Published by Roaring Book Press on June 2, 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Religion, Coming of Age
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336
Source: Gift
Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2
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.
REVIEW
I’ve been wanting to read Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu ever since I had the opportunity to hear the author speak at BookCon in 2015. As soon as I heard the premise of the book, I knew I would love it. Devoted follows 17-year-old Rachel Walker, whose family is a part of the Quiverfull movement. This is a fundamentalist Christian sect in which children are seen as blessings and procreation is very much promoted. Rachel is one of ten children and her mother is pregnant with another. While Rachel loves her family dearly, she becomes curious about the world outside her own, and begins to explore how ‘worldly’ people live.
I really enjoyed Devoted, and I knew I would because I am fascinated with different religions and how people live their lives in a way that is different from my own. Rachel is a great first-person narrator because she is instantly likable and I was rooting for her from the start. Similarly, Mathieu has a great writing style. It is quite relaxed, and that made Devoted a really quick read.
My main critique of Devoted is that nothing big happens in the story. Perhaps I’ve just been reading more science fiction and fantasy lately, but I didn’t find any sort of climax in the story. Nonetheless, I do appreciate that Devoted focuses on a young woman growing up and making her own choices. The book is truly about her growth, and it’s refreshing to read a young adult novel that praises a young woman’s personal autonomy. While I would have liked a bit more excitement, or even some romance thrown in, looking back I can see how Rachel’s journey is an important one.
Moreover, I also would have liked to learn more about Rachel’s family. Maybe I’m just a bit obsessed with learning about people who practice fundamentalist religions (one of my all-time favorite television shows is Big Love, for example), but I needed more about Rachel’s parents, older sister, and even her older brothers. This is a small critique, but one I want to mention nonetheless.
Overall, I really enjoyed Devoted and am so glad I finally got the opportunity to read it. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who are interested in different religions. If you are looking for a young adult contemporary that isn’t all about romance, this is also a perfect choice. I can’t wait to read more of Mathieu’s work in the future!
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First up are the items that I purchased! I usually try to aim for $50 even, but this time I went a bit over that amount. I just decided to get some extra goodies!
Next up, I used a coupon code from the Weekly Specials page to score this little makeup bag filled with sample products. While I’m not the biggest fan of foil packets, they are great for travel. I am really excited for the makeup bag, though! I use pouches for everything in my purse and luggage – cords, pens and pencils, accessories, and more. Always make sure to use a coupon code when you shop at Sephora!
Last but not least, I got my three free samples. I love Atelier perfume samples, and I’ve heard great things about Rita Hazan hair care. The last sample on the right is a Peter Thomas mask, so that will be fun to try, too. I have entire drawer of samples in my makeup collection, so these will be added to the pile.
Here is a look at the three tiny bottles in the trio. They come with a traditional doe foot applicator, which I don’t mind when it comes to liquid lip products. I love the black and gold accents on the caps as well.
I wanted to share with you a one coat swatch of each product on my arm because I wear 2-3 coats on my lips. From left to right is: Sugar, Heartthrob, and Dahlia. You can see that Sugar is the most pigmented and creamy, and Dahlia is the least pigmented. I’ll talk about each formula more in the individualized swatches below, but I do want to point out that although these are all from the same makeup line, the formulas vary a lot. There is no consistency here unfortunately.
The first shade in the trio is Sugar. This is the shade that I owned as a sample previously and really loved. It is a beautiful mauve pink that is a ‘my lips but better’ color for me. I applied two coats of Sugar and allowed the first layer to dry before adding a second. I love how opaque and pigmented this lip stain is. It feels nice on the lips, and I know I’ll be wearing it often!
Next up is Heartthrob, a bright red shade. I immediately noticed a difference in Heartthrob’s formula in comparison to Sugar. It is quite liquidy, and I found it really difficult to apply. As you can see from my swatch, clean-up was hard, too. Because these are lip stains, they stain the skin upon application. I’m not a fan of Heartthrob because if a lip product is hard for me to apply and makes a mess, it’s one I’m going to avoid!
Last but not least is Dahlia, a dark berry purple shade. I also had issues with Dahlia’s formula. It was very sheer and took about three coats before I got a full coverage look. It also applied very patchy – you know that creepy ring around the lips look? Yeah, I had a lot of trouble avoiding it! While the end result is quite pretty, I’d rather find a different product that is the same shade with a better formula.
First up is Ireland, a dusty green shade. All of the polishes in the Whispers Collection have a cream formula, which I really love. Ireland is stunning, and is opaque in two coats. I really love green nail polishes, and this one is gorgeous.
Next up is Lake, a beautiful baby blue polish. Lake has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. While the blue is definitely a paler shade, it is still very pigmented. It reminds me of winter and snow for sure! I also have to mention the high-gloss finish these polishes all have. I’m not wearing a top coat in any of these photos!
The next polish is Misty, a taupe nail polish that I would describe as a mushroom shade. Misty also has an excellent formula, and is opaque in two coats. I love neutral polishes in the winter and spring, and I think this is a shade that will look good on everyone no matter the skin tone.
Next up is Cala, another neutral polish, this time an off-white, cream shade. Cala has a good formula, but it is a bit on the thin side so I applied three thin coats for opacity. Cala is my perfect neutral polish! It goes really well with my complexion, and can be worn for any occasion.
My favorite polish in the collection is April, a pale pink polish. April’s formula is also a bit on the thin side, so I applied three coats for the opaque look I desired. I’ve tried a lot of light pinks in the past, and the reason I love April so much is because it is more of a subdued pink. I would wear this on the daily, especially at an office job!
Last but not least is Eastyn, a purple polish that is in the mauve family. Eastyn has a great formula that is opaque in two coats. I’m loving this shade of purple! I think it is so refreshing that the Whispers Collection manages to have pigmented polishes that aren’t bright. It’s on trend, and a current favorite of mine for sure!
Violet Voltage is a light purple nail polish packed with a subtle magenta shimmer. The formula is perfection, and is opaque in two coats. I am loving this color of polish! While it’s not totally unique, the shimmer does add a nice punch to it. I also really like how Violet Voltage looks with my fair skin tone. I followed up the manicure with the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat, by the way. It’s my new favorite!
I am so bad when it comes to taking care of my skin! One of my recurring makeup bad habits is not taking off my makeup before bed. I know, it’s terrible! This year I want to make sure I go through an entire skincare routine both morning and evening. That way I can put my best face forward!
It’s a cliche New Year’s Resolution, but I definitely want to focus on my overall health more than ever. For me, this includes taking the daily vitamins recommend by my doctor, exercising on a regular basis, and eating better foods. As you may know, I am a vegetarian, and this year I want to truly embrace my vegetarianism by focusing more on produce and less on grains and dairy. I don’t aim to go vegan right now, but I know that putting good foods into my body will make me feel a lot better. To go along with this, I want to continue trying new recipes on a regular basis!
Last but not least, I always set a reading goal on the website Goodreads. This past year I was able to read 50 books, and I’m setting my goal at 40 for 2016 so I don’t put pressure on myself. I also want to make an effort to read longer books, so I should have a nice cushion with a goal of 40. Here are the books I received for Christmas this past year. I’m so excited to get to them all!