New author Madeline Stevens' debut novel Devotion reads like an artsy, experimental project, and serves as a glimpse into a dysfunctional, dream-like relationship between a nanny and her enigmatic employer. Barely making it day-to-day, 26 year-old Ella doesn't know where her next meal is coming from or how she will make her rent. That is until she is offered a job as a nanny for a wealthy couple who live a life Ella can only dream of.
Ella can't help but compare herself to the wife, Lonnie, and examine how different their lives are despite the fact that they are the same age. Why do women like Lonnie get to have it all, while those like Ella know nothing but trouble and strife? What makes Lonnie so special, and how would Ella's life change if she could be more like Lonnie, and maybe even actually become her? Thus begins a dark, atmospheric novel examining the deep roots of envy and obsession, and how it manifests itself in a young, questionable woman in New York City.
Devotion is lush and sensuous, filled with beautiful writing that you can see, touch, and taste. Her use of descriptive words and phrases is where author Stevens shines and has an obvious talent, and it is what readers will most remember this often erratic and puzzling novel for. That said, this book is not for everyone. The story meanders and wavers, drawing readers into the relationship between Ella and Lonnie, but never really going anywhere. For those hoping to read a pulse-pounding thriller of dark obsession, this book is not it. Instead, it serves as a rather highbrow exploration of female friendship and interaction. Personally, Devotion gave me many of the same feelings that classic novels often do - teasing me with tantalizing writing, but never really going anywhere significant with the plot. What is to be savored here is the reading experience and relationships between the characters, and not necessarily the story itself.
Recommended to lovers of literary fiction and pretentious psychological novels.
Availability: Book; eBook in CloudLibrary Rating: *** Stars (I liked it) Reviewer: Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH? DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS! Devotion
GENRE: Psychological Suspense CHARACTER: Unlikable
PACE: Intensifying WRITING STYLE: Compelling STORYLINE: Intricately Plotted TONE: Suspenseful SUBJECT: Drug Use; Married People; Nannies; Obsession; Power; Rich People; Sexuality; Twenties; Upper Class; Women
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