Before the Devil Breaks You

Goodreads Synopsis:    
New York City.
1927.
Lights are bright.
Jazz is king.
Parties are wild.
And the dead are coming...

After battling a supernatural sleeping sickness that early claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough of lies. They're more determined than ever to uncover the mystery behind their extraordinary powers, even as they face off against an all-new terror. Out on Ward's Island, far from the city's bustle, sits a mental hospital haunted by the lost souls of people long forgotten--ghosts who have unusual and dangerous ties to the man in the stovepipe hat, also known as the King of Crows.

With terrible accounts of murder and possession flooding in from all over, and New York City on the verge of panic, the Diviners must band together and brave the sinister ghosts invading the asylum, a fight that will bring them fact-to-face with the King of Crows. But as the explosive secrets of the past come to light, loyalties and friendships will be tested, love will hang in the balance, and the Diviners will question all that they've ever known. All the while, malevolent forces gather from every corner in a battle for the very soul of a nation--a fight that could claim the Diviners themselves.

My Thoughts:

-    This book didn't feel as long as the last book, but it was still a little long.

-    I like that the events from the previous books are all coming together in this third book, but I was hoping for a trilogy. I had no idea there was going to be a fourth book! I don't know if I will read it.

-    I don't care for the direction the story has taken. Some of the character's decisions bug me, and I don't like that all the adults are enemies. 

-    I have become attached to these characters, but I'm okay being done with them. I don't feel the need to see how their story turns out. It was nice knowing ya, but it is time to move on.

-    I am a little upset that explicit sex scenes were included in this book. All of a sudden, everyone is sleeping with someone. It is crazy! I don't need to know where hands are and what they are doing! I also don't think this material belongs in YA. 

-    I'm a little discouraged with Libba Bray's books. I can't seem to finish her series. I like them when I start them, but then I lose interest. 

-    Why don't any of the covers in the series match?

Previous Book in The Diviners' Series:

 

Lair of Dreams

Goodreads Synopsis:    The longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.

Piano-playing Henry DuBois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret—for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.

As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess…As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?

In this heart-stopping sequel to The Diviners, Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray takes readers deeper into the mystical underbelly of New York City.

My Thoughts:

-    I thought the first book was creepy. This book takes creepy up a notch. It was fun though. While I was creeped out at night and sometimes afraid to sleep, I enjoyed the ride.

-    I love the story, but the book is really long. I don't know what parts could be cut out though. There is a lot of good stuff happening, but the book is too long.

-    The ending is one heck of a thrill ride! I loved it!

-    I loved how Libba addressed the segregation and racism in America in the 20s. She wasn't pushing a message and didn't call it out, she just told the honest truth from a Chinese girl's perspective and a black boy's perspective. Thank you!

-    I liked that I got to know different characters and their backgrounds in this book. In the first book, it focused on Evie and a couple other characters, and this book was more for Henry and Ling. I liked that different characters got to shine. 

-    I can't say enough about the setting. Libba really outdid herself. I felt so immersed in New York in the 20s. I loved it. I love all the finery, jazz, and jargon. It's so much fun. 

Previous Book in The Diviners' Trilogy:

The Diviners

Goodreads Synopsis:    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-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

My Thoughts:

-    This has been on my TBR for years! I even saw Libba when she was on tour for this book. I wish I had read it sooner!

-    The story is so hauntingly creeptastic! It was awesome! I loved all the spooks and legends and everything.

-    The setting was awesome! Libba must have spent forever researching the twenties, because everything felt so genuine and real.

-    I liked all the characters, and I liked that they each had individual stories. I kept wondering about each one, and I want to know more about each one. Evie is her own worst enemy at times, but she knows it. 

-    Wonderful story! I hope the rest of the series is just as good. I think this could have been a stand alone, so I'm curious about how the story will continue. 

Rebel Angels

Goodreads Synopsis:    Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma's visions intensify. Visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain. . . . 
The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girl's great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship. 
But all is not well in the realms or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma is willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother's greatest friend and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.

My Thoughts:

-    This is a rare occurrence where I enjoyed the second book more than the first. I liked the first book a lot, but this one was a step up. 

-    This story is the perfect mash up of Victorian young ladies worried about their social standings and dangerous magical realms. It is so cleverly put together. I love it!

-    I was able to figure out certain plot points, but I was still intrigued and surprised. The story telling is really well done.

-    I love how vivid and visual this book is. It was so easy to get lost in Gemma's world.

-    The characters are all complex, and enjoy reading about each one. Felicity is such a brat and very annoying at times, but she has redeemable qualities, and Gemma really needs a go getter like her. I like quiet and uncertain Ann, but I wish her character could develop a bit more confidence.

-    This series is so underrated. It deserves more attention and love. I wish I hadn't waited so long to read these. 

Previous Gemma Doyle book

(cover is linked)

A Great and Terrible Beauty

Goodreads Synopsis:    It's 1895 and, after the death of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped from the she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true. Gemma finds he reception a chilly one. She's not completely alone, though... she's being followed by a mysterious young man, sent to warn her to close her mind against the visions. 

It's at Spence that Gemma's power to attract the supernatural unfolds as she becomes entangled with the school's most powerful girls and discovers her mother's connection to a shadowy, timeless group called The Order. Her destiny awaits... if only Gemma can believe in it.

My Thoughts:

-    There were some slow moments throughout the book, especially in the beginning, but I still enjoyed it, and the story and characters kept me interested.

-    There were elements of A Little Princess and Dead Poet's Society which I really liked. 

-    At first the main girls weren't very interesting to me, but as I got to know them they really grew on me. I really like how each girl has her own flaws and qualities. 

-    The story wasn't what I was expecting at all. I didn't know there would be magic, and I really enjoyed it. 

-    The setting was wonderful. It was so vivid and real. Libba did some great world building.

-    I don't understand Kartik's purpose. I'm guessing the gypsies have a bigger role to play, and I hope I get to see more of that in the next book.

-    I'm hoping the next book picks up the pace a bit, and I'm excited to read it.