Friday, October 19, 2012

{Review} "The Diviners" by Libba Bray

Title:  The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher:  Little, Brown Books
Publication Date: September 18, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal

Format:  Kindle 848 kb  |  Hardcover 592 pages

Buy this book on Amazon:  Kindle Version  |  Hardcover
Author's Website: http://libbabray.com/
Author's Goodreads Profile:  Libba Bray

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

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 thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.
Diving in...
I am just going to do a really quick review of this book.  I really liked it but it took me forever to read it since it is just so long!  Oh, and I took a break in the middle to read another book...

This book is the first in a series and while it does have a really great creepy plot of its own, it's also a set up for the series.  There are quite a few characters introduced in this book and they all have really intricate back stories, but they don't quite all come together in this book.  Ms. Bray is really introducing the readers to the Diviners who, I assume, will all meet up at some point in the series.  At least I hope they do.

The main character in this particular story is Evie.  I found her to be a tad obnoxious and annoying at first, but about halfway through I started to like her.  I think what annoyed me more than anything was the overuse of 20's slang, most of which was coming from Evie.  I really think that my favorite character was Jericho, though.  I am looking forward to the coming books to see how things progress with he and Evie.

This story revolved around occult based murders and Naughty John, a murderer who was put to death over 50 years ago.  Evie's Uncle Will is called upon to help solve the murders since he his educated in the ways of the occult.  Evie ends up using her power to help him try to solve the case.  They are pulled in even deeper as they unearth details that tie the murders to a man who has been dead for years.  Evie discovers that she isn't they only one who is different, but she hasn't yet figured out just how many of her friends are like she is.  

I, for one, can't wait to see what the next book has in store for the rest of the Diviners.  There were a lot of loose ends left in this one and I think they have the potential to become great stories.  All in all, it was a great read.  Ms. Bray's writing is always very descriptive and I think that, while the slang was over done, she did a great job capturing the era of the 1920's.

I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys a nice creepy read!  It's perfect for this time of year.


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