Staff Picks: The Diviners by Libba Bray

[Lexie]

(Young Adult) 4.5 out of 5 stars

First, the summary: "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-toot-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."

Pros: Okay, 1920s? YES PLEASE! Supernaturalism? YES PLEASE! Ghostly Serial Killers? YES PLEASE! Libba Bray is a magician. I don't think any other author could make this mix of characters, plot, setting, and pacing come together in such as confection as The Diviners. But Libba Bray does, and it is pos-i-toot-ly thrilling to read. Like, can't-put- it-down-stay-up-late-all-night-to-finish-it read. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. Plus, historically accurate! Libba Bray did a lot of research into the 1920s culture (including religious occultism) and it's pretty mind bogglingly accurate. Be on the lookout for this title to make award lists in the coming months.

Cons: So the group of people termed "The Diviners" gets brought up numerous times. The reader is told there is a "storm coming" a lot. BUT NOTHING EVERY HAPPENS WITH IT! It's like watching a sitcom where a small mystery is solved in every episode, but there's a large mystery story arch through out the season. I feel like I've finished the first episode, and I'm satisfied with the conclusion to that mystery, but I didn't get any meat out of the overarching mystery plot (the "coming storm" that "the Diviners" will have to fight). I know she put it in there so that there could be other novels in the series, but it just got repetitive after awhile.

But put that aside, because I'm sure after I finish the series it won't be an issue. It will all make sense and I'll realize it was necessary.

Overall, a fabulous, fabulous read from a master of Young Adult fiction. Kudos Libba Bray, this is the cat's pajamas!