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A review by alongreader
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu
4.0
This hasn't quite knocked Moxie off the top of my 'books by Jennifer Mathieu' list, but it has overtaken Alice. I'm fascinated by cult narratives and how some people swallow it all and some see through it. This isn't the worst cult I've read about; there's no polygamy or child brides, for one thing, but it is bad enough, and I was proud of Rachel as she worked her way through it.
I wasn't sure about Mark, when he first turned up; my thoughts were something along the lines of 'Girl On Run From Patriarchal Cult Should Not Need Man To Save Her', and I was glad when that wasn't where the storyline went. I can't really explain that knee jerk reaction, since apart from some awkward flirting near the end he didn't really seem to register her as a girl.
I liked the other characters - even the Church members, most of whom seemed to be well-meaning, just too enmeshed to see anything else - and Jennifer Mathieu has firmly arrived on my Instabuy list.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
I open the closet we share and start pushing hangers aside, looking for something appropriate and clean, but I feel the ache in my throat about to crack open. Before I can stop myself, I sink to the floor of the closet and collapse into tears. I can't do anything right. I can't control my temptations not to think about Lauren, and I can't run the house properly. I'm not godly, I'm not good, I'm not like Faith, and my future husband won't ever appear if I keep being the mess of a girl that I am right now.
'Lord, please be with me,' I beg, hot tears sliding down my cheeks, frustrated that minutes before I could only scowl instead of find the right words to ask God for guidance.I can't even pray as well as Faith, who remembers the right Scripture to use at the right time. I cluch the hem of one of Ruth's dresses and scream into it as loud as I can, muffling the noise so no one hears me. Just as we don't scowl in front of each other, we don't raise our voices in anger in this house. Ever.
But for a moment, I feel lighter.
I wasn't sure about Mark, when he first turned up; my thoughts were something along the lines of 'Girl On Run From Patriarchal Cult Should Not Need Man To Save Her', and I was glad when that wasn't where the storyline went. I can't really explain that knee jerk reaction, since apart from some awkward flirting near the end he didn't really seem to register her as a girl.
I liked the other characters - even the Church members, most of whom seemed to be well-meaning, just too enmeshed to see anything else - and Jennifer Mathieu has firmly arrived on my Instabuy list.
Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.
I open the closet we share and start pushing hangers aside, looking for something appropriate and clean, but I feel the ache in my throat about to crack open. Before I can stop myself, I sink to the floor of the closet and collapse into tears. I can't do anything right. I can't control my temptations not to think about Lauren, and I can't run the house properly. I'm not godly, I'm not good, I'm not like Faith, and my future husband won't ever appear if I keep being the mess of a girl that I am right now.
'Lord, please be with me,' I beg, hot tears sliding down my cheeks, frustrated that minutes before I could only scowl instead of find the right words to ask God for guidance.I can't even pray as well as Faith, who remembers the right Scripture to use at the right time. I cluch the hem of one of Ruth's dresses and scream into it as loud as I can, muffling the noise so no one hears me. Just as we don't scowl in front of each other, we don't raise our voices in anger in this house. Ever.
But for a moment, I feel lighter.