Book Review: The Diviners

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Teen Reviewer: Kinsey Manchester
Rating: 5/5 stars

Evie O’Neill has been kicked out of her home because she is just too big for such a small town. Her parents send her to her Uncle Will’s in the fabulous New York City, and Evie is absolutely thrilled! She can’t wait to hit up the great stores, get into the new fashions, and go to every rocking party that the city hosts. After all, it’s the 1920’s and New York City is home of speakeasies and the greatest performers you could ever meet. Soon, Evie is reunited with her friend Mabel, hanging out with one of the prestigious Ziegfield girls, and even being in the company of a few fine boys. The only downside is that her Uncle Will owns and operates the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult- more commonly known as the Museum of the Creepy Crawlies. The Museum is not doing so well, and Evie takes it upon herself to help it out. When the city is plagued by a series of ritual, occult murders, Evie and her Uncle find themselves right in the thick of it all. Evie can help to solve these murders with a special talent, but it means revealing a long-kept secret and opening up old wounds. As the story continues on, more characters have strange connections and it all leads up to a dramatic finale. Can Evie save the city from the killer, save her Uncle’s museum, and keep herself out of trouble?

When I first got this book, I was overwhelmed. The book is almost 600 pages long and I was worried that I would get horribly bored and lost somewhere in the middle. Let me assure you that I enjoyed every single page of this book. The setting was absolutely amazing- even though it was set in the 20’s, I always understood what was happening. The setting added to the feel of the story, the creepy and scary tone that the whole book had. I liked that Libba Bray would alternate with a disturbing murder scene and then a dashing party! The variety made it better. The characters were wonderfully depicted and I thought the author did an amazing job describing them and helping the reader to understand them. Each character (and there were many) had their own story and purpose. I liked Evie, despite her occasional selfishness and immaturity. Sometimes I wanted to shake her, because she is 17 and doesn’t act it all the time, but in general, I really liked hearing her story. The Diviners often shifts points of view, and sometimes unexpectedly, but it never left me feeling confused, as some books with multiple points of view can do. The plot was exciting, and pulled me in from the first page. The action continued throughout the book so that I always wanted to keep reading. It was full of many twists and turns. This book was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time, and it has something for everyone. It’s part historical fiction, supernatural, murder mystery, and even a little love story mixed in there. Warning, though: don’t read this book when you’re home alone at night because it can get pretty intense.