Skip to main content

Review: The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams.



Book: The Chosen One

Author: Carol Lynch Williams

Pages: 213

Read On: Kindle

How Long it Took Me To Read: 2 hours

Plot SummaryThirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way. That is, without questioning them much---if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.
But when the Prophet decrees that she must marry her sixty-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 forever.
General Thoughts: I am very curious about cults and religious sects and communities and how they live. Well, I am curious about how everyone lives. I am a nosy Nancy. Books are such a wonderful way to get to know how other people live and what their lives are like. 
I got this book a couple of months back because the premise sounded good. A couple of nights back, I couldn't sleep and was flipping through the book on my Kindle and started reading this book and was sucked in. 
Things I Liked: 
1. The writing was simple, direct and nice. 
2. This was a short little read, only 213 pages and they flew by, the pace of this book was fantastic, I just couldn't put it down. 
3. I loved Kyra's character and rooted for her and was worried about her and wanted her to get out of this horrid situation. 
4. The book did a wonderful job at portraying life in this community. Even though the book was from Kyra's perspective, it felt like we got to see this entire world. Their rules, their limitations and especially the life of the women in this world. 
5. This book makes a great point about the powers of books and reading and knowledge. Kyra wants more of life and she questions the rules because she reads books and know more about the outside world. 
6. I really liked Kyra's family, her parents, all her three mothers and her many siblings. It was nice to show that not all people in this community were bad. 
7. I was worried and anxious about Kyra and that made me flip pages and read this book in one sitting. The tension and nerves especially in the second half of the book was great. 
8. The romance element in this book was subtle and felt real. 
Things I Didn't Like: 
1. The ending was a bit abrupt and a lot of questions about the fate of several characters were not answered. I would have liked to know what happened to so many of the characters. 
Rating: 4/5 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Magic of the Lost Temple by Sudha Murthy.

Book: The Magic of the Lost Temple Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 163 Read On: Paperback How Long it took Me To Read: 1 day Plot Summary:   City girl Nooni is surprised at the pace of life in her grandparents' village in Karnataka. But she quickly gets used to the gentle routine there and involves herself in a flurry of activities, including papad making, organizing picnics and learning to ride a cycle, with her new-found friends. Things get exciting when Nooni stumbles upon an ancient fabled stepwell right in the middle of a forest.Join the intrepid Nooni on an adventure of a lifetime in this much-awaited book by Sudha Murty that is heart-warming, charming and absolutely unputdownable. General Thoughts: Ah! A happy little Children's Book! I wanted it the minute I spotted it in the bookshop. And I started reading it pretty much immediately. :)  I read it after reading a beyond dull and boring and soulless book. This book just cured my bookish blues. I l

Book Review: The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond.

Some snippets of the stunning art inside the book!  Book: The Room on the Roof Author: Ruskin Bond Illustrator: Ahlawat Gunjan Pages: 171 Read On: Hardback How Long It Took Me To Read: 3 days or so. Plot Summary:   Rusty, a sixteen-year-old Anglo-Indian boy, is orphaned and has to live with his English guardian in the claustrophobic European part in Dehra Dun. Unhappy with the strict ways of his guardian, Rusty runs away from home to live with his Indian friends. Plunging for the first time into the dream-bright world of the bazaar, Hindu festivals and other aspects of Indian life, Rusty is enchanted … and is lost forever to the prim proprieties of the European community.  General Thoughts: This book is super special. Not only this 60th anniversary edition an absolute beauty. This is also a signed copy I picked up from Mussoorie when I was in Landour earlier in the year. This is perhaps one of Ruskin Bond's most well kn

Review: Grandma's Bag of Stories by Sudha Murthy.

Book: Grandma's Bag of Stories Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 176 Read On: Paperback How Long It Took Me Read: 2 hours Plot Summary:   When Grandma opens her bag of stories, everyone gathers Around. Who can resist a good story, especially when it’s being told by Grandma? From her bag emerges tales of kings and cheats, monkeys and mice, bears and gods. Here comes the bear who ate some really bad dessert and got very angry; a lazy man who would not put out a fire till it reached his beard; a princess who got turned into an onion; a queen who discovered silk, and many more weird and wonderful people and animals. Grandma tells the stories over long summer days and nights, as seven children enjoy life in her little town. The stories entertain, educate and provide hours of enjoyment to them. So come, why don’t you too join in the fun? General Thoughts: I've read quite a few Sudha Murthy books this year and really enjoyed them. I find them soothing, simple a