The Diviners by Libba Bray

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Little Brown Books

Pages: 578pgs

The Story

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 her catch the killer - if he doesn't catch her first. 

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book!

I borrowed this book from the library and funny enough, before even finishing it, I had also received a review copy from the Allen & Unwin publisher with the Australian cover of this book, so thank you very much for that! As for the newly released title THE DIVINERS, since having read most of Libba Bray's books I've been really looking forward to starting this particular book of hers, mostly because I'm so obsessed with the era of the 1920's and the feel of the mysteries lurking on the streets of New York City, it was nonetheless an exciting-sounding book. While the glowing reviews are well deserved for this book alone and while it may not have been as creepy as I hoped it would be, the author, Libba Bray, has definitely done a splendid job in captivating her readers and making them want to read more of her new series!

As interesting as this book was, but for me it way too long-winded in certain chapters and at times it seemed to have too many descriptions rather than the book just getting on with the story. But apart from those two elements that were the really the only two downers for me, I actually thought this was one of my favourite books coming from Libba Bray and it was definitely a nice change up compared to her last released book, Beauty Queens, which didn't impress me at all. Now even with an engaging storyline, I think what made this book really fun and exciting was the colourful cast of characters - some that were more memorable than others.

Out of everyone I met, my favourite character would have to be Evie as she was the main character after all and the only one that was the most interesting to me. She was just one of those characters that hooked you straightaway with her bubbly personality and clever wit, and even when she's a little bit . . . well let's just say a little too outgoing for her own good, but Evie is a really funny little thing and you will definitely without a doubt love her sass because she totally owns it and reminds me of Nancy Drew in some respects.

Overall, THE DIVINERS is something that may take a while to get used to, but once you get the hang of the storyline and begin to understand exactly what is happening and how all of the pieces fit together, then I'm sure many readers will have plenty of fun in solving this intriguing mystery - bit by bit. But take note that this book isn't for the fainthearted . . . it's pretty darn long!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Release Date: 1st June, 2011

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Pages: 400pgs

R.R.P: $22.99

The Story

Teen beauty queens.

A lost island.

Mysteries and dangers.

No access to email.

And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives deep in the heart of every girl, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. The horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count! Join Libba Bray in this wicked satire of beauty pageants, reality TV and pop culture.

The Review

Before I start, I want to quickly say a BIG thank you to Allen & Unwin books for giving me a copy of Libba Bray's BEAUTY QUEENS! They didn't have to send me anything but they did, and for that, I'm very grateful to them! Publishers and their publicist teams rock! Anyway, I've been a fan of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series (be sure to check them out if you haven't already) and I found her writing beautifully prosed and I had high expectations considering the raving reviews of this book. However in BEAUTY QUEENS, I saw a huge change to her writing. When it comes to her new book . . . . well, let's just say that I'm finding it very hard to review it right now. It has a balance of good things and bad things . . . but there's definitely word one I would describe BEAUTY QUEENS as and that's . . . RANDOM.

BEAUTY QUEENS is a combination of Lord of the Flies meets Miss Congeniality. The story starts off when a plane crashes on a deserted island. My thoughts during this time were, "Okay, cool." Along the way, the beauty queen girls are trying to find a way to survive, only each girl has their own way of finding that survival. Then after a while everything goes mental. One of the girls sees strange lights coming from the other side of the island and then crazier events happen throughout the book. Snakes . . . broken nails . . . eating bugs . . . building weapons out of beauty supplies . . . random reality tv-ish pirates that you have no idea why they're there in the first place . . . you name it! The big question here is: Will they survive? My thoughts during this time, "I hope not."

When I started this book, I already expected a parody and/or comedy that made fun of beauty queens and I liked this idea as I'm not a fan of them myself and what they represent in our society. But I admit, some parts of the book - the comments some of the girls made - were hilarious. Not because it was funny but because the girls were so clueless but personally for me, everything went downhill when the silly parts came in. For example - the airplane tray got stuck in some girls forehead?? Seriously? I think I would've liked this more more if the author didn't add the unnecessary footnotes that were scattered around pages to refer to tv and other products. THAT for me was distracting, especially when the author also added ad breaks and other whatnot which I tended to skip because it was pointless and it interferes with the whole progression of the story. The only positive note I can give to Libba Bray herself was that she had gift in creating characters and supplied them with an in-depth personality. Other than that, I thought this book was wayyyyyy over-the-top for my liking. And don't get me started on the hot boy pirates that come in randomly! It was borderline ridiculous. Wished the pirates sailed away forever because like the footnotes and ad breaks, it messed up the book.

When readers finish the book, there's one message that you get: Girl Power. At least I hope that's the message . . . other than NOT being a beauty queen EVER! *insert mental shrug* Apart from the random-silly-crazy plot, the characters had their own way to stand up for themselves and even though I didn't feel any connection to them, but the story itself had a way to tackle several real-life issues including gay rights, corporate responsibility, and one of the big ones for me . . . self-respect.

Overall, I still don't know whether I liked BEAUTY QUEENS or not. Not kidding here. Like I stated before, it had a balance of good and bad things about it, with lot's of rolling of the eyes thing. It's really up to the reader to see for themselves whether this was great read for them . . . or not. Personally, I found this book very disappointing and I wonder about some of the reviews this book has been getting. Perhaps I'm one of those readers who just dosn't get it. But if Libba Bray did a Hunger Games like BEAUTY QUEENS, then I would've been happy. Truth be told, I feel a little bit clueless after reading this . . . unfortunately. But if you love lot's of "unique" characters and a little bit of random-and-let's-make-fun-of-beauty-queens comedy, then this book is for you! Though I do warn you: it's very random and will do your head in! *mental head spin*

The Rating

3/5 stars