Review : Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu
Author : Jennifer Mathieu
Published : 02-06-2015 by Roaring Brook Press
Add to : Goodreads
Rating : 5 Stars
Rachel Walker is devoted to God. She prays every day, attends Calvary Christian Church with her family, helps care for her five younger siblings, dresses modestly, and prepares herself to be a wife and mother who serves the Lord with joy. But Rachel is curious about the world her family has turned away from, and increasingly finds that neither the church nor her homeschool education has the answers she craves. Rachel has always found solace in her beliefs, but now she can’t shake the feeling that her devotion might destroy her soul.
When I first heard about Devoted I knew I had to read it. Religion, personal
freedom, and a coming of age story? It had my name written all over it. Let me
tell you this first though, while I loved Devoted it’s
definitely not an easy read. It makes you think about so much. From your own
religion and faith to what you want out of your own “wild and precious life.”
When we first enter the world
of Rachel we see how she lives day in and day out. She’s charged with taking
care of her younger siblings and taking care of the house. She and her younger
sister are in charge of so much that it makes me upset that they cannot have a
real childhood. It’s not fair to be so young and have to do so much. Especially
while their brothers, and father, only have to work and pretty much have free
time to do what they want. Within reason of course. If you’re not familiar with
the Quiverfull or the “Christian family renewal movement”, I suggest you look
it up. But if you’re not inclined to, think of the Duggar family. That’s really
all you need to know about Rachel and her family.
As time goes on Rachel starts
questioning why God has given her gifts if she’s not allowed to use them. She
wonders why the only thing she, and all girls in her family, are only allowed
to aspire to be mothers and wives. She doesn’t understand so much about what
she’s grown up around but she loves her family so much that she tries her best.
When she’s “discovered” and given the ultimatum to go to a camp or leave home,
she leaves and moves in with a girl named Lauren who grew up like Rachel and
has left the movement.
I found myself relating to
Rachel so much. No, I never grew up in this movement, but I have grown up in a
church. I’ve questioned so much about what the Bible says and how I should be
living as a Christian but at the end of the day, I have many mixed feelings
about religion and faith. Rachel’s family’s faith is very extreme and is very
much a cult. I hate using the words religion, faith and cult together but
sometimes it just needs to be said together. Rachel’s church is so very anti-woman
and anti-secular that it’s really scary.
