Book Review | The Diviners

Title: The Diviners

Author: Libba Bray

Publication: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Bought it
Series: Yes! This is the 1st book.

Rating: 4.5 out 5 stars

Indie Bound | B&N | The Book Depository

Synopsis: 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 dane 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.

Review: Wow, this book was so much more than I thought it would be. I've heard some great things, but I didn't know it was going to be that good. There were so many fantastic elements in this book, I don't know where to start...

I think I'll start with the writing because it was stunning. The words seemed to flow straight in and tell such a good story that I couldn't stop reading. The way that Libba Bray tells a story is flawless and I can say with confidence that this is the first book I read by her, but it definitely won't be the last.

There are multiple perspectives from different characters in this book, which is not what I expected, but I think it added to the tale. And Bray crafted these stories so well that I never got lost or confused and they interwove so intricately and perfectly. 

Speaking of different perspectives and characters, I loved just about all of the characters. I think they all delivered they're own unique stories that I thought were all incredibly interesting. I was a bit put off by the romance, it seemed off to me. 

This book tells a story that has not even come close to being similar to anything I have ever read before. I loved the setting of the 1920's. The paranormal aspects were unique and so intriguing. Things kept happening that I didn't expect and I was completely enthralled and invested into this story and its characters. I cannot wait to get the next book - can it please come out already??

Have you read this one and if so, what did you think of it? What did you think of the paranormal abilities? Have you read Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty, what did you think of it (I think I might read it soon)?