June 10, 2013
It’s the end of the world, and no one’s fine in this tense psychological thriller, Parker’s debut. Seventeen-year-old Lyla is part of the Community, a group of families led by the charismatic Pioneer, who has secluded them from the outside world in anticipation of the imminent apocalypse. With Pioneer’s prophesied deadline fast approaching, Lyla struggles with her faith and resolve. A chance encounter with Cody, a boy from the outside, further tempts her away from the way of the Community, but when events escalate—with her salvation at stake—she may have to choose between following her heart or staying true to her friends and family. Parker skillfully explores the mindset and inner workings of an apocalyptic cult, steadily building toward the inevitable moment of truth. The appeal of the Community’s simpler way of life is balanced by a growing sense of wrongness, as cracks appear in Pioneer’s façade. Lyla’s internal conflict is well-played and believable. As for the apocalypse itself, Parker keeps things suitably ambiguous, resulting in a complex, intriguing tale rooted in real-world events. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lucienne Diver, the Knight Agency.
Starred review from June 15, 2013
This absorbing examination of a cult focuses on a teenage girl who begins to doubt their leader. Lyla's little sister was kidnapped in New York City 12 years ago, just before 9/11. Her inconsolable parents fell prey to a charismatic man calling himself Pioneer, who promised to keep them safe in the coming apocalypse thanks to knowledge received from aliens. They now live with about 20 other families in a walled-in agricultural community that hides a secret: They have dug a five-story-deep silo into the ground in which they intend to live for five years before the aliens come to rescue them. Pioneer controls his people closely, assigning the adolescents into marriages (Will is Lyla's Intended) and insisting that everyone in the Community learn to shoot to kill, as he's sure Outsiders will eventually attack them. Parker convincingly portrays the dynamics of a cult from the inside out, contriving events that will allow Lyla to learn the truth about Pioneer and nicely fitting Lyla's rebellion against the Community into her natural adolescent rebellion. But if Lyla tries to warn the Community, will anyone believe her, or will she be trapped forever in the silo? Parker doesn't pull punches, indicating a level of brutality that will appropriately disturb even as it successfully conveys Lyla's complete entrapment in the Community. Compelling and not that distant from real-world cults that have ended in tragedy. (Fiction. 14 & up)
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October 1, 2013
Gr 10 Up-Pioneer came to Lyla's family when they were at their most vulnerable: Karen, five-year-old Lyla's older sister, had disappeared without a trace from in front of their apartment building, not long before the planes hit the World Trade Center. Lyla's father and mother-along with several other families-willingly followed Pioneer to Mandrodage Meadows, a gated community with a dark secret. Pioneer claims that the mysterious Brethren have chosen them as survivors of the coming Armageddon. He controls what they watch, how they live, whom the youth will marry. Lyla, now 17, knows that she is safe, but the thought of living in the underground silo that will be their home when the world ends doesn't really seem like her idea of living. When she meets Cody, the local sheriff's son, and he begins to question some of her long-held beliefs, Lyla wonders if Pioneer is really the savior he claims to be. Her doubts will have some consequences that will put her and her community in danger-not only from outside, but also from within. This well-plotted tale will allow readers a glimpse into the possible world of a doomsday cult. Because the characters come across as real individuals, it's easy to sympathize with their situation and the way in which they have been taken in by Pioneer's lies. The subject matter and violence make this book more appropriate for an older audience, but the language is accessible, making it a good choice for reluctant readers. After the last page is turned, the question will linger: "Could I ever be deceived like this?"-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2014
Part of a select few who will survive the end of the world, Lyla and her family live in the Community, led by prophet Pioneer, and she can barely remember her old life. Then an outsider raises questions she shouldn't be asking, and Pioneer does not appreciate questions. Slowly mounting action builds suspense in this coming-of-age story and examination of cult mentality.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)