Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Book Blurb:

A young woman discovers her mysterious powers could help catch a killer in the first book in 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 shipped 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....

Find out more about the book on Goodreads and pick up a copy from Amazon or B&N

My Review:

5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Audiobook, Ghosts, Historical, Mystery, Romance, Scary, Supernatural, Suspense, Teen--

Evie gets into trouble at home and is sent to stay with her uncle in New York during the early 1920's. She has a secret supernatural gift that no one is aware of, but when mysterious events start happening, she and her friends are drawn into danger.

This is actually the second time I have read this book, but this time I listened to the audiobook. I have been wanting to read the rest of the books in the series and realized I did not remember specific details of this book so it was time for a re-read! I actually think that I liked the book even better the second time around and I am so glad I listened to it because the narrator was fantastic! She gave everyone voices and personalities, as well as creating a scary atmosphere and making me feel like I was really there with the characters- and she sang the songs which was way better than reading them (to be perfectly honest, I may have skipped the songs while reading, sorry!). Side effect of reading is now I really want to try an egg cream (which I had to look up since I had never heard of such a thing).

I loved this book. I started it with no expectations, and was incredibly surprised by what I got. This book has a little bit of everything going on in it. There is murder, supernatural, mystery, horror, romance, social commentary, humor, history, rebellion, demons, literature... I am sure I am missing something because around every corner there was twist I never saw coming. I liked the fact that there was a mystery, but we pretty much knew who the killer was from the start. There was no guessing of the killer, just trying to figure out the why and the how to stop them- but there were tons of other side mysteries that I wanted to discover. I found myself compelled to keep reading on, to learn what is happening, while at the same time being incredibly creeped out. There were some truly chilling parts to this book with the best (or worst depending on your view) imagery.

The book was told from so many points of view, for the most part alternating between chapters. There was Evie, Sam the thief, Jericho the Enigma, Theta the dancer, Memphis the poet, Mabel the good girl, just to name a few of the main voices used. There were also random snippets from others, such as the killer and his victims. The book jumped around a bit, keeping the reader on their toes and the perspective fresh. The thing I found most intriguing is that each character has a hidden agenda, nothing is what it seems with any of them. I can't wait to find out more.

I loved Evie with all her spunk and selfish behavior, bravado, loyalty and ability to roll with the punches. She was the biggest trouble magnet, yet she attacked everything without reservations. I loved that she never backed down regardless of what she faced. She has so much vitality that I can't help but to root for her, and the comments she made at times made me laugh out loud while reading. She puts on a brave face, but she really has a heart of gold.

This is most certainly my favorite Libba Bray book. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to see what new dangerous trouble comes, as well as to see how the romance unfolds. This was so incredibly spooky, I completely forgot how scary it was! Warning- do not listen to this at night by yourself because you will be terrified! I am so excited to jump into the rest of the series and I highly recommend this story.