Has anyone else read this one? I’ve never hear anyone mention it, and that’s disappointing, because this is one of the most unique and fun books I’ve ever read. It really did give me the same feeling as Hitchhiker’s Guide and Discworld, while also standing on its own. I’m surprised with all the people seeking to scratch that itch, this one hasn’t come up more.
Based on the premise alone of “Teen dying of Mad Cow disease goes an a road trip across America to save the work because an angel told him to”, I was sold. I loved how the author could introduce all these crazy, ridiculous ideas and characters make them work as actual characters, satire, and plot points instead of “lol so random XD”.
The best example of this was the inclusion of the Norse god Balder, who joins the protagonists in the form of a lawn gnome. At first I just kind of rolled my eyes at this, but a few chapters later I was genuinely invested in Balder and cared about what happened to him. Anyone else have any thoughts on this book?
Does anyone else get the same sort of vibe from this show?
Sometimes, you have books on your TBR without quite knowing why, except perhaps a vague impression that someone, sometime might have said something good about it. Books for one day, maybe, but not soon. The Diviners was one of those – but I went for it and I’m glad I did.
> She was tired of being told how it was by this generation, who’d botched things so badly. They’d sold their children a pack of lies: God and country. Love your parents. All is fair. And then they’d sent those boys, her brother, off to fight a great monster of a war that maimed and killed and destroyed whatever was inside them. Still they lied, expecting her to mouth the words and play along. Well, she wouldn’t.
Evie can read people’s memories from objects. After uncovering the sordid secret of a boy from her hometown in Ohio, she is exiled to New York City to live with her uncle. It’s the 1920s and she’s determined to enjoy her time in a bigger city to the fullest. Then mysterious occult murders start popping up. Her POV is mostly intertwined with those of Memphis, a numbers runner from Harlem who dreams of being a poet, and Theta, a dancer with a complicated past.
The worldbuilding is exquisite. It’s set in the 1920s and incredibly atmospheric, helped by the use of slang from the era and descriptive passages between various POVs that show the city from a birds-eye view. The speakeasies, the theatre, everything seems close enough to touch and it doesn’t shy away from the uglier sides of the 1920s like the racism either. It’s all very smooth and easily the best aspect of the book. The horror undertones are also great – it’s a perfect book for the season.
I also liked pretty much all of the characters. The lively party girl flapper Evie was my favourite, because I can’t remember the last time I got to see a female character like her, colourful and extroverted and too much and just a little bit amoral. But I liked most everyone else too – her quieter friend Mabel, the uncle, Memphis, Theta. The only one I disliked was Jericho. So sour and unpleasant and bland.
The only thing I had any real issues with was the pacing. It was so slow and the book so long that I started to struggle in the middle. I don’t have that kind of stamina anymore. I didn’t like Evie’s romance subplot either, it came completely out of nowhere and lacked any sort of chemistry, but it might (hopefully!) take another direction in the next books.
The fact that the next book is even longer doesn’t exactly inspi
... keep reading on reddit ➡I’m just about to wrap up the first book in The Diviners series and was wondering, are the other books in the series worth it? They are quite long, so I just wanted to ensure that before I dedicate my money and time to them, that they are worth the while.
Hi, I'm new to this community, so I'm not sure if this was asked before (I apologise if it has) I'm just wondering if anyone was confused about how blatantly the Wilds copied the book "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray. I watched the show and loved it, but was also waiting for the lawsuit that was surely coming in the writers direction from Libba Bray. But barely any websites have mentioned it, so maybe Libba gave them rights for it? But I didn't see anything about that either. I was wondering if anyone had any information about this that I couldn't find.
Honestly The Diviners series is one of the most well-rounded ya series out there. The historical element of the roaring 20s juxtaposed with the paranormal works to create this eerie and amazing atmosphere. The characters are the best part. The multiple povs interweave perfectly. The banter is 'chef's kiss' and it has one of the most funniest characters I've ever read (Sam and Evie please stand up).
If you haven't checked it out yet please do. It won't disappoint. Also the fourth and final instalment The King of Crows came out earlier this year so you can binge-read if you want.
Doing great justice to accents, genders, and really selling Bray's flowery prose. So enjoyable so far.
I love a good audiobook that is immersive like this.
I read a solid chunk of the Diviners by Libba Bray and could not stand the characters or setting. Anyone else agree?
Love supernatural powers and different characters with storylines that get integrated into the narrative. Please let me know if you know of something similar!
I just saw someone recommend this book on a different post. It was a favorite of mine as a teenager (as well as the rest of the series), I was completely sucked into the world. Does anyone have any suggestions similar? I'm a college student and currently stuck inside for possible contamination. I'm a voracious reader and I'm going nuts trying to pass the time; the last few books I read were duds and I didn't finish.
Anyone else just counting down the hours until Tuesday? (Also I'm on mobile so I hope the formatting isn't awful)
What are you guys hoping to see in the finale? For me, I'm hoping for a few of these answers (knowing some of them are givens):
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Will we get Theta's proper backstory? I mean her birth story or is it just shadowmen burned her village? thats all. I want more?
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Sarah Beth - what's her deal
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What's going on with Jericho, will he relay his message to Evie? Can he survive without the serum?
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will Viola be "saved" and move into a peaceful afterlife, or do you think she'll get destroyed somehow
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will Marlowe stop being a terrible human? (no)
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Will Ling be able to reach Will, or Mabel?
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Does Theta get a message from Memphis
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What's going on with Maria Pravenza?!
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is James alive? And if so, will he be saved or sacrificed
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There really is no happy ending is there? This has to end with the Great Depression....
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Do Evie's parents have any idea what's going on? Like at this point with her career, especially with her being on air with Marlowe, they have to have some concept of whats going on. Will they try and make her come home? Does her mom know her brother died?
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Exactly how annoying will Sarah Snow be in death? Will her ghost be around or will it be her loyal followers idolizing her in death making it worse.
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Will this book ruin me? (yes)
I've read her other books as well but I'm looking for something 1920s-ish. I like darker books, horror, mystery, crime, etc. Doesn't have to be New York, but it's a bonus if it is or captures that same big city feeling. Double bonus points if the audiobook is good (I hate the narrator for this series, January Lavoy. I couldn't get through the sample because it just didn't sound like she was trying to match her voice/tone to the book at all).
Testing out one of the new flairs!
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. I was obsessed with AGATB, and I was even a SHEBAM on the IMDB boards...but those boards are dead now, and I don't have anyone to obsess over Libba Bray with.
Does anyone know where all the Libba Bray books have gone? She's one of my favorite authors but I went to the bookstore the other day to get Lair of Dreams, the sequel to The Diviners, and they didn't have anything of hers. Which is odd, because when the book came out a couple months ago, they had it.
Then, I looked to see if I could download it instead and there was nothing there either. I know I can get it on Amazon, and I will, but has anyone heard anything about what's going on with her books? A publisher dispute maybe?
The title pretty much says it all. I don't like most fantasy books, but I loved this trilogy, and I'd love to find more like it. Thanks!
I read this book (the first in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy) a long time ago, yet it still remains as one of my favorite books of all time. Who else has read this book/this series? Thoughts? :)
Just in case you thought you were alone. :P
http://libbabray.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/on-writing-despair-juicebox-mix/
Or really anything steampunk or historical with some added fantastical element. That book just comes to mind as it's the first book I've read since i finished my final exams. Hooray for summer reading!
We may be anonymous strangers on the internet, but we have one thing in common. We may be a world apart, but we're here together!
Welcome to the 24 hour pledge!
I'm pledging myself to not drinking today, and invite you to do the same.
Maybe you're new to /r/stopdrinking and have a hard time deciding what to do next. Maybe you're like me and feel you need a daily commitment or maybe you've been sober for a long time and want to inspire others.
It doesn't matter if you're still hung over from a three day bender or been sober for years, if you just woke up or have already completed a sober day. For the next 24 hours, lets not drink alcohol!
This pledge is a statement of intent. Today we don't set out trying not to drink, we make a conscious decision not to drink. It sounds simple, but all of us know it can be hard and sometimes impossible. The group can support and inspire us, yet only one person can decide if we drink today. Give that person the right mindset!
What happens if we can't keep to our pledge? We give up or try again. And since we're here in /r/stopdrinking, we're not ready to give up.
What this is: A simple thread where we commit to not drinking alcohol for the next 24 hours, posting to show others that they're not alone and making a pledge to ourselves. Anybody can join and participate at any time, you do not have to be a regular at /r/stopdrinking or have followed the pledges from the beginning.
What this isn't: A good place for a detailed introduction of yourself, directly seek advice or share lengthy stories. You'll get a more personal response in your own thread.
This post goes up at:
- US - Night/Early Morning
- Europe - Morning
- Asia and Australia - Evening/Night
A link to the current Daily Check-In post can always be found near the top of the sidebar.
"We all do things we desperately wish we could undo. Those regrets just become part of who we are, along with everything else"
- Libba Bray.
Heavy topic - I know.
Early sobriety is full of anxiety, fear and loneliness. It is also a time of beating yourself up over the past. At least this was true for me. In fact, it was so bad it was enough to drive me back to the bottle. Every single time…. until finally it didn't. How you might ask? What miracle happened that made you able to bear being yourself?
Well, I had to put away those thoughts until a day came when I was strong enough to face them. As memories and critical voices came up I
... keep reading on reddit ➡The show is about a bunch of women who were all teammates in high school when their plane crashed and they had to survive in the wilderness. It goes back and forth between times and there’s a mystery element to it (without spoiling the series). Kind of like a female Lord of the Flies
