without questioning her father’s three wives and her twenty brothers and sisters. Yet, she’s starting to show signs of “disobedience”, counting her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with the boy she hopes to choose for. But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her 60-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.

I’ve heard raving reviews about The Chosen One so I was quite excited to be reading it, despite its subject matter and boy was I hooked. I finished reading it within an hour and by the end of it, I was left with equal parts of hope, sadness, happiness and un-satisfaction.

Kyra may only be 13 years old but she has seen what 13 years old shouldn’t. Deformed babies dying, “disobedient” followers chased away, etc. In her community, polygamy is the accepted way of life, that for a man to enter heaven, he must have 3 wives, minimum. I find it disgusting that the men of the community could twist bible scriptures and take advantage of such young girls. It makes me wonder if they are really brainwashed or simply, making up this “community” just so they can have access to young girls.

Reading The Chosen One, the most important feeling I got from it was a sense of hope. Despite the horrible things Kyra witnesses, what the reader sees, despite what I read and balked at, particular a scene involving a crying baby, there is still a ray of hope. Readers want to know if Kyra will be able to escape, if she will be able to save herself and her family.

I honestly can’t help but feel sad for her family, especially her parents. One can tell that Kyra’s biological parents as well as Mother Claire, her father’s first wife, are starting to have doubts about the community. When Krya is “chosen” for her uncle, her biological uncle, even her father wants this decision to be rescinded but alas, things don’t work that way. There was also another scene I was rather affected by; I won’t say too much about it, but really, the fact that a group of men, or even just one man, can harm such a young and innocent girl, is just disgusting.

Another small ray of hope comes in the form of a budding romance between Kyra and a fellow believer, Joshua. I was really rooting for them and I can’t say that the ending left me satisfied. I think readers will be able to tell from the start that most marriages in this community involve young girls and way older guys, not a couple of similar age. Still, the interaction between Krya and Joshua was slightly uplifting to read.

The only reason I can’t give this book a full 5-star rating is the ending. While full of hope, it left me wholly unsatisfied. I suppose it’s one of those endings which leave the reader to their imagination, wondering whatever happened to the characters but I’m sorry, for me, it felt like a letdown. There were so many loose ends, so many things I was still wondering about. Still, it was a very good book and I definitely recommend it to all.