piperhudsburn 's review for:

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

3.0

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“I’ll be counting the cats when I come over. There better be the same number each time.”

We all have that one season in our favorite TV show- that one season that didn't live up to expectations or deliver in terms of general production quality or character development . Before The Devil Breaks You is that one season- it's serviceable, but it's haphazardly thrown together, very, very rushed, and I wish Bray had given herself more time. Gone is the mystery of the previous books and the familiar narrative structure.

We still have ghosts and creepy-crawlies, but there isn't much to write home about. The Devil is character-driven and instead of diving into one particular's experience (She should've focused on Mabel and Theta, leaving Evie to the last installment), she tries to cover all of the Diviners at once. It's scattered and hard to follow.

There are good moments. Mabel shines and the ending is one to remember. There's excellent representation of diversity and the dialogue is a true treat.

“Even Evie believed in something, that something being Evie a lot of the time.”

I have positive hopes for the final volume and I want Bray to take as long as she needs too. I want to see Gemma and Felicity come and save the day- if possible. This is an excellent series- ambitious and scary, and still very, very worth it.