Genre: Religion

Mini Reviews | Never Saw You Coming (ARC) and The Jasmine Project

Posted January 24, 2022 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

As a former Religious Studies major during my undergrad years, I am always intrigued by YA novels that tackle the topic of religion, though many popular titles in the past few years have seemed to focus more on the extreme side (Devoted, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, The Project, etc.). I was intrigued to read a novel where the religious aspects seemed more naturally woven in with the contemporary elements, which is definitely the case in Never Saw You Coming, which follows 18 year old protagonist Meg as she strikes out on her own for the first time in […]

Mini Reviews | The Book of Essie and The Afterlife of Holly Chase

Posted June 10, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 4 Comments

The Book of Essie had been on my radar for a while because if you know me, you know I am fascinated with any contemporary books that tackle the topic of religion. I’m also a sucker for reality TV so this novel was right up my alley as it focuses on Essie, a teenager who has grown up in a very conservative, religious household with her pastor father, controlling mother and various siblings, a life which is all captured on the reality tv show “Six for Hicks.” As expected, there’s more than meets the eye with the Hicks family and […]

In the Neighborhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton | ARC Review

Posted April 22, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

I always seem to forget how much I enjoy historical fiction until I read it and remember how fascinating it is. There’s something so surreal about reading fiction that you know is often based on major real life events and being dropped into the mind of someone who is experiencing it as their reality, even if fictionally. In the Neighborhood of True had been on my radar for a while because it combined many of my favorite elements in YA, including a Southern setting and religious themes. I was also excited to pick up a book that followed a Jewish […]

A Psalm for Lost Girls by Katie Bayerl | Review

Posted February 18, 2019 in Books, Reviews / 3 Comments

If you follow my reviews at all, you know I’m fascinated by YA books that incorporate the theme of religion into them. As a Religious Studies major in college (think of it as “comparative world religion” rather than theology) I was fascinated by studying different customs, rituals, rites of passage, etc. So when I read the synopsis for A Psalm for Lost Girls I was hooked. Focusing on the events AFTER the death of the protagonists sister (Tess) who was thought to be a miracle worker, it follows a town’s trek to have the sister canonized as a Catholic saint […]

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry | Review

Posted October 1, 2018 in Reviews / 6 Comments

If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time, you know I’m a HUGE fan of any YA books that incorporate religion as a theme- not because I’m by any means super religious, but because as a Religious Studies major in college it was my job to study and learn about religion from a sociological and anthropological perspective, and old habits die hard. When I heard about Heretics Anonymous I was especially intrigued as I myself grew up Catholic, so I was curious to see how it would portray the Catholic school experience (though I attended public school, I […]

The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord | ARC Review

Posted April 19, 2017 in Reviews / 12 Comments

*Many thanks to Lauren @ Bookmark Lit for being a rock star and letting me borrow her copy! In some ways I don’t even know how to begin reviewing this book because my heart is so full after reading it. The Names They Gave Us has a tiny sprinkling of every ingredient you need for a powerful and moving YA book, but the product is so cohesive and beautiful and seamless that it’s almost impossible to analyze each individual component. However, I am a book blogger and this is my book blog, so review I must (and I really […]

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes | Review

Posted June 27, 2016 in Reviews / 10 Comments

“Belief shouldn’t be compatible with lies, but is.” Every so often there are books you come across that are unpleasant, that fill your stomach with a sense of dread at the knowledge of the subject matter, but that you soldier through reading anyways because they are so damn important. The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes is one of those books. From just the synopsis, it’s clear that the novel is going to deal with not one, but several unsavory topics: a cult, a botched amputation, and the juvenile detention system. However, despite dealing with so many intense […]

Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu | Review

Posted March 9, 2016 in Reviews / 6 Comments

*Many thanks to Macmillan and Brittany @ The Book Addict’s Guide for my copy of Devoted! Jennifer Mathieu has managed to write a stellar sophomore novel that, like her debut The Truth About Alice, provides a riveting view into a social issue that might make most uncomfortable to look too closely at. While The Truth About Alice focused on slut-shaming and bullying, Devoted addressed modern day religious fundamentalist communities, and as a religious studies major I have to applaud Mathieu’s handling of the topic. Devoted focuses on Rachel, a nearly 18 year old living in a Christian fundamentalist community (the […]