This - a sequel to Gated* - is a nerve-fraying contemporary young adult thriller that will make listeners question loyalties as it twists truths.*

Her life was based on a lie. Lyla Hamilton almost died escaping the Community. In her new life, the outsiders call the Community a cult. They don't understand how easy it was to believe. How good it felt to belong. "Normal" life - high school and dating - is harder than Lyla expected.

Who should she love? Who should she hate? The Community is willing to do terrible things to bring her back to the fold. The members are still preaching Pioneer's twisted message that the end of the world is near. Pulled in two directions and unsure which way to turn, Lyla risks everything to follow her heart, but can she uncover the Community's plan before it's too late?

Lyla's escape was only the beginning.

Praise for Astray:

"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." ( Kirkus Reviews , starred)

"A good choice for reluctant readers. After the last page is turned, the question will linger: 'Could I ever be deceived like this?'" ( School Library Journal )