The Diviners

The Diviners (The Diviners #1)by Libba Bray

Rating: 5 out of 5 Magical Coffee Cups

From Goodreads.com

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 dance 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.

I’m goofy for this book! This book is the cat’s pajamas! Yeah, I sort of fell in love with the lingo. I’m going to pos-i-tute-ly try and bring some of these sayings back. Or not. I’m sorry, I’ll stop now.

Moving on. This book had so many things that I love.

♥There was history- This book takes place in 1920’s New York. There is a lot of American history throughout the book. I loved reading about Jazz music, flappers, and speakeasies. And even though I didn’t love reading about the KKK and xenophobia, it made the setting real. This was America and it wouldn’t be right to only highlight the fun parts. I not only loved the research that went into making this book but the research that was taking place in the book. Evie is not a fan of research:

“There is a hideous invention called the Dewey Decimal System. And you have to look up your topic in books and newspapers. Pages upon pages upon pages…”

“I thought research would be more glamorous, somehow. I’d give the librarian a secret code word and he’d give me the one book I needed and whisper the necessary page numbers. Like a speakeasy. With books.”

Poor Evie.

♥There were supernatural elements; I’m not sure I want to say too much about these elements because it will be more fun as you learn about these yourself.

♥There was comedy.

“Your mother and I do not approve of drinking. Have you not heard of the Eighteenth Amendment?”

“Prohibition? I drink to its health whenever I can.”

Evie is a riot! I loved her spunk. I was also entertained with her relationships with other characters. Evie and Sam’s relationship is the funniest by far in this book.

♥Last but certainly not least, this book reminded me of so many other books that I have read and loved. This history in this book brought me back to The Devil in the White City. Naughty John was super creepy and reminded me of H. H. Holmes. I have heard others say that Libba Bray was inspired a little by The Devil in the White City and she did an amazing job of bringing the fear with her story. Seriously, Naughty John is nightmare worthy. Consider this your warning.

The amazing atmosphere reminded me of the author Cat Winters. I love her ability to suck you into a story and Libba Bray is just as remarkable in creating her settings. I swear I hear Jazz music while reading this.

I feel like I could sit and go through this book chapter by chapter telling you all the stuff I loved about it but I think it would be better if you just read it yourself.

This might be one of those times when I am running for the second book.

I might have already ordered it.

I did. I already ordered it.