The Diviners by Libba Bray Series: The Diviners #1
Published by Little on September 18th 2012
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal, Mystery
Pages: 578
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
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Series Rating:
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Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.
Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.
Omigoodness this was a creepy one! I’ve had this book sitting on my TBR shelf for way too long, so in the spirit of Halloween I decided to pick it up.
I totally didn’t think I would love it as much as I did! It takes place in 1920’s New York (are you sold yet?) with a sassy flapper heroine named Evie. There are ghosts, hot intellectuals, mysterious bad boys, and one hell of a creepy mystery plot line. I loved the MC Evie, she was the perfect spit fire for the setting, and her potential romances, social circle interactions, and just general flapper girl antics were so entertaining. I feel like Bray did a great job of building a world in the true history while also keeping an even fantasy/paranormal backdrop. I could practically hear the swing music and smell the cigarette smoke as I read. Did I mention that I read this in one afternoon? No? Okay, well I did, because this was that entertaining.
The mystery aspect of this book builds at a nice simmer, I loved how all of the elements (romance, mystery, paranormal, history) played off each other and it didn’t feel like we spent too much time focusing on one over the other. The supporting characters and Evie’s relationship with her historian Uncle was hilarious. He was perfectly professor like and his conversations with Evie, their rhetoric and arguments really added to the overall tone of the story.
Evie’s power was SO COOL! I will not spoil it for you, but I was so intrigued to learn about it. Bray really let foreshadowing and small glimpses drag you in until all was revleaed, and when it was, I seriously could not stop reading. Such a novel idea, and such a cool concept for the setting, the world, and the character. My only pet peeve with this novel was that it was a bit slow to start, there was enough entertaining aspects that kept my attention, but I would sometimes find myself checking my phone or just setting the book down. I think if you’re looking for a good Halloween read, this is perfect. the vibe, Evie’s inner monologues, and the mystery had me so hooked. Also: that cliff hanger! GAH! Thankfully book 2 is already on its way to me, and it’s a decent 700 pages. Yas.
What do you think? Have you read this one? Thoughts? Let me know!
I really need to bite the bullet and read Libba Bray’s books. I have this one and its sequel and the entire Gemma Doyle trilogy and I’ve heard great things about them all. I just need to get on that bandwagon! Great review, glad you loved this book, Lizzie! <3
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[…] **Lizzie wrote a review to this book in 2016 so go check out her thoughts as well! I listened to the Audiobook so I will be reviewing the Audiobook as well as the story** […]