A special thanks to Mary Van Akin from Macmillan for giving me a little push to read this book! 
 Initial Impressions 5/1/15: Wow, this book was so interesting! With the religious topic and themes, I just wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this one (usually that's something I actively avoid) but since the main character Rachel is the one in her family who is starting to "stray" from the rules of religion (or at least her religious community's beliefs), it was very easy to connect with Rachel and it was nice to be on the side that was moving away from the strict rules. It was also less focus on religion and more on the moral beliefs that her church and community prized so that worked out really well too. 
 It was also really interesting to read because the lines were very gray in some areas. Clearly many people will be upset reading about a group of people who are interpreting the bible so literally that it's becoming law, including the (for lack of a better word at the moment) oppression of women. But there's also the fact that religion is involved in the beliefs so it's like how far is TOO FAR. How much will we allow someone's religion to dictate their moral standards? How far can those ideas be taken before the religion becomes a cult? It was just very interesting to see how different people viewed this community and this culture and this religion. 
 Definitely looking forward to talking about this book more in my review! It was already on my radar but I'm really glad Mary gave me a little nudge to start it! 
 Review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 6/12/15: DEVOTED is Jennifer Mathieu's second novel and because of my enthusiasm for THE TRUTH ABOUT ALICE, I was already a little bit interested when I had first heard of the concept from Jennifer on a Fierce Reads tour. I have to admit that my interest was there, but I wasn't wholly convinced to pick it up but I'm so, so glad I did and I'm especially thankful that the publicist, Mary Van Akin, was there to encourage me to read it as well! 
 If you've looked into the book at all, you know that it's about a girl named Rachel Walker who has grown up in a very Christian family and has spent her life being a good daughter and staying devoted to God... and I will be perfectly honest with you that the religious mentions and Christian themes immediately had me hesitating. I'm not a religious person (even though I went to a Catholic school for 10 years... actually, that's probably WHY I'm not a religious person) so I tend to steer clear of any books with Christian or strong religious themes. It's just usually not something I enjoy and it's very hard for me to read. The wonderful thing about DEVOTED is that it's really not a religious book. The story really revolves around Rachel and the fact that she's starting to question everything. She still loves her family and she still loves God but all of the rules are becoming a bit much and she doesn't feel like she's as devoted as the rest of her family. 
 The religious movement featured in the book isn't quite a cult but one character does compare it to a cult due to its strict rules and highly protective nature. It's especially patriarchal with women being told that they're there to start a family, be a good wife, and remain a good Christian woman, always thinking of God, their husbands, and families first. Sometimes it's a bit hard to read -- especially if you're strongly feminist -- but it's very eye-opening and a reminder that these communities do exist and people really do follow these rules tightly. 
 I really, really liked Rachel's character. So much. It's a very difficult thing to break away from your family's and your community's beliefs to explore your own. As a teenager and a young adult (hell, even as an adult), I found myself forming my own opinions but still generally latching on to the ideals and principles on which my family raised me. I still share the same general opinions as my family and my husband and that's only natural -- but I really admired Rachel's courage to push outside of her sheltered world to explore what else is out there. She has to defy her parents to do so, abandon her family, and really question everything she's been taught in order to discover what she really and truly believes. It's essentially starting her life completely lover and catching up to where the rest of the world is now. 
 I felt like this was a very character-driven book, closely following Rachel's story and including some powerful and heart-warming stories from the people she meets along her journey. It's definitely a quieter book but it felt so powerful and I was so emotionally invested in it. I really cared for Rachel and she became such a real person to me. There was also just something about this book -- I couldn't put it down! I was so interested and yet a bit horrified at the Walkers' religious practices but witnessing Rachel's struggle to rebel against her parents as a teenager but in such an atypical manner was truly fascinating. I definitely felt compelled by her story and I'm so glad I got to read it! 
 If you've gotten this far in my review, I really hope that means you're considering picking up the book! Please don't let the religious nature scare you away. I promise you that it's not something I'd ordinarily pick up either but the story is so interesting and the characters are so wonderful... you would really be missing out to pass it up! I'm so glad I was reassured that reading it was the right choice and I really hope the spark has now caught you too! DEVOTED was such a well-crafted and powerful book and you can bet that I'm picking up anything that Jennifer Mathieu writes here on out, regardless of topic. She knows how to handle these enormous and yet sensitive topics in just the perfect way and I look forward to reading more of her work in the years to come!