Gated - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

When the apocalypse is supposedly coming, everyone wants a place that they can trust is safe and supplied to stay; a safe haven of sorts. Luckily for Lyla and her family, they find exactly that....or did they? After the disappearance of her sister, her family among many other are recruited to a community called Mandrodage Meadows by a man who calls himself Pioneer. A charming, charismatic, and sometimes intimidating leader, Pioneer lets every family he recruits to his community know why he's doing it; because the end of the world is nearing, and he has been chosen to protect the superior people, an order given given in visions from the Brethern, a mysterious all-knowing group from beyond this world. They will return for this group five years after the rest of the world is left in ravaged remains in the end. Every family is so thankful for this, except for Lyla herself. After a chance encounter from a boy outside their gated community, Lyla begins questioning Pioneer's motives, and following her own instincts instead of Pioneer's rules. Will she continue to lead herself outside the community and into the outside world, or will she allow herself to be dictated by Pioneer? Read the book and find out!

Okay, if you're involved in the library or anything about it, you will know how we've all been on a dystopian kick lately. The last two book club books have been dystopian themed, and we've been supplied with a bunch of new books with the same genre. And it's been fun, so when I saw this new book after I covered it, I immediately wanted to check it our and read it for myself. A little perfect community in the middle of the end of the world? Oh, that couldn't possibly go wrong, right? I also thought the cover was really pretty, with the dark colors and half a face, it reminded me a lot of the Uglies cover. But, when you open the book and actually read it, it's not quite what you expect. Hardly focused on the apocalyptic idea in the story, and more on the community and it's deeper secrets itself. You learn all about the hidden pieces and intentions along with Lyla, who grows from an adamant follower, to a strong young protagonist throughout the course of the novel. It's creepy, and weird, and I liked it, despite it not being exactly what I thought it would.