Review : Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Gated
Author : Amy Christine Parker
Publication Date : August 6th 2013
Publisher : Random House Childrens
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Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. 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.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Personal Thoughts

I was initially attracted to Gated because of its stunning cover that is freaky and completely captivating at the same time. Gated was a book that had its ups and downs, but for the most part, reading this book was quite exciting.

I'll talk about the downs before tackling the ups. The characters in Gated weren't as well-developed as I would have hoped. Sure the main character was one who I initially thought was weak and quite fragile but who eventually proved me wrong by undergoing tremendous growth throughout the book, but Lyla was unmemorable. There wasn't really a spark to her that could have made her a lively character. In addition, I never resonated with her. I always felt like there was some sort of barrier between her feelings and me, resulting in me never getting to know her on an emotional level. However, that, in no way, means that she was a weak character. She definitely had her moments, where the circumstances made her shine through, but overall I failed to connect with her. The secondary characters in the book were quite intriguing. These were characters who had distanced themselves from civilization and were preparing for the apocalypse, so they were quite unconventional. I did wish they were a little more developed. Pioneer, the leader, of this community was the sort of character that gave off negative vibes from the beginning. There was something about the way he behaved that screamed that he was a twisted character. Once again though, he was underdeveloped. I wanted to know how his mind worked and why he acted the way he did, but unfortunately, I never found out.

The world in Gated was unique. Initially, I thought this book was a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel, but it turned out these people in the community were preparing to save themselves before the apocalypse. I haven't read many books that deal with such a situation and I was very involved in the story line. The author did a good job at setting the background of the community and how it came to be. The first 50% of the book was slow because the Amy Christine Parker took her time to develop her world, but as soon as we hit the 50 % mark, the book's pace sped up and that's when I started to get really invested in the plot line. Everything got so intense that I flew through the pages wanting to know the outcome of the book. By the end, I was fully satisfied by the plot line. There was a romance in the book, but I honestly didn't care much for it, because I was more interested in the world-building and the plot. Plus, like I said, I wasn't as attached to the characters as I hoped to be. Amy Christine Parker needs to be praised for writing a book that doesn't end in a cliffhanger and is not part of a series. I was impressed enough by the world-building in this book to look forward to more from her.

While Gated needs to be tightened when it comes to the characters, it is a satisfactory debut with a unique plot line. It might not be the best book out there, but it's worth reading!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 4/5

**Overall Rating : 3.5/5**

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC of Gated.