Devout by Takerra Allen
A Review By: RS
Have you ever loved someone so much that it hurt?
I have.
Have you ever cherished the pain because you knew the kind you'd face without them would be way too unbearable?
That's me.
To young Neeka Perry, Denny is one thing. In the streets, he's a whole other entity. She was brave enough to love both sides, upside down, all around, and back again.
He provided her with all a girl could believe she dreamed of—security, desire, and, most enviably, genuine love, all wrapped up in gold and diamonds.
He removed her far from the course of her ordinary college girl lifestyle and swept her into his world of whimsical madness.
For this and more, her love went beyond loyalty. She was devout… devout to him.
But is there such a thing as too much passion? Can you love someone too much?
And when you realize the person you love, and the person everyone fears, can also be the one everyone loves, and you can one day soon fear, who will save you?
Especially when the person you need saving from is yourself?
Stop right there. I don't want to be saved.
I've shackled myself to him with love. And I swallowed the key.
I'm in this for the long run.
I am devout.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2024
An installment in a Series? Yes
Narrator (s): Morae Brehon, Winston James
When you realize the person you love and the person everyone fears can also be the one everyone loves and you can one day soon fear, who will save you?
Devout is a mix of a coming of age story and whimsical urban romance. Neeka’s and Denny's love story is definitely a wild ride. Neeka is a young, bright college student from the suburbs of Jersey who catches the eye of Newarks most notorious drug dealer. I love how Takerra Allen writes their romance from both POV's, giving us a glimpse of what each is feeling and how they perceive their budding relationship. We also get the perspectives of their close friends as they are witnessing this whirlwind romance. With Denny being much older than Neeka, Neeka is not only thrown into an unworld of corruption but is also forced to mature rather quickly if she wants this relationship with Denny. This was one roller coaster ride I was here for!
You can't go wrong with Morae Brehon and Winston James as your narrators. Both do a great job of bringing their characters to life. Morae also does a good job of voicing male characters. It's always a plus when a female narrator can embody a male’s voice.
While Takerra is a great storyteller, this story could have been a bit shorter. She provided lots of layers to this story that, at times, felt like it was space filler. Some of the side characters' perspectives didn't necessarily add to the book as a whole.
While I enjoyed both Morae’s and Winston's narrations, I was disappointed that Winston only narrated Ty's (Denny's best friend) section. Morae does a good male voice, but if you have a male narrator, use him! Winston would have added another layer to Denny's character that would have been greatly appreciated.
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: 4 (It’s lit!)
Content Warnings? Human or animal loss, Physical abuse/violence, Sexual abuse/violence
