Poundcake - Shop now
$9.34 with 45 percent savings
List Price: $16.99
$5.99 delivery August 15 - 20. Details
Or fastest delivery August 12 - 14. Details
Only 12 left in stock - order soon.
$$9.34 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$9.34
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
plumcircle
plumcircle
Ships from
plumcircle
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Devoted: A Novel Hardcover – June 2, 2015

4.4 out of 5 stars 151 ratings

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$9.34","priceAmount":9.34,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"34","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"qhxUW%2BUW%2BHka93ToMxovYnRmWNAyniccJ636ruv%2B25SRQQZATdykCD2sN7K4iyJFu8om1Tq5M%2FxOoxk2ll4Oj68VBQRkbHXQCLxuePh8UNuEQFxP%2F4MkA15TvyHJaPU6DzRV%2FQvpAOET8CqIy2qgTADPMMEP3QF6tI%2BPgGiH%2BQFSm7qPt3w9GQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

From Jennifer Mathieu, the author of The Truth About Alice comes a novel about the courage to believe and what it means to be truly devoted.

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.

Amazon Editors' favorite summer reads Amazon%20Editors%27%20favorite%20summer%20reads

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up—Traditional patriarchal belief systems stress that girls should be under the control of their fathers until they marry at very young ages and are then placed under the control of their husbands. Rachel Walker, a Born Again Christian teen, is one of 10 children whose family follows this plan until something from the outside world tugs within her. Rachel learns that Lauren Sullivan, a girl who escaped from this community a few years ago, is back in town working at an animal hospital. Through emails, Rachel finds that she and Lauren share similar radical ideas. Lauren sends the protagonist a line from a poem by Mary Oliver, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do/With your one wild and precious life?" This haunting question gives Rachel no peace, but she knows that the answer for her is not to follow in her mother's footsteps. When a neighbor tells Mr. Walker that Rachel was seen at the animal hospital, he decides to send her to a religious retreat that will reprogram her to become obedient again. This proves to be too much for Rachel and she gets Lauren to rescue her. Rachel's courage allows her to follow a new destiny that will honor her precious life. Many teens will have no difficulty in rejecting the strict tenets of Rachel's faith. Readers will be drawn into her anguish even though the outcome will come as no surprise. VERDICT Devoted chronicles that calling to pursue one's heart's desire, a feeling that most teens will connect with and understand.—Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY

Review

“This thoughtful, character-driven study of one girl's struggle to reconcile her strict, conservative Christian
upbringing with the modern secular world is an exceptionally nuanced treatment of religious choice.” ―
Booklist, starred review

“An engaging, illuminating, but never sensationalized portrayal of one plucky teen's self-discovery and pulling away from a controlling, restrictive (and real) religious movement.” ―
Kirkus Reviews

“This exploration of life within and removed from a fundamentalist community makes for riveting reading, all the more poignant for the sympathetic characters in both worlds.” ―
Publisher's Weekly

“Devoted chronicles that calling to pursue one's heart's desire, a feeling that most teens will connect with and understand.” ―
School Library Journal

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Roaring Brook Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 2, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1596439114
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1596439115
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.7 ounces
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.8 x 1.18 x 8.51 inches
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 860L
  • Best Sellers Rank: #3,013,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 151 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Jennifer Mathieu
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Hi! I’m author Jennifer Mathieu. I’m a writer and English teacher who lives in Texas with my family. A native of the East Coast and a former journalist, I've written seven novels for young adults, including Moxie, which was turned into a Netflix movie by Amy Poehler! My latest YA novel, Down Came the Rain, follows two brave teenagers grappling with eco-anxiety and climate change. All my books for teenagers have been published by Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan.

My first novel for adults, The Faculty Lounge, will be out from Dutton/Penguin Random House on July 23, 2024. Following a sprawling cast of characters at a large public high school in Houston over the course of a year, this novel is my love letter to the adults who work in schools.

I have a sporadic presence on Facebook and Twitter/X, but the best place to find me is on Instagram/Threads at authorjenmathieu. My author website is jennifermathieu dot com. :-)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
151 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find this book to be a fascinating read with sincere emotions and a wonderful character development. Moreover, the writing quality and style receive positive feedback, with one customer describing it as a realistic look at a strange world. Additionally, customers appreciate how timely the book feels, with one noting it's a great summer read.

13 customers mention "Readability"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and incredible, with one describing it as a great summer read.

"...An entertaining read made informative because of Mathieu's spot-on research." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book very much. It was a very interesting, emotional and uplifting story...." Read more

"...Devoted was an eye-opening book that was surprisingly pleasing. Rachel is a wonderful character...." Read more

"...This was one of the best books that I have read this year. Kudos to the author." Read more

10 customers mention "Uplifting story"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's story uplifting and sweet, with sincere emotions throughout, and one customer particularly appreciates how it handles the angst of youth.

"I really enjoyed this book very much. It was a very interesting, emotional and uplifting story...." Read more

"...The whole book felt very real with sincere emotions and realistic outcomes...." Read more

"...This is more a story of rebuilding rather than wandering through darkness...." Read more

"...Its insight into the Quiverfull lifestyle is unique and poignant, and especially well-timed given the Duggar scandal...." Read more

4 customers mention "Book pace"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pace, with one mentioning it was a quick read.

"...The book was a quick read but no less profound for that. It is definitely a five star piece!" Read more

"...into the Quiverfull lifestyle is unique and poignant, and especially well-timed given the Duggar scandal...." Read more

"...In the wake of the Duggar scandal, this book is so timely...." Read more

"Very well written and very timely. I could not put this book down. Gives a close-up look at what goes on in a contemporary cult." Read more

4 customers mention "Style"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the style of the book, with one noting its realistic portrayal of a strange world.

"...The style was good, but I wanted to connect to the characters more, and I wanted another component to the story..." Read more

"...Mathieu does this beautifully. This is a kinder, gentler book than I was expecting and it was refreshing...." Read more

"...HOWEVER, it's a believable and important look into a subculture very rarely portrayed in fiction!..." Read more

"A Realistic Look at a Strange World..." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book.

"Love her writing. Read this after the Truth about Alice. She has a great handle on the angst of youth." Read more

"Very well written and very timely. I could not put this book down. Gives a close-up look at what goes on in a contemporary cult." Read more

"The book was very well written. I could identify with the main character, and appreciated the way her story was presented." Read more

"Good writing..." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...Rachel is a wonderful character. She isn't super naive but she does realize how wrong certain beliefs can be...." Read more

"...She was a realistic character, and so was Lauren, and so was basically every person in the novel...." Read more

"The book was very well written. I could identify with the main character, and appreciated the way her story was presented." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2016
    I really enjoyed this book very much. It was a very interesting, emotional and uplifting story. It is the tale of a young girl who lives with her very religious family and all of their rules she has to follow. As she continues to get older, she starts to feel that the confining rules of the religion are not for her, and she wavers between breaking free and staying with her family and accepting her path. She is raised that women do not have any other path in life than to get married and have as many babies as possible, no college, no further education than they deem needed to fulfill their religious duties. Everything is very, very strict. It reminded me so much of how I was raised as a Jehovah's witness, our family was not that extreme as the one in the story, but it was a strict and religious upbringing until we left the church in our older teens as I started to feel it was not for me. It really struck a cord with me and I kept wanting to find out what happened next. I was saddened by the fact that her family cast her out, but again, it is a reality in some churches. My mom was telling me about a friend when she was young (a jehovah's witness) who did something wrong, and they cast them out and pretend like they never existed again. I really enjoyed the book, how she broke free and made her own choices and happiness in life.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2015
    Grade: A
    This e-galley was provided by Roaring Brook Press in exchange for an honest review.

    The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I'm always leery how Christianity will be treated in books. Often, I don't find that it's viewed positively or portrayed correctly. So going into Devoted, I was nervous but hopeful. The Quiverful movement is at an extreme end of the spectrum, and I knew it would need to be handled carefully but addressed full-on. Devoted was an eye-opening book that was surprisingly pleasing. Rachel is a wonderful character. She isn't super naive but she does realize how wrong certain beliefs can be. I loved how she found a balance between extreme Christianity and atheism. To escape her controlling family and cult, she befriends Lauren, a girl who previously left the Calvary Christian Church group. Lauren is about 24 and a vet tech who has recently moved back from Houston to the small town of Clayton. It warmed my heart to see how she took Rachel under her wing. She's not perfect; she's made mistakes and my heart went out to her since she feels she can no longer believe in God or pray. It made my heart ache that she couldn't disassociate a loving God with a father who was so blind. Because of the Quiverful cult, Lauren is an atheist but I think she came to respect why Rachel could still believe. When the escape from Calvary Christian happened about halfway through the book, I worried the rest of the plot wouldn't carry smoothly. But it did! I read Devoted in one day and enjoyed every minute of it. The whole book felt very real with sincere emotions and realistic outcomes. None of the endings were happily ever afters, but there wasn't overwhelming sadness or dismal results - just hope for the future and a sense of freedom and strength. I appreciated that there wasn't much of a romance (hints of one, but nothing big). I liked that there was no forced marriage for Rachel but the reform camps were touched upon. Overall, I was just very impressed and touched by Devoted. (And more importantly, I was glad that Christianity wasn't vilified. Homeschooling wasn't viewed completely positively, perhaps, but I think it can be excused, given the circumstances.)
    Some foul language - mostly on Lauren's part - and talk of physical abuse, sleeping together, and drugs and drinking.

    The Verdict: Do yourself a favor and read this book. Wow.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2015
    After reading Kathryn Joyce's book about the Quiverfull movement, I've been waiting for a book like Devout. Rachel did everything she was told to do but she had a yearning and an unquenchable need for learning. She was sheltered from the big bad world because her church told her it was evil. Her wondering about a young woman who came back to their little town after being shunned was the opening of the door for her. Read's like fiction, a family shunning a young woman because she wanted more than to marry young, have baby after baby, and be at the beck and call of her husband, to whom she would be handed over like a piece of property at her wedding. Shirt shows more collarbone than acceptable, you are called out. Bra straps show through 2nd hand me down clothes, called out. Always being warned that you are the cause of a mans lust because they can't control themselves? Sadly there is a percentage of religious cultures here in the US who raise their daughters this way. No interaction with the outside world if they can help it.
    Sermons which condemn, no loving God in these homes, the God of condemnation and hellfire.
    This was one of the best books that I have read this year. Kudos to the author.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2015
    I really enjoyed this novel. While I did not grow up in an extreme Christian home, I did grow up in a society that is sexist; the narratives about women were not as alien as they maybe could have been (and I loved the fact that Lauren's favorite book was "The Handmaid's Tale" as it is mine as well). And while her specific struggles were somewhat alien, Rachel still thought and felt and questioned in ways that are universal. She was a realistic character, and so was Lauren, and so was basically every person in the novel. The book was a quick read but no less profound for that. It is definitely a five star piece!
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2016
    I did like this book, but I felt like it was exaggerated. The plot was more memorable than the characters, and even the plot was entirely driven by ONE topic. The style was good, but I wanted to connect to the characters more, and I wanted another component to the story (besides the "leaving religious group" aspect). The only somewhat memorable character was Lauren.

    Also, why did her father look suspiciously at Rachel when the discussion of Lauren arose? I kept thinking that they'd had some sort of history based on that scene, and when Rachel finally introduces herself to Lauren as a stranger, I was confused.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Annalena
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
    Reviewed in Germany on September 30, 2015
    I should preface this review by saying that I usually don't use amazon.com because I don't live in the US, so that's the reason there are no other reviews from me. Because this book wasn't published in my Native language, I read it in English and am writing the review here because I think more people will see it this way.

    I should also say I am oddly obsessed with Christian cults in general and Quiverfull in particular, so any (hopefully constructive) criticism is criticism on a very high level - it's just tiny aspects.

    Devoted is one of the best books I have recently read. I usually almost exclusively read thrillers, so coming from me, that means something. Jennifer Mathieu did an amazing job of grasping the concept of the Quiverfull reality (as far as I can judge as an outsider), and the strict rules that these kids (mostly girls) grow up with.

    I usually do not like coming-of-age stories, but I finished this within two days. It was not a thriller, but it kept the suspense up because I wanted to know what happens to Rachel. It is more of a character study, but because everything that happens to Rachel is so new and foreign to her, it is exciting all the time because the reader feels with her. I also really liked both the main characters of Lauren and Rachel.

    I would LOVE to read a sequel, knowing what happens to Rachel after she starts her own life (can't say more than that without spoilers). Mabye her sister also starts questioniing the parental values? That would make for a good story line, I think.

    OK, the following could contain spoilers!

    Now for my very few critical aspects:
    - It, to me, seems unlikely that a girl who hasn't really questioned her life too much just runs away at the prospect of going to "Journey to Faith". In these communities, these camps are sold as "time to focus and pray". The negative view mainly comes from (worldlier) outsiders. It seems more likely to me that she would go and the tension between her and her parents would build up over time, erupting in her leaving. Then again, that would have made for a much longer book, maybe that had to be sacrificed for the sake of the novel length.

    - Calvary seems to be used often as an example for a fundamentalist church in books and movies. I have only ever been to one Calvary, but it was fairly mainstream. Women wore pants, shorts even; people had tattoos. Maybe Calvary is not the best example. Also, the extreme fundamentalists often home-church (control about everything!).

    - It as mentioned that one of Rachel's friends went to public kindergarten. Fundamentalists who home-school ususally don't send their kids to public kindergartens/pre-schools either.

    Again, all this I only realized because I know a lot about this topic. Any other reader probably doesn't even notice.

    Thank you, Jennifer Mathieu, for writing this amazing book about one of my favorite topics, and please don't leave us hanging and write a sequel!
  • I Read, Therefore I Blog
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sensitive coming of age story set in a strict Christian community
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2023
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    Jennifer Mathieu's YA coming-of-age novel is a thought-provoking affair set within a strict Calvary Christian community with a main character who increasingly questions her place within it. I really liked the fact that the sect is depicted in subtle and sensitive terms - people who are not trying to be actively awful but are living in line with their beliefs and trying to do what they think is right and are shown as kind and caring within the rules of their beliefs. Similarly Rachel's journey is a subtle and thoughtful affair - a young woman finding her own way in the role and conscious of what this means for her and her family. It's a very emotional affair and cleverly done. I'd definitely read Mathieu's other work on the strength of this.
  • catsholiday
    4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting and thought provoking novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2019
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    This is a novel and it reminded me a bit of 'A Song for Issey Bradley' or the memoir ''Educated ' by Tara Westover as they are all children brought up in homes where religion has taken far too prominent a part in their lives.

    In the book, the family is Calvary Christian which seems to me to be not a lot different from the Mormons as women are there to be homemakers and baby machines. They don't argue with men and dress in a way that is not tempting to men!!

    Sadly these Christian sects do seem to exist in parts of the USA and their views are repressive and controlling of women. Children are homeschooled , do domestic duties and go to church and that is about it. They don't mix with anyone outside their church circle. They are not allowed to read novels and bible study takes place every evening as a family led by the father. They are not allowed to use the computer and certainly not the internet.

    Rachel is the second daughter who is just 17 and she and her younger sister Ruth seem to almost run the house as mother is either pregnant or in the latest pregnancy she miscarries and takes to her bed with depression for months.

    Rachel battles with her faith and her desire for knowledge.

    I found it a very easy read and really empathized with both Rachel and felt her anxiety and stress as she battled with keeping her family going while Mother took to her bed and her burning desire to learn.

    It was a real eye-opener and I know it is a novel but I do suspect that there are all too many families like this where control is exerted over the females in the family under the name of religion.
  • Lilyfae
    5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, unsettling and empowering tale of awakening feminism within a Fundamental Christian sect
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2019
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu is both a compelling but unsettling read focusing on the pressures of growing up a girl in a fundamentalist Christian sect; a direct allusion with a Biblical quote is made to the Quiverful movement without ever naming the ‘flock’ as such.
    Viewers of reality tv may be acquainted with Quiverful or similar groups from the shows depicting super-sized devout families where the girls have long hair, no make up and wear demure clothing usually long denim skirts, not allowed to ‘court’ unless their fathers have basically agreed that they will get married soon after and a happy family in Jesus vibe is firmly extolled.
    But online, in recent publication, and indeed in the news a darker side emerged of abuse and suppression within the Quiverful and similar movements with many escaping to find they can’t return but struggle to fit into the ‘worldly’ society they’ve been taught is wicked.
    Matthieu has clearly researched deeply into this and takes a cautious but an incredibly respectful and tactful tone to exploring the real feelings of young women who have been raised in this movement without degrading them nor the personal beliefs of these women but still enough to leave the reader quivering with anger at the injustice of it all.

    Rachel is 17yrs old the second daughter in a ultra-conservative Christian family and is basically terrified of becoming her mum and older sister Faith who is 19, married with a child and another on the way and equally of not being good enough to be a good wife and mother in Christ like them.
    After her mother sinks into depression after a miscarriage, Rachel has to take on her mother’s chores alongside her own. Rachel begins to get frustrated and questioning things especially her own feelings ignited by the return to the district of a girl who ran away from the church which leads her to use the family computer without supervision.

    Guilt and Shame are a major theme throughout as Rachel is in a constant state of guilt and shame; that she is not a good enough Christian, daughter or sister; that she dreams of more than being a wife; that she wants to leave; that she isn’t quite ready to shake off her manners and behaviours; that she is curious about a boy; that she is immodest; that she still wants a relationship with God.
    Along with a unbearable need to please or ‘be sweet’; her parents; siblings; the preacher; and in time Lauren.
    The inner turmoil of Rachel burns and sears through the page and across your heart, I think it’s a book that caring parents should read as much as young people should to assess their own intentions, vocabulary and behaviour for its potential impact on the long term happiness of their children.

    Jennifer Mathieu has written a deep, compelling and powerful book here in the quiet but earthshaking rebellions of feminism as the awakening of such feelings can challenge, unsettle and even destroy worlds of existence.
    I found this an emotional read on several levels, my heart breaks for the mindset of guilt and shame for any feelings of individualism or desire to be anymore than a wife and mother, I raged at the injustice of the indoctrination and misogyny by the movement and my heart burns with pride for those who like Rachel have the courage to free themselves from these thought shackles.
  • Nozza
    5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2019
    Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )
    A compelling read tackling difficult issues head on and tactfully. It is a real page turner and would be suitable for mature readers 13+ The story really buzzes along at pace and from one page top the next you just can't see where or how things will get resolved... or not. Terrific unputdownable read.