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A review by kaylielongley
The Devoted by Blair Hurley
4.0
This was a haunting, tragic look at how faith can lead to blindness. Growing up, my family transitioned from a non-denominational mega church to a tiny Protestant one, and so religion became routine. It wasn't until college did I realize faith is personal. Likewise, Nicole in The Devoted leans toward Zen Buddhism yet is surrounded by Catholics in Boston. Most of this book is about searching for balance between escaping and living, deception and truth, and Eastern and Western faiths.
The book uses letters, Buddhist koans (fables), and third person omniscient pov, so there's plenty of social commentary. This leads to multiple timeframes of telling (not really showing) Nicole's story, including the mass shuttering of Catholic churches, which parallels her own seduction by her Buddhist Master. She's too blind/devoted/attached to see it. Truly, this book is heartbreaking, from her boyfriend's unexpected death to Nicole finally standing up for herself. I was genuinely surprised by how much I cared for, and resonated with, Nicole while reading this.
The book uses letters, Buddhist koans (fables), and third person omniscient pov, so there's plenty of social commentary. This leads to multiple timeframes of telling (not really showing) Nicole's story, including the mass shuttering of Catholic churches, which parallels her own seduction by her Buddhist Master. She's too blind/devoted/attached to see it. Truly, this book is heartbreaking, from her boyfriend's unexpected death to Nicole finally standing up for herself. I was genuinely surprised by how much I cared for, and resonated with, Nicole while reading this.