The Diviners (The Diviners, 1)
A young woman discovers her mysterious powers could help catch a killer in the first book of The Diviners series--a stunning supernatural historical mystery set in 1920s New York City, from Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray. Evangeline O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and sent off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is 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. 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 unfurl in the city that never sleeps. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened....
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Community Reviews
I need to review this before I forget what I wanted to say.
Oh, who am I kidding?! I'm nerdy enough that I jot down notes while I'm reading. I'm not ashamed.
So, this was FUN!
New York City in the 1920s?
I'd never read anything like this before, and I really loved it. I'd never even read anything by this author, which became obvious when I kept referring to her as Libra Bray. I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that that is really not her name, so I'll probably continue to call her Libra. I plan on venturing into her other works.
Anyway, this Libra chickadee really knows how to write. Language, characters, setting - you name it, it was there.
The character development is really good. I gave a crap about just about everybody, which is pretty rare. I like that they are all memorable even without us knowing a whole lot about them just yet. There is so much more I want to know about Theta, Memphis, Sam, Jericho, "Unc" Will, etc. The only character I don't understand the purpose of just yet is Mabel. I can't tell if we will find out anything extra about her or not.
Speaking of "Unc," I saw that I lot of people were irritated by the way Evie speaks. BAH! She was pos-i-tute-ly adorable. She spoke just how I would expect someone transplanted from a small town to big NYC in the 20s to speak - a little over the top. Her words, like pie-face, made me feel the same way a waitress calling me "hon" does - like a million warm and fuzzy bucks. I did notice that this language seemed to fizzle a little as the book progressed and didn't know if that was intentional because she is getting more serious and adult like as it progresses or not.
And let us not forget about our "villian." HOLY CREEPY, BATMAN! I had the heebie jeebies like crazy. I was turning on all the lights in the house to go to bed after finishing one of the chapters where someone's body parts are missing. This was some pretty descriptive, intense stuff. There were some characters where it was difficult to tell if they would end up being "good" or "bad." I don't mind waiting to find out, though.
I like that there are love interests (ok, and maybe a potential dreaded love triangle), but it wasn't the main point of the book. I like that Evie is flirtatious but also holds her own and doesn't give gals a bad name.
The descriptions of the city were fantastic. I could visualize every street, house, club, etc. I always knew if it was a good place or a bad place, a fun place or a dreary place.
Overall, this had just the right mix of everything. I got some suspense, some mystery, some humor, some history, and ultimately...
PLENTY OF GLITZ AND GLAMOUR - JUST THE WAY I LOVE IT!
4.5 Stars
Oh, who am I kidding?! I'm nerdy enough that I jot down notes while I'm reading. I'm not ashamed.
So, this was FUN!
New York City in the 1920s?
I'd never read anything like this before, and I really loved it. I'd never even read anything by this author, which became obvious when I kept referring to her as Libra Bray. I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that that is really not her name, so I'll probably continue to call her Libra. I plan on venturing into her other works.
Anyway, this Libra chickadee really knows how to write. Language, characters, setting - you name it, it was there.
The character development is really good. I gave a crap about just about everybody, which is pretty rare. I like that they are all memorable even without us knowing a whole lot about them just yet. There is so much more I want to know about Theta, Memphis, Sam, Jericho, "Unc" Will, etc. The only character I don't understand the purpose of just yet is Mabel. I can't tell if we will find out anything extra about her or not.
Speaking of "Unc," I saw that I lot of people were irritated by the way Evie speaks. BAH! She was pos-i-tute-ly adorable. She spoke just how I would expect someone transplanted from a small town to big NYC in the 20s to speak - a little over the top. Her words, like pie-face, made me feel the same way a waitress calling me "hon" does - like a million warm and fuzzy bucks. I did notice that this language seemed to fizzle a little as the book progressed and didn't know if that was intentional because she is getting more serious and adult like as it progresses or not.
And let us not forget about our "villian." HOLY CREEPY, BATMAN! I had the heebie jeebies like crazy. I was turning on all the lights in the house to go to bed after finishing one of the chapters where someone's body parts are missing. This was some pretty descriptive, intense stuff. There were some characters where it was difficult to tell if they would end up being "good" or "bad." I don't mind waiting to find out, though.
I like that there are love interests (ok, and maybe a potential dreaded love triangle), but it wasn't the main point of the book. I like that Evie is flirtatious but also holds her own and doesn't give gals a bad name.
The descriptions of the city were fantastic. I could visualize every street, house, club, etc. I always knew if it was a good place or a bad place, a fun place or a dreary place.
Overall, this had just the right mix of everything. I got some suspense, some mystery, some humor, some history, and ultimately...
PLENTY OF GLITZ AND GLAMOUR - JUST THE WAY I LOVE IT!
4.5 Stars
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