Jennifer Mathieu

Rachel Walker is devoted to God and her large family, but as her curiosity about the world her parents turned from grows and she finds that neither Calvary Christian Church nor her homeschool education has the answer she craves, she considers leaving hersheltered life, as an older sister did.

A Novel

Devoted

Jen Estrella

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

I was hesitant to read this book at first because I thought it would bash believers of the word or Christians in general, but I'm glad I picked it up. I'm really surprised at how relatable it is. 

Until now, there exists that difficulty of distinguishing religion from true faith, partly due to authorities who believe that God's grace is dependent on a specific set of practices and rules (i.e. we must not wear immodest clothing or connect with "worldly" people in any way). This book speaks about that and more. 

It's a bit of an eye-opener, really - how in the hopes of pleasing God, Rachel's family submits to both the patriarchy and pronatalism. For example - 

  "Rachel, I don't believe this book honors the Lord, and you must destroy it," he says. "Now."

  "I'm so sorry, Dad, that I've disobeyed you and the word of God," I say. I squeeze my fists tight as I say this. I want to believe it so very much. But I can't ignore the other part of me that wonders just why my behavior is so disobedient.
 
But true faith and honoring God is more than just adhering to a set of rules. It's not about living a careful and predetermined life just because our father or the church leader told us that to please God, we must only do this and that, and we must never do this and that. If we sin, we have lost our way, and the only way to "regain" salvation is to join a camp called "Journey of faith" where you'll be forced to suffer until you swear to never break the rules again (that as well as agreeing to be shamed in front of an entire congregation). 

Man, Rachel's family really had me fuming a lot of times (and I bet if I was a part of their family, I would be conditioned to think that I'm sinning simply by thinking those thoughts) *sigh* 

Well, I've been sidetracked by my emotions, but I still encourage YA/contemporary fans to read this book. It's a story that will give you courage and strength to live, really live, and to free yourself from whatever's holding you back. It's a story that will enlighten you on what true faith really is. :)

A powerful coming-of-age story from the author of The Truth About Alice Rachel Walker’s family and community have turned away from the world. Every part of Rachel’s life is controlled, from what she reads to where she goes and what she wears. Her parents dictate how her life must be: marriage, modesty, children, and obedience to her future husband. But when a former member of her community, a girl who escaped, moves back to her small Texas town, Rachel’s world turns upside down. She realizes that her life is her own—if only she can find the courage to fight for it. Devoted: A Novel by Jennifer Mathieu is an empowering young adult contemporary novel about self-discovery, by the author of The Truth About Alice and Afterward. An Amelia Bloomer List Top Ten Book "Jennifer Mathieu put her name on the YA map with last year’s heart-wrenching high school bullying novel The Truth About Alice. . . . her sophomore novel is tackling subjects just as difficult: religion and cult, particularly as they relate to young women. Rachel grew up in the Quiverfull movement—one similar to the Duggars’ practices on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting—but as she finds herself connecting illicitly to the outside world, she starts to wonder if there’s more for her as a woman outside of bearing children." —Bustle

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I’m always a little nervous about books with a heavy religious theme because, in the past, they’ve felt too preachy to me. I think maybe it’s time to let go of that fear though because this is the second book I’ve read in the last month or so that made me realize my fears were totally unfounded. This was such a great, thought-provoking read. I’m so glad I decided to dive into it, even if I was a little apprehensive at the beginning.

Devoted could’ve easily been a heavy, tough read. It was anything but. Yes, there were things about Rachel’s family that disturbed me deeply and my heart broke for her as the story unfolded at times. I could tell how torn she was between what she always knew and what she yearned to know. I found it easy to get inside Rachel’s head and actually felt like I was living this book, her story, right along with her. It wasn’t your traditional coming of age novel – or at least it wasn’t the kind I traditionally read – but instead it was quiet, unassuming and thought-provoking.

I have to be honest and say I’m really struggling to write a review about this book that doesn’t give away too much information. Not that there are big plot twists or anything like that, but it’s just hard to dissect Rachel’s journey during this book. All I can really say is, even if you don’t tend to gravitate towards books like this, you should give it a chance. Yes, you will likely be angered at the treatment of women and you’ll probably be thoroughly disgusted by the beliefs of the church, but I think you’ll find hope and beauty here, too.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

An empowering, feminist coming-of-age story about self-discovery, from the author of MOXIE - a Zoella Book Club book ... Rachel Walker's family and community have turned away from the world. Every part of Rachel's life is controlled, from what she reads to where she goes and what she wears. Her parents dictate how her life must be: marriage, modesty, children and obedience to her future husband. But when a former member of her community, a girl who escaped, moves back to her small Texas town, Rachel's world turns upside down. She realises that her life is her own. But can she find the courage to fight for it?

Devoted A Novel

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