Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Diviners by Libba Bray


 
Evie is a girl with a penchant for trouble—which she uses to cover the sadness at the loss of her good-guy of a brother in the war.  She’s such trouble, in fact, that her actions get her into MAJOR trouble with the local rich kid’s family. The situation left Evie tipsy and out of control of her weird talent: psychically reading objects to find out about the owner’s life. As a result, Evie’s parents send her away for a while to live with her uncle in New York City.  Uncle Will (aka Unk) runs The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult and is an expert on the topic. Beside him is his lurching assistant Jericho, who despite being pretty animatronic, actually isn’t a bad guy.  Together they embark on the strange and fantastic journey to get to the bottom of the unsolved crimes of ghost Naughty John.   
I was just over the moon listening to this title because the setting is so rich and vivid.  The 1920s envelope you from beginning to end.  I always worry when I read a story from this time period; it's a particular favorite of mine and so few authors do it justice. The setting, however, feels simply jake...the lingo, the bustle of New York and the vastness that is the Ohio plain are all spot on. The characters in this story are richly painted in their entirety as completely imperfect; there is not a hero or heroine without a temptable, dark side. The darkest moments could not make you feel any more creeped out. The audio on this was spot on; the voices sang like the Jazz Age and the speaker crossed color lines and gender roles flawlessly. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next. I love, love Libba Bray. She just gives me a full serving of amazing every time she writes.

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