Highlights / Lowlights: THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray

Title: THE DIVINERS
Author: Libba Bray
Published: September 2012
Genre: YA Mystery / Historical / Horror / Paranormal
Series: The Diviners #1
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
POV: 3rd, alternating
Pages: 578
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Highlights: Libba Bray books tend to be either a hit or a miss with me, so I was a bit anxious when I left my local library with the behemoth that is THE DIVINERS. But, it fortunately did deliver the eerie read I was promised. Atmospheric and rich in details, THE DIVINERS features a diverse cast of characters, a captivating mystery, and a wonderfully depicted setting. In addition, Bray knows how to write with humor, which allows a nice balance in regard to the horror aspect of the novel. Plus, it's written in 3rd person POV (which, obviously, I love)!

Lowlights: THE DIVINERS reads like a long book. It feels long, and certain moments seem utterly unnecessary. In the end, it doesn't seem like enough is accomplished, especially when taking into consideration the amount of "main" characters the story features. I probably would have loved this story more if it had narrowed it's focus to only one or two main characters. 

In the end, I would give THE DIVINERS a 3.8 out of 5 rating – I really, really liked it, but I also had a few issues with this novel. If you're looking for an eerie, historical novel with a large cast of characters, this book is perfect for you!

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood
by Kendare Blake
Release: August 30th, 2011
Pages: 316 (hardcover)
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Publisher
Summary:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill....read more at Goodreads.

Whatever you do, don't call Theseus Cassio "Cas" Lowood a ghostbuster. Ever since his father was murdered by a restless ghost, Cas has taken his father's athame and job killing ghosts - for good (which is totally not ghostbusting¹). When Cas gets a tip about a ghost locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas and his mother - plus her slightly evil yet useful cat, Tybalt - move to Thunder Bay. With a fresh voice and an extremely amusing personality, Cas makes this book shine. In addition to Anna - eerie, terrifying, and complex Anna - the two of them have a magnetic pull that kept me coming back for more.

I honestly was not expecting Anna Dressed in Blood to live up to the hype, but I knew I was wrong to have doubts after reading the first chapter. Cas is a complex narrator, and the budding relationships in the story drew me in. Fear, mystery, and great characters successfully drive this story. The plot moves from focusing on Anna to an even more intriguing and downright shocking mystery. You won't be able to guess where this story will take you next, despite a few hints. With eerie scenes, authentic characters, tantalizing mysteries and more, Anna Dressed in Blood takes your typical ghost story to the next level.

Highlights: Blake holds back nothing with her writing - she unabashedly writes gory scenes that will stay in your mind for weeks, presses the eerie feel of the story enough to give you the chills, and slips in quite a few surprises along the way².  
Lowlights: I would have liked a bit more development with the supporting cast of characters, but I imagine that will happen more in the next novel. 
Notes: There's murder, cursing, witchcraft, gore, blood, creepiness, and whatnot. Rating:   
     1 Who are we kidding, it's totally ghostbusting. But cooler. 2 Seriously, just go read this book. Give it a chance, because it's awesome. 

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Imaginary Girls 

by Nova Ren Suma

Release: June 14th, 2011

Pages: 352 (hardcover)

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Source: Netgalley

Summary:

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

Review: Imaginary Girls is a haunting tale of two sisters and the power sisterhood can have.

Chloe has always been "Ruby's sister" to everyone in her town. Ruby is magnetic and powerful there. So much so, Chloe thinks that there isn't anything her sister can't do. When Chloe comes back to town to live with her sister, she finds that things have changed. Someone who she thought was dead is alive, and no one but her seems to think it's odd. People listen to Ruby more than Chloe realized...and Ruby may have more power and deadly secrets than Chloe could ever imagine.

The pacing is slow going at first, but once the mysteries surrounding Ruby and London start being revealed, the pace picks up. Plot-wise, it's difficult to say anything more than I've already said for fear of spoilers. There's this constant eerie undertone to Nova Ren Suma's words, and I was always left with questions and enough intrigue to keep going by the end of every chapter. When it began, I thought it was entirely contemporary. Yet, it transcended it's contemporary roots and delved into something supernatural and utterly unusual. I can honestly say I've never read anything like Imaginary Girls, and I want more of it. 

Highlights: This book isn't about boys or romance, but instead the author focuses on sisters and family. Yes, there are a few "romance" moments, but the sisterly bond is the more important aspect of the story. Ruby herself is so magnetic, hypnotic, and very much like a firework - she sparkles, shines, she might be dangerous, but you just want to get closer. Her character was really well done. The underwater city of Olive was especially interesting to me, and I wish we could know more about it. The magical realism, the secrets, the twists, the reveals, and the surprising conclusion were all welcome highlights to Imaginary Girls.

Lowlights: The first couple chapters after the intro almost put me off the story completely. It took some time to get into the author's writing, the slow pacing and constant thought of "What is going on?", but I found it worthwhile once I made it further into the book. The focus on Ruby through Chloe's perspective could also be overwhelming at times, but I did get used to it.

Rating: 4

This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas Review

Book: This Gorgeous Game

Author: Donna Freitas

Age: Young Adult (YA)

Release date: May 25th, 2010

Pages: 224

Source: Publisher in exchange for review

Summary: 

Olivia Peters is over the moon when her literary idol, the celebrated novelist and muchadored local priest Mark D. Brendan, offers to become her personal writing mentor. But when Father Mark’s enthusiasm for Olivia’s prose develops into something more, Olivia’s emotions quickly shift from wonder to confusion to despair. Exactly what game is Father Mark playing, and how on earth can she get out of it?

Review: This Gorgeous Game is simple, and slightly haunting. 

When Olivia wins a writing competition, she's honored and excited to be taken under the wing of Father Mark Brendan. The talented writer helps hone her writing skills, and she begins to feel like she's the luckiest person in the world until Father Mark's attentions turn into obsession. He calls too much, writes too much, sends too many packages. Yet the one he wants her to read most of all, a story he's written, Olivia can't bear to read the words because she fears what they will say...

Olivia seemed a bit bland at first, but then I grew to enjoy her narrative more. Father Mark's was especially intriguing, and the pacing with his character and the creepiness was perfect. I really couldn't help but to sympathize with Olivia, considering that she's grown up trusting these priests, letting them act as her own "father" figures, and so it did take her some time before she realized Father Mark's ulterior motive. 

With a slight eerie feel, This Gorgeous Game sends a shiver down your spine as the pages turn.

Highlights: The pacing was quick, and the creepy feel of the story grows gradually.  I think the author got the eerie feel just right. Olivia's actions at the end were slow coming, but I was pleased with the result. 

Lowlights: The plot could have been developed more, and some of the characters seemed underdeveloped as well. A few characters seemed entirely unbelievable. I also really disliked the complete and utter clueless attitudes that all the characters had, and I'm still shocked that no one could have realized this earlier on. 

Rating: