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The Diviners
(The Diviners #1)
by
Do you believe there are ghosts and demons and Diviners among us?
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, Ziegfield girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her Uncle Will and his ...more
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, Ziegfield girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her Uncle Will and his ...more
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Kindle Edition, 592 pages
Published
September 18th 2012
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Start your review of The Diviners (The Diviners, #1)

This book makes me feel so nostalgic for life in 1920s New York which is weird because I wasn’t even alive for that decade, so why do I miss it? Seriously. Is it just me or do other people get homesick from books? You miss the comforting feeling of the characters and the world created by the author and wish to stay long after you turn the last page?
The impossible wonder of an era I was never a part of still snags at me and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
So, what's this book? ...more
The impossible wonder of an era I was never a part of still snags at me and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
So, what's this book? ...more

Original Review 2018: This was pos-i-tute-ly the perfect spooky Halloween read! Supernatural powers! Murder! 1920s New York! A creepy song that will haunt me for the rest of my life! I can keep going.
There were times when I was genuinely scared (usually when I was reading right before bed). Let's just say I'll never be able to use the word "naughty" ever again without giving myself nightmares.
This book also had a huge cast of characters that we are just getting to know - and I love each and ever ...more
There were times when I was genuinely scared (usually when I was reading right before bed). Let's just say I'll never be able to use the word "naughty" ever again without giving myself nightmares.
This book also had a huge cast of characters that we are just getting to know - and I love each and ever ...more

Update 12/2/2019 - Raising my rating to 5 stars! The Diviner's is absolutely one of my favorite series of all time. I am so excited to continue rereading the series in anticipation for the finale with the #DivinersClub readalong!
4.5 stars ...more
4.5 stars ...more

Apr 15, 2019
Melanie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Melanie by:
Madalyn (Novel Ink)
Shelves:
audible,
mystery,
fantasy,
romance,
read-in-2019,
paranormal,
buddy-reads,
magic,
young-adult,
historical
“The Diviners must stand, or all shall fall.”
The Diviners is a historical, paranormal fantasy set in 1920s New York City! And in this alternative history, there are people called Diviners who have magical abilities that are hidden from the world. And these powers will come in handy as a demon like being who was summoned from a Ouija board starts ritualistically killing people, while also bringing upon the apocalypse.
➽ Evie O’Neill - Sent to NY to stay with her uncle after causing too ...more

There is love. Oh, there is so much love that I am having for this book and Ms Bray right now. Even taking the length into account, this novel took me longer than usual to read because I had to read everything more than once and swoon for a little bit before I could move on. I am thrilled to hear that there will be a sequel.
If I were to write a novel, I wouldn't want to hear claims like "this is the next Hunger Games (or Twilight or Harry Potter)" but I think one of the greatest compliments must ...more
If I were to write a novel, I wouldn't want to hear claims like "this is the next Hunger Games (or Twilight or Harry Potter)" but I think one of the greatest compliments must ...more

THIS WAS SO DAMN GOOD!
Listening on audiobook was such a great experience. I loved the writing and the story, oh so chilling! GIMME MORE :)
Listening on audiobook was such a great experience. I loved the writing and the story, oh so chilling! GIMME MORE :)

From a personal enjoyment level it's 2.5 stars, unfortunately. I was bored throughout the 600 pages of this story and kept waiting for it to be over. The pacing suffered with a lot of the characters ambling around and could have been shortened to at least 300. This read more like an overly drawn-out setup rather than a concise narrative. The characters felt very surface-level; I could clearly tell the archetypes that each person was, but they didn't have much depth. Villains were also pretty non
...more

I don’t know how else to describe The Diviners except to say it’s pretty clear when reading this that Libba Bray set out to write a quintessentially American novel, and - good and bad - she’s succeeded. She may insist no historians were harmed in the writing of her book, but I just don’t see how she’s mastered such command of American history, not just through the facts, but through the way she captures the American experience, that she didn’t torture it out of someone. But just like America, th
...more

Re-read 8/8/19: This was my first time reading this since the third book came out and Libba Bray is a foreshadowing MASTER. I love this story and these characters so damn much and I cannot wait to re-read Lair of Dreams next month! This was a buddy read for the #DivinersReadalong with Melanie, Jane, & Madalyn! The liveshow discussion will be on my channel on Friday, August 16th at 6pm PST / 9pm EST and we hope to see you there!
Re-read 10/3/17: Finished this re-read in one day because I AM OBSESS ...more
Re-read 10/3/17: Finished this re-read in one day because I AM OBSESS ...more

Apr 17, 2011
Brigid ✩
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
demons,
yes-yes-yes,
ghosts,
crime-and-mystery,
favorites,
superpowers,
romance,
fantasy,
young-adult,
historical-fiction
9/25/15:
Finished re-reading this and it was even better the second time! Now I am finally reading the sequel and I'm very excited. :D
----------
Original Review (10/10/12):
OH GOD OH MAN OH GOD OH MAN.
So yeah, basically this book left me like this:

I've been a die-hard Libba Bray fan ever since the fabulous Gemma Doyle books. I also loved the insane, bizarre adventure of Going Bovine. And Beauty Queens was hilarious––although I thought it was a bit lacking in the usual strong storytelling element th ...more
Finished re-reading this and it was even better the second time! Now I am finally reading the sequel and I'm very excited. :D
----------
Original Review (10/10/12):
OH GOD OH MAN OH GOD OH MAN.
So yeah, basically this book left me like this:

I've been a die-hard Libba Bray fan ever since the fabulous Gemma Doyle books. I also loved the insane, bizarre adventure of Going Bovine. And Beauty Queens was hilarious––although I thought it was a bit lacking in the usual strong storytelling element th ...more

This book right here, was amazing.
It was spooky, fun, intriguing, really just everything I was hoping for.
Setting
First off, the setting was awesome. It's set in 1926 New York, a city bustling with flappers, speakeasies and the challenges of prohibition. Adding the spooky element of the occult and the mystery of murders to an already fun setting just made for set the whole thing up for success.
Characters
Set against this background, we have a plethora of characters.
First, we have the protagonist ...more
It was spooky, fun, intriguing, really just everything I was hoping for.
Setting
First off, the setting was awesome. It's set in 1926 New York, a city bustling with flappers, speakeasies and the challenges of prohibition. Adding the spooky element of the occult and the mystery of murders to an already fun setting just made for set the whole thing up for success.
Characters
Set against this background, we have a plethora of characters.
First, we have the protagonist ...more

Apr 14, 2013
carol.
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
I don't.
Recommended to carol. by:
I don't hate you. Honest.
"Ms. Bray, I have an idea for your next book."
"Yes?"
"Well, the researcher who worked on The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York left some notes lying in the library, and someone I know swiped 'em."
"Perfect! What should we make it about?"
"Hmm, not sure. Let's workshop it."
"Okay. Target audience?"
"Well, you have some cred in Young Adult, and the field is on fire. If we make it about a 17 year-old and her friends, we can draw in the pre-teens and the ...more

“The time is now. They are coming,” Isaiah said, drifting back into dreams, his last word barely a whisper: “Diviners.”
This was exactly my kind of book - with talk about the occult, magical-realism, and even a little horror (that I could handle for once) - I couldn’t help but fall for The Diviners. To quote Maggie Stiefvater, good magic is a little horrific, and good horror is always a little magical. And Libba Bray brought just that to the table with this chilling and wondrous book.
This follows ...more
This was exactly my kind of book - with talk about the occult, magical-realism, and even a little horror (that I could handle for once) - I couldn’t help but fall for The Diviners. To quote Maggie Stiefvater, good magic is a little horrific, and good horror is always a little magical. And Libba Bray brought just that to the table with this chilling and wondrous book.
This follows ...more

Jan 03, 2018
Chelsea Humphrey
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Chelsea by:
Emily May
Shelves:
library
I'm obviously late to the party, but I so enjoyed this one! The audiobook took the story to an entirely other level for me; the narrator was fabulous and did so many voices in a unique way without sounding cheesy or lame. Definitely excited to continue on with the series and look forward to answering some of the questions that were left open here.
...more

She was tired of being told how it was by this generation, who’d botched things so badly. 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 them. Still they lied, expecting her to mouth the words and play along. Well, she wouldn’t. She knew now that the world was a long way from fair. She knew the monsters w...more

The best way I can describe this book is The Great Gatsby meets Buzzfeed Unsolved.
Even though this audiobook was 16 hours long, it flew by. I listened to the prologue and had to stop it and take a break because I was already so creeped out, and there were definitely other parts that I read in the middle of the night that made me want to turn my lights on and check under my bed. This book definitely has a creepy vibe and is such an amazing, atmospheric listen. The setting of the 20s was so much ...more
Even though this audiobook was 16 hours long, it flew by. I listened to the prologue and had to stop it and take a break because I was already so creeped out, and there were definitely other parts that I read in the middle of the night that made me want to turn my lights on and check under my bed. This book definitely has a creepy vibe and is such an amazing, atmospheric listen. The setting of the 20s was so much ...more

..finally released from ‘Starbucks’ before midnight, I was caught in last pages of The Diviners, and heavy rain Storm hit Alexandria that evening.
But as I get off the doors, Everything was different..

I was facing Alexandria's famous Sea Corniche, cafes' lights, wet streets no more..
There's speakeasy & theater lights instead, the yellow cabs turned into old models..
But the wet streets still there..and The Storm is yet to come..
Well,
L-E-T-S--S-T-A-R-T--F-R-O-M--T-H-E--B-E-G-I-N-N-I-N'


Let's see how ...more
But as I get off the doors, Everything was different..

I was facing Alexandria's famous Sea Corniche, cafes' lights, wet streets no more..
There's speakeasy & theater lights instead, the yellow cabs turned into old models..
But the wet streets still there..and The Storm is yet to come..
Well,
L-E-T-S--S-T-A-R-T--F-R-O-M--T-H-E--B-E-G-I-N-N-I-N'


Let's see how ...more

Dec 09, 2012
Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
The heroine was intolerably stupid, annoying, attention-seeking, and inconsiderate. She grated on my nerves so badly, I can barely bring myself to read on. I find Libba Bray's writing style for this book completely unreadable. I have a strong suspicion she read a reference guide to using slang during the Flapper era and made it her personal goal to use as much speakeasy language as possible in every single spoken sentence.
...more

Jun 28, 2017
❄️BooksofRadiance❄️
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya-fantasy-sci-fi,
historical
This was my third attempt at this book and... victory at last!
Once again it was a rather slow start that failed to grip me mind body and soul right from the get-go (that might’ve been too much to ask. Hence the third attempt) but once I passed that difficult stage, I found it enjoyable.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say extremely enjoyable but I was hooked nonetheless.
The plot was extremely well written and the history elements were amazingly researched and in-depth.
My initial reason to give this ...more
Once again it was a rather slow start that failed to grip me mind body and soul right from the get-go (that might’ve been too much to ask. Hence the third attempt) but once I passed that difficult stage, I found it enjoyable.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say extremely enjoyable but I was hooked nonetheless.
The plot was extremely well written and the history elements were amazingly researched and in-depth.
My initial reason to give this ...more

New favorite obsession! It’s dark but classy...

...beautiful but swallowed in the feel of a haunting.

There are a lot of characters in this book. So, let’s do this list style:
Evie O'Neill
I positutely love Evie. She is such a unique heroine. Usually, the heroines these days are mysterious, introverted and quiet about how they are different. Evie is none of those things. She is a flapper (setting is in the 1920s), she is as extroverted and confident as they come, and she isn’t shy about what she ca ...more

...beautiful but swallowed in the feel of a haunting.

There are a lot of characters in this book. So, let’s do this list style:
Evie O'Neill
I positutely love Evie. She is such a unique heroine. Usually, the heroines these days are mysterious, introverted and quiet about how they are different. Evie is none of those things. She is a flapper (setting is in the 1920s), she is as extroverted and confident as they come, and she isn’t shy about what she ca ...more

“Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells ‘em off for a coupla stones.”
boy this shit was so good !! i die !!. Everyone kept telling me this series was the cats meow and I JUST DIDN'T LISTEN. And I should have, it's positutely swell !!
(okay enough lingo references) but the first thing I LOVED about this book was the setting. It's set in 1920s America and boy that is just such a fun setting to play around in. And Libba Bray defi ...more

Jan 02, 2020
Warda
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
put-down-for-now,
crushing-tbr-pile

My first introduction to the glamour and extravagance of 1920’s America probably came in the form of The Great Gatsby (the movie, not the book, considering I too young at the time to get it). So, when I heard about a much-raved YA novel involving cult killings, magic powers, and Great Gatsby-esque parties, I knew I had to read it. And for once, a book, has suited my imagination perfectly.
Evie O’Neill is a mildly alcoholic, outgoing seventeen year-old, who is sent to live with her Uncle Will in ...more
Evie O’Neill is a mildly alcoholic, outgoing seventeen year-old, who is sent to live with her Uncle Will in ...more

Dec 29, 2019
Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
library-book

Eff this book. I’m tired of books killing dogs, cats etc. How would you like your animal being gutted alive!? Like I said, eff this book and books like it because I’m tired of it all. AND DON’T MAKE NO SMART ASS COMMENTS ON MY REVIEW!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

*cue eerie music*
At a birthday party in New York in the 1920's, a bunch of teenagers decide to play with a Ouija board. They promptly do several things they're REALLY not supposed to do, like failing to make the spirit controlling the board say good-bye (is this really a thing?), thereby unleashing the spirit of a serial killer on the world. I'm one chapter in and already I know this book is not going to be my cuppa tea: Horror novels are just not my thing, and evil supernatural kinds of horro ...more

At a birthday party in New York in the 1920's, a bunch of teenagers decide to play with a Ouija board. They promptly do several things they're REALLY not supposed to do, like failing to make the spirit controlling the board say good-bye (is this really a thing?), thereby unleashing the spirit of a serial killer on the world. I'm one chapter in and already I know this book is not going to be my cuppa tea: Horror novels are just not my thing, and evil supernatural kinds of horro ...more

Someone told me that this book is a bit similar to sense8 and if that's true, I'll start it in a sec.
...more


We are the Diviners.
We have been and we will be.
It is a power that comes from the great energy of the land and its people, a realm shared for a spell, for as long as is needed.
We see the dead.
We speak to restless spirits.
We walk in dreams.
We read meaning from every held thing.
The future unfolds for us like the navigators map, showing seas we have yet to travel.”
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Buddy read with the wonderful Eli :*
I guess I’m a little bit disappointed.
I had way too high expectations for ...more

Mar 15, 2018
ELLIAS (elliasreads)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2018-books,
i-own
“Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells 'em off for a coupla stones.”
WELL I'LL BE DAMNED.
GOODNESS GRACIOUS where do I start? Because HOLY SMOKES that was the CAT'S MEOW!! GOLLY, I was completely blown away. Some parts in this book just gave me the flying HEEBIE-JEEBIES. And other parts of the book made me laugh as if I was high on GIGGLE WATER!!
......ok modern century talk now and 1920s lingo aside, The Diviners, was ...more

Nov 07, 2013
Felicia
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult,
vaginal-urban-fantasy
I am doing a big project in my house: Reading the ever-increasing stack of ACTUAL books that is piling up next to my bed! The dust on them is just monumental, since I honestly read most of my stuff on my Kindle, sigh. So project; "Chip away at stack" commence!
I've had this book on the stack for a while, and I didn't know anything about it, except the blurb on the back reminded me of one of my favorite iOS games: Elder Signs. 20's, occult, NYC etc. I thought the atmosphere was pretty interesting, ...more
I've had this book on the stack for a while, and I didn't know anything about it, except the blurb on the back reminded me of one of my favorite iOS games: Elder Signs. 20's, occult, NYC etc. I thought the atmosphere was pretty interesting, ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Into the Forest: The Diviners w/spoilers | 6 | 19 | Jan 30, 2021 06:26PM | |
Into the Forest: The Diviners no spoilers | 11 | 24 | Jan 17, 2021 07:12AM | |
The Diviners | 3 | 8 | Dec 16, 2020 01:19PM | |
the book | 1 | 3 | Dec 12, 2020 05:19PM | |
Dumbledore's *Rea...: October 2020- The Diviners | 11 | 18 | Oct 25, 2020 10:11AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray - Restarting October 10th 2020 | 234 | 483 | Oct 13, 2020 09:41PM |
What is it about writing an author bio that gives me that deer-in-headlights feeling? It's not exactly like I'm going to say "I was born in Alabama…" and somebody's going to jump up and snarl, "Oh yeah? Prove it!" At least I hope not.
I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor. ...more
I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor. ...more
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“How do you invent a religion?” Evie asked.
Will looked over the top of his spectacles. “You say, ‘God told me the following,’ and then wait for people to sign up.”
—
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Will looked over the top of his spectacles. “You say, ‘God told me the following,’ and then wait for people to sign up.”
“Some mornings, she’d wake and vow, Today, I will get it right. I won’t be such an awful mess of a girl. I won’t lose my temper or make unkind remarks. I won’t go too far with a joke and feel the room go quiet with disapproval. I’ll be good and kind and sensible and patient. The sort everyone loves. But by evening, her good intentions would have unraveled. She’d say the wrong thing or talk a little too loudly. She’d take a dare she shouldn’t, just to be noticed. Perhaps Mabel was right, and she was selfish. But what was the point of living so quietly you made no noise at all? “Oh, Evie, you’re too much,” people said, and it wasn’t complimentary. Yes, she was too much. She felt like too much inside all the time. So why wasn’t she ever enough?”
—
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