Gated, by Amy Christine Parker

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Release date: August 6, 2013

She thought the evil lived outside the walls. She was wrong.

In the Community, life seems perfect. Lyla Hamilton believes she is one of the chosen. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Pioneer invited her family to join the Community and escape the evil in the world. They've thrived under his strict, charismatic leadership. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.
Will is her Intended.
The end of the world is near.

Pioneer has visions of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must prepare to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the Silo, the underground shelter where the Community will wait out the apocalypse.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but a chance encounter with an unchosen boy has her questioning Pioneer, the Community--everything. She needs time to figure out the truth. But with Pioneer's deadline for the end of days fast approaching, time is the one thing she doesn't have.




Drats.  Yet another book that tantalized me with a creepy cover and an intriguing premise, yet failed to deliver.  It was a struggle to finish this book, and I thought of giving up several times.  But I didn't want to start ARC August with a DNF! 

The main character, Lyla, was a whiny brat who was just so put-upon with the whole following-the-rules-of-the-community thing. 

And the whole bad-thing-that-happened-to-my-family-when-I-was-five-is-all-my-fault cliche is so annoying.  I have a five-year-old.  I can guarantee you that neither he nor his friends think that anything that happens--even those events that are the direct result of their actions--is their fault.  And how does she have so many questions when she's been brainwashed for so long?  We're told that she's a strong character, but I didn't see a lot of that.

Then Lyla sees Cody for the first time and she knows she's in love with him, even though she hasn't seen his whole face.

Um...okay?  I don't really know why he was introduced, other than to form a love triangle.

None of the characters seemed true to themselves.  Pioneer, in particular, wasn't a typical cult leader: he showed more manipulation than love of religion.

I was really disappointed in the end.  What was the motivation?  That's not the kind of END OF THE WORLD that I expected.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.