Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Historical, Fantasy
Imprint: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Date published: September 18, 2012
Format: Audiobook
Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
Source: Library
Summary: 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.
MY REVIEW
This book was everything I ever wanted in a 1920s book! While I’ve seen that some people have complained about the detail which was put into everything 20s, I actually completely loved that about The Diviners! This book had everything which I was missing in Iron Cast by Destiny Soria, because it described locations, music, fashion, foods, slang…just anything I could think of that a 1920s book should contain.
In addition, the plot was detailed, evenly paced and just really really good. I would say that you do have to like paranormal and mild horror to enjoy the plot thoroughly though. I’m not sure if readers who go into this book for the historical details will enjoy the plot if they dislike supernatural mysteries.
I also really really liked the characters; especially the main cast! There are multiple main characters, which I think one of the reasons why this book is as long as it is. But I think that the large cast is a good thing, as it leaves room for variety, and diversity. Each of the main cast are also quite unique and likeable from different perspectives, while also possessing flaws, or making choices which can make the reader groan with frustration. There is also a love triangle present in this story, which I wanted to address because I found that although I really really dislike love triangles, I found that this one felt natural. It felt as if the triangle happened due to a set of normal and common circumstances which one can see in real life, rather than it being present simply as a plot device.
The audiobook narrator, January LaVoy, is also very very talented! She even sings!
Overall, I highly recommend this book, and I will be reviewing the sequel soon! Also, the third book in the series will be coming out this Fall! Ahh!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“I’m one of those people who has to write. If I don’t write, I feel itchy and depressed and cranky. So everybody’s glad when I write and stop complaining already.”–Libba Bray
Libba Bray is the author of the acclaimed A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
You can visit her at www.libbabray.com
PURCHASE LINKS
THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
Great Review !, I really have to read this book 🙂
Thanks for reading and commenting! And yesss it’s so good! I’d been wanting to read it as a book, but audiobooked it during work and found it enjoyable that way too. The narrator is really good. 🙂
I’ve tried reading The Diviners twice now and have yet to get past the first quarter of it. I keep meaning to go back to it and so your review has pushed it higher up on my TBR pile. Hopefully when I next pick it up I’ll like it as much as you did!
Yeahhh from what I remember there’s a bit of set-up…and there are a LOT of main characters. So it can get quite frustrating if you only want to follow one or two, and you’re stuck reading about the others. Luckily I liked them all, but other readers are not as fortunate maybe…haha. I hope you get to read it soon! Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
Yeah I don’t think that was my problem with it but it’s honestly been years since I last picked it up so I’m just going to have to go in fresh. Hopefully I like it this time around as much as you do!
Great review! I’ve been meaning to read this, its been sitting on shelf forever.
Thanks so much! And thank you for reading and leaving a comment! I hope you get to read it soon 🙂
I loved The Diviners! I’m so happy you enjoyed it as well. She definitely described the 1920s perfectly.
I’m so glad you agree! I saw some reviewers complaining about how they didn’t like all the details, while I was happily taking them all in and savoring them 😛
I really loved this book! I agree that this is everything I ever wanted in a 1920’s book. And MILD horror? Girl, I must be a scaredy-cat because I made my husband sit in the bathroom while I took a shower because I was scared as hell of Naughty John hahah
Hahaha you’re not a scaredy-cat! I was scared too 😛 but my boyfriend has made me watch some of the scariest movies out there, so perhaps compared to that…it made it feel like mild horror to me hahaha. I also still have the Naughty John song play in my head sometimes, because I audiobooked this, and the narrator would sing it 😛
Yes! I love seeing that five star rating. I’ve been wanting to read this book literally forever. You just motivated me to read it sooner!!
Yaaaay I hope you get to read it ASAP! And I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!!! 😀
Thank you!
Looks great, can’t wait to read it. It has been a while since I’ve read a book by Bray.
Ahhh I need to read more of her books. This was the first one I’ve “read” by her (because I audiobooked it, haha), and I also listened to Lair of Dreams, which was ALSO quite good. I can’t wait for the 3rd book! And I may have to read A Great and Terrible Beauty until then 🙂
Ohhhhhhh I so need to read this *o*
Wow. Five huskies! I guess I’ll have to look into this one!
Obviously my personal opinion hehe and some people HAVE disliked it for its length and detail…but I LOVED it!