IHeartYAFiction

Short and Sweet:Gated was suspenseful and anxiety producing! Even experiencing this world as a reader, I wanted to believe in Pioneer and his visions. However as the story moves along it becomes clear that something darker is motivating him. Overall creepy and thrilling! To Elaborate....Lyla, or 'Little Owl,' as Pioneer calls her, is not quite as convinced as the rest of her community that the end of the world is approaching, or that the only way to survive is by ruthlessly murdering the 'unchosen.' However, this hesitant viewpoint does not escape the notice of Pioneer (few things do) so in the meantime she tries harder to meet his expectations and especially to avoid his attention. From the beginning we see that there is a glint to Pioneer's eye that his other loyal followers either overlook or fail to notice, but Lyla sees quite clearly. As she struggles to reconcile this aspect of her leader, a man she has known since childhood, time is running out. The local sheriff has taken an interest in Mandrodage Meadows and his son, Cody, has taken an interest in Lyla herself. As Lyla begins to seriously question all she has ever known a series of events unfolds that brings out a rarely seen side of Pioneer and she has to ultimately decide what she believes and who she trusts.The story has a truly amazing crescendo of action and intrigue. I love a book that literally makes your heart pound faster and faster as you approach the final pages. Really, really liked this one!(Originally published at iheartyafiction.blogspot.com)