Astray

This sequel to the excellent Gated (2013) follows former cult member Lyla as she struggles to adjust to the outside world while fighting off the calls of her family to rejoin their doomsday sect led by charismatic and dictatorial Pioneer.In the first book, Lyla struggled to escape the Community; now, she deals with her emotions: toward her parents, who remain enthusiastically in the cult, toward former Intended Will, and toward Cody, the sheriff's son with whom she is starting a possible romance and with whose family she now lives. Additionally, some residents of the small town make it clear they want Lyla out. The town government decides to send all the cult children to the same high school, lumping Lyla in with them, thus causing Lyla even more grief as she attempts to distance herself from them. Pioneer, operating from jail rather like Charles Manson, manages to maintain ultimate control over the Community, with flunky Mr. Brown leading increasingly violent attempts to intimidate Lyla. Parker resorts to a couple of rather unrealistic contrivances to set up the suspense in this book: It's hard to believe that officials would throw Lyla together with her former cult members and send the cult children back to their still-obsessed families. Nevertheless, Lyla's psychological turmoil comes across effectively, and the suspense builds to an extremely exciting climax. Still absorbing, if not as polished as its predecessor. (Fiction. 14-18) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Lyla thought her nightmare was over when she shot Pioneer after she witnessed him murder her best friend. She thought Pioneer was dead and that everyone would see the truth: he was a deceitful monster, and the cult leaders known as the Brethren were a lie. She was wrong. Pioneer miraculously survived the bullets Lyla directed into his chest, which only made the Community's faith in him stronger and more dangerous. Lyla lives with her new boyfriend, Cody, and his family while she waits to testify against the cult leader. Her parents and the rest of the Community have been relocated to a trailer park, and the teens-Lyla's former friends-have been ordered to attend the local high school. Lyla is desperate for some semblance of normalcy, but her new and old life pull at her, and she finds that she belongs nowhere. The people of the town are reluctant to accept her or the cult members into their midst, and the Community refuses to let go of their belief that the end of the world is coming, and they will do anything to prove their loyalty to Pioneer. The Community's desperation and the town's vitriol are a deadly combination, and even from his jail cell Pioneer orchestrates a plan to bring Lyla back into the fold. This book requires some suspension of disbelief, but once that happens, it's a thrilling page-turner that will keep even the most reluctant readers engaged until the end. Lyla is a sympathetic character, and Cody and his family are kind but realistically wrestle with what it means to accept a former cult member into their midst. A suspenseful and worthy follow-up to Gated (Random, 2013).-Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

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