The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray

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.


My Thoughts/Review:

I just now finished this book. What I'm thinking? Wow. That was amazing and weird.

Black cats cross my path frequently. I've walked under ladders and broke mirrors. I'm just not a superstitious person, and I'd like to think that I'll never change--but this book. Ooh, this book makes me feel plenty superstitious.

"Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on..."

Gah. That little verse right there will definitely be haunting my dreams for a long time. The atmosphere is really the best part of this book--it's a smooth blend of 1920's history complete with speak-easies and a real live flapper girl, all jumbled together with ghost stories and paranormal elements. I don't know how the author pulled it off, but she did it.

She also managed to write one of the best villains ever. Oh, I don't even know if I can do him justice! He was so scary, and...ooh you'll just have to read it! He definitely made me rethink going outside in the dark--ever again. Yes, this villain was perfect. He had me alternately dreading and hoping for his next appearance. However gruesome and gory, I just...three dimensional does not even begin to describe him.

It does begin to describe many of the other characters, though. I loved how the villain was done, and I also loved how the other characters were done. Weirdly, the villain is my favorite, which is why he's four-dimensional. Evie, Jericho, Memphis and Mabel--they were my other favorites.

Personally, because Evie is the main character, I think I like her the most. She seems very flapper like, very free-spirited, and I just really loved her spunk. Jericho is my second favorite, because of his seriousness and his bookishness. And the one scene we got to see from his point of view--you sir, are HAWT.

The word building was very good, and the descriptions made me see the scenes perfectly. But I did have a problem or two with this book. Because as much as I loved the word building and descriptions, this book is really long. I still loved it, but if you like short books, this probably won't be for you. I didn't particularly care for the ten different points of view either, but I forgive that. It's just not a style that's for everybody.

All in all, The Diviners is a book that deals heavily with the occult, ghosts, and history--and I loved every bit of it. Recently, I've been a really happy camper with books! Yay!

 
Favorite Quote: They'd sold their children a pack of lies: God and country. Love your parents. All is fair. And then they'd sent those boys, her brother, off to fight a great monster of a war that maimed and killed and destroyed whatever was inside of them.
This book was provided by Andrea@The Bookish Babe, for a guest review! She's amazing, and I hope you all hop over and follow her!