Bibliography
Bray, Libba. 2012. THE DIVINERS. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780329998738
Plot Summary
A young group of teenager's, some with interesting powers, lives intertwine in 1920's New York when a serial killer begins killing in a dark and mysterious way. They must work to figure out a way to stop him before his ritual is complete.
Critical Analysis
Libba Bray's first installment of her fantasy series is a masterpiece that combines magic, dark arts, and the height of 1920's culture.
Bray introduces many of her series' protagonists in this first book, and this cast of characters are a charismatic and hearty bunch. From Evie and her boisterous and cheerful personality, to Theta and her mysterious but loyal self, this group of teens come from all walks of life and have dreams and aspirations that differ and compare in many ways. They all have their strengths and their faults, which make them all very three dimensional, which can be hard to do when there are so many characters to follow, but Bray does it masterfully and each character is explored in equal measure.
This first book dives into a world of occult and darkness, which brings a horror element to this read. There is a lot to still be explored in this world of magic and Diviners, which is only briefly introduced but will hopefully be explored more in later sequels. But what readers do get will mystify them and draw them in. Kids that possess powers of reading objects, seeing the future, healing? What kid hasn't imagined having that? A secret group that might be behind the disappearance of relatives of some of the characters? We want to know more! Bray does an excellent job of world building which will only continue to grow as the series continues.
Review Excerpts
Horn Book Guide: "Bray's lavish supernatural thriller plunks a macabre series of occult murders into the grit and gaiety of 1920s New York. Bray switches perspectives among a variety of characters, including her wisecracking likable heroine Evie, a diviner with a special connection to the spirit world. All signs point to intriguing complications and more malevolent spirits on the rise in succeeding books."
School Library Journal Starred: "he compelling and dramatic supernatural plot explores self-actualization, predestination, the secrets everyone hides, and, of course, good versus evil. An absolutely terrific read and, thankfully, the first in a planned series."
Publishers Weekly: "Bray empties a wealth of topics into her complicated narrative—labor reform, a steampunkish robotics experiment, flapper culture, religious zealotry—but her trademark humor is less apparent. The large cast—a pickpocket with a missing mother, a Ziegfeld girl with Hollywood dreams, a Harlem numbers runner who longs to be a poet—ensures there’s plenty to write about in the sequels."
Connections
Continue the series by Libba Bray: Lair of Dreams
Before the Devil Breaks You
The King of Crows
More by Libba Bray: Going Bovine
Beauty Queens
Gemma Doyle Series
Activity: Analyze the characters and how you think they will grow as the series continues
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