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A review by beforeviolets
The Diviners by Libba Bray
I'm definitely in the minority here in that even though I liked this book, it didn't entirely work for me, and I'm unsure if I'll be continuing on in the series.
The largest success of this book is its mystery. Mystical and filled with tension, I found the plot unique and captivating, and it was largely what kept my attention. I would definitely recommend this book for fans of The Magnus Archives and Thistlefoot in terms of its atmosphere and charm.
On the other end of the spectrum, this book's weakest point is its characters. They either have extremely exaggerated characterization or practically none at all, and the book constantly feels off-balance because of it. Not to mention, there is pretty much no growth in a single character from the start of the book to the end.
I also really enjoyed the 1920's setting and ambience but holy smokes is it heavy-handed. This book is a little too obsessed with constantly reminding its audience of its time period, with 3-4 references per page whether they be exaggerated lingo, shoe-horned in mentions of events of the time, or even whole lists of figures living in the 20's name-dropped just because. Some of these references would be fine, great even, but the text is just drowning in it and it suffocated the story at hand.
I also found this obsession with staying overly present in the 20's inhibiting the narrative's intentions. At its core, The Diviners is about the corrupt eugenicist ideals that motivate American society and religious fanaticism. And of course, these ideals and systems have not only never been dismantled but have continues to spin their webs into modern-day America, which is what makes this story feel urgent today. So I feel that it would've been to the story's advantage to allow in moments of timelessness, to help bridge the gap between then and now, rather than digging its heels firmly into the 20's. I really loved these messages and themes but felt they wasn't quite supported in their delivery. Maybe this gets better over the series.
I can appreciate a book that functions best within the context of its series, but I felt this one struggling to make its own mark.
CW: murder, dead bodies, human sacrifice, blood, alcohol, fire, sexual assault, emesis, hallucinations, cults, claustrophobic, drugging, eugenics, self-immolation (past), illness (past), death of sibling (past), war (past, recounted), death of mother (past), animal death, grief, domestic violence (past, recounted), rape (past, recounted), abortion (past), gun violence, suicide (past), injury detail, police brutality, hospitalization (past), medical content (past), child abandonment (past), needles, xenophobia (brief), racism (brief), antisemitism (brief), homophobia (brief)
The largest success of this book is its mystery. Mystical and filled with tension, I found the plot unique and captivating, and it was largely what kept my attention. I would definitely recommend this book for fans of The Magnus Archives and Thistlefoot in terms of its atmosphere and charm.
On the other end of the spectrum, this book's weakest point is its characters. They either have extremely exaggerated characterization or practically none at all, and the book constantly feels off-balance because of it. Not to mention, there is pretty much no growth in a single character from the start of the book to the end.
I also really enjoyed the 1920's setting and ambience but holy smokes is it heavy-handed. This book is a little too obsessed with constantly reminding its audience of its time period, with 3-4 references per page whether they be exaggerated lingo, shoe-horned in mentions of events of the time, or even whole lists of figures living in the 20's name-dropped just because. Some of these references would be fine, great even, but the text is just drowning in it and it suffocated the story at hand.
I also found this obsession with staying overly present in the 20's inhibiting the narrative's intentions. At its core, The Diviners is about the corrupt eugenicist ideals that motivate American society and religious fanaticism. And of course, these ideals and systems have not only never been dismantled but have continues to spin their webs into modern-day America, which is what makes this story feel urgent today. So I feel that it would've been to the story's advantage to allow in moments of timelessness, to help bridge the gap between then and now, rather than digging its heels firmly into the 20's. I really loved these messages and themes but felt they wasn't quite supported in their delivery. Maybe this gets better over the series.
I can appreciate a book that functions best within the context of its series, but I felt this one struggling to make its own mark.
CW: murder, dead bodies, human sacrifice, blood, alcohol, fire, sexual assault, emesis, hallucinations, cults, claustrophobic, drugging, eugenics, self-immolation (past), illness (past), death of sibling (past), war (past, recounted), death of mother (past), animal death, grief, domestic violence (past, recounted), rape (past, recounted), abortion (past), gun violence, suicide (past), injury detail, police brutality, hospitalization (past), medical content (past), child abandonment (past), needles, xenophobia (brief), racism (brief), antisemitism (brief), homophobia (brief)