To be perfectly
honest, I am going through a phase and its name is Libba Bray. Bray’s latest
novel, The Diviners, plunged me into the world of New York City, 1926,
and I never wanted to leave.
A quick plot
rundown, courtesy of Goodreads:
“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… 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.”
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.”
In large part I
adored this book because of its uniquely diverse and therefore American cast of
characters. Lemme break it down a little for y’all with some of my favorites:
Main character Evie O’Neill reminded me of Jane Austen’s
Emma Woodhouse – slightly self-obsessed and overconfident, but also bubbly, vivacious,
and able to draw people to her like a magnet. Evie is a flapper with a BIG
personality – too big for her small hometown in Ohio. Although at various
points in the novel it gets her into trouble, and while she can acknowledge her
faults, she never apologizes for who she is.
