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 Every now and then, I read a book--a book that opens my eyes to the world and helps me see the world in a different way. Gated is that book, the kind of book that's eye opening and just absolutely wonderful. Amy Christine Parker absolutely blew me away with Gated. Gated is an incredible, important novel that I think everyone needs to read at least once in their life because it's life-changing. Read Gated and your view of the world will forever be changed for the better. 
 Gated hits the reader hard with a story that is extremely poignant and thought-provoking. Most books, in my opinion, don't portray good or evil in the correct way at all. So many books show good and evil in a black and white way where a person is all good or all evil. Not only is that not realistic, it's extremely irritating to read. Amy Christine Parker expresses in Gated how thin the blurred line is between good and evil; how we all have a little both of good and evil in us. 
 The characters in Gated are extremely realistic and they are just the type of conflicted characters that I seem to love. Pioneer is the kind of character that you will never quite be able to decipher because there are just so many layers to him. Does he actually believe he's following divine orders? Does he truly believe what he's doing is right? He's one of the best characters I've ever seen written and there is just so much to his character. Lyla is also a character that was executed perfectly throughout the novel. Her transition from being a naive person to someone who is strong-headed and strong. Lyla's character really made me question whether "Ignorance is bliss"or if the old adage is a bunch of drivel. Is hiding from the evil in the world any good? Is there evil everywhere? There was just so much to ponder over while reading Gated because it was such a thought-provoking novel. 
 I have never been in a cult and I will never join one, but I feel as if Parker hit the nail on the head with recreating what being in a cult is like. All of the little intricacies of Mandrodage Meadows were brilliant and well-done. I felt the looming danger that the outside world posed to this cult and the danger everyone felt. There is a perfect sense of urgency and tension throughout the novel like the world was actually ending. 
 The plot of Gated was incredible and was extremely fast-paced right from the first few pages. Gated is without a doubt, an intense, memorable thriller that engrossed me right away. There is never a moment where the plot is at a stalemate and the plot is always being progressed by even the smallest details. This is one of those books where I think that the romance was absolutely necessary to add to the entire picture. The ending leaves no loose ends unattended to and this makes me as if this is a stand-alone. 
 Gated is an incredible, fast-paced thriller that is sure to wow readers of all ages. I can honestly say that Gated has changed me as a person and how I perceive things. Just everything about Gated was enticing to me. I can't express how brilliantly this novel was executed and how everything just seemed to fall into place perfectly. I know for sure that I will be reading Amy Christine Parker's sophomore novel and I hope it's as picture-perfect. Gated is a book that will linger in your mind long after you read the final sentence, it's truly unforgettable!