Haunting. There is no other word I can think of to describe this book.

Williams writes this world so well, that I had goosebumps throughout most of the novel. She wrote Kyra’s story so well and with such beautiful prose, it was able to take this book to a much more interesting place than I thought it would go. Kyra’s love for her father, her mothers, her sisters and brothers is so apparent, it hurt me to read about the world they lived in.

I applaud Williams for writing this story the way she did. Even though the world Kyra lived in was horrible, I never questioned her desire to stay with her family. It was clear that she detested her world, but even through that, she loved her family and it was incredibly touching to see how much her need to leave hurt her when it came to her family.

I also loved the dynamic Williams created between The Chosen One’s culture are Kyra’s family. Even though her father has 3 wives and many kids, I couldn’t help but admire the love they had for one another. Kyra’s father was a much better character than I thought he would be at the beginning of the book. Comparing that to the rest of the compound, where children are killed for being “defective,” where young girls are forced into marriage with much older men, and where near torture is used as a simple form of discipline. The two words almost seem to oppose each other in ways, and yet they are so intertwined you can’t forget it.

Finding an emotion tie to this book was easy and getting sucked in will happen. But this book isn’t for everyone. It’s a very tough story to read and it will make you angry, sad and everything in between. But it will also show you the power of human spirit and what it can overcome. If you can look past the religious context and embrace the story as a show of human strength, you will be moved by this book, just like I was.