Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Diviners

This is the first book (which I listened to as an audiobook from borrowbox) in what I believe is a series of 4. Its main character is a 17 year old girl called Evie (she calls herself a flapper) who has visions. It’s set in the 1920s and written in third person.

Evie, her uncle, and a couple of friends need to research some creepy cult-like murders with supernatural elements to help stop a serial killer.

The time period it’s set in is very apparent, with the vocabulary, attitudes, clothing described etc. Initially it was great but it quickly got annoying as I did find that this was overdone with Evie particularly, with excessive slang terms and the suffix “ski” with random words (“positiv-a-lutely” and “you bet-ski”).

I enjoyed that there were hints towards a group of people with special abilities, and lots of info to gather around the location and serial killer, but the book did jump around to different POVs too much for my taste.

This book came across like an extended ghost story with the Ouija board leading to a killer ghost rampage and nightmares etc. What he was doing would certainly have been scary and disturbing but someone calling themselves “naughty John” constantly and singing a children’s song all the time just got really silly. It was a bit like Jeepers Creepers, without the jump moments.

Overall, I liked the idea but I didn’t personally connect to the any of the main characters so it’s clearly not for me.

Content Warnings

ollieshark's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny informative mysterious tense slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The characters are fun to see interacting with each other. Bray does well giving them snappy dialogue that quickly bounces off each other. The slow pacing allows characters (and the city) to feel alive and not just plot-relevant. Interactions are not always necessary to the plot but add to and explain the dynamic between them so that certain actions made as a result of that dynamic aren't thrown at the reader out of nowhere.

It feels almost as if this was intended for more adult audiences but was aged down at the last minute. Regardless, the maturity with which the diviners treats its characters, setting, politics, and audience is extremely refreshing to see in ya.

The setting is one of my favorites--1920s era america with a pinch of occult salt on top. While not overbearing, the inclusion (and bray's minimal commentary) of real life politics during the decade was refreshing to read in ya.

The only improvement i would make (not that it matters since this book has been out for about 8 years) is that bray has a habit of taking up whole chapters explaining a very minor antagonist's backstory and motivations and then recounting a much shorter version of that story later on when evie and co are investigating. I would cut out those chapters and just let the present characters teach us about the antagonists from newspaper clippings, since that's how *they* learn about them.

All in all, a very very solid first installment. I preemptively boufht lair of dreams and am starting it the second i post this review.

Content Warnings

celery's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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