Title: Before the Devil Breaks You
Author: Libba Bray
Series/Standalone: The Diviners (Book #3)
Genre: Young adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Pages: 552
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2017
Format: Physical Copy (Own It)
First Line: "Thick evening fog clung to the forlorn banks of Ward's Island, turning it into a ghost itself."
"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 forgoteen-- 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 friendship will be teasted, love will hang in the balance, and thre 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 Rating: 4.5/5
So for the first majority of the book I was kind of questioning my enjoyment of the series overall. I was still enjoying it and enjoying our characters, but it wasn't blowing me away as much as the books before this one. By the end of this storyline though I was drawn back into the world and am so excited to continue with the series. I'm just hoping that it doesn't take the author another 4 years to put out a novel. I loved the growth and changes in our characters, as well as the expansion on some of our newer characters. I also enjoyed the diversity within our characters.
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
Throughout the first part of the book I was a little disappointed in the content of this book. I was still enjoying it, but it felt a little too predictable to me and the characters seemed a little static for my liking, but by the end of the book I was blown away by the twists and turns. I loved the way the story wrapped up and it certainly left me wanting more. I'm excited to see where the story goes in the rest of the series.
Characters:
Evie: I thought that Evie would be my favorite character after the first book, but as the series has continued she's become less likable to me. I was proud of her for finely stopping WGI from pushing her around. I also wonder how she'll deal with her rekindled relationship with Sam.
Theta: I think Theta might be my favorite character. She's willing to stand up for herself even though she's scared. After her secret is revealed she takes time to figure out how she wants to use it to help her friends and people around her. I was surprised at how quickly Roy found her and tried to take control of her again.
Sam: Throughout the story I was waiting for him to lose it on Jericho and I was surprised he didn't after the problem at the Marlowe estate. I also wonder how he will find his mother and what he'll do when he realizes she's one of the ones connection the King of Crows to this world.
Henry: I wish that we would have been able to see more from his point of view, I loved his perspective in the second book and I missed it in this one.
Ling: I felt the same way I did about Henry. I was glad to see an expanse on her romantic interest and the representation that she added to the story without it being labelled.
Memphis: I love him. I was frustrated when he was just bumbling through life after Theta broke up with him, but I can understand how that feels. I also wonder about his future now that the Shadow Men are after him with a purpose. Will Bill stay on their side?
Isaiah: Will his "fits" subside now that Bill isn't working against him, or will he become a seer similar to those we've seen throughout the story? Will he lose control of his body and just become a vessel for prophecies? I hope not.
Bill: I wonder about his choices and whether or not he will be willing to stay on the boys side or if he will stop repaying his "debt" at some point. I think now that he has a second chance at life he is willing to work harder to be a better person.
Margaret Walker: I wonder about her involvement with the Shadow Men and how her and the others had a falling out. I realize she wasn't a part of the Founder's Club, but what else was she involved in?
Will: I wish that he hadn't gone so early, but I also wonder how this will affect our other characters. Did he leave behind enough information for them to learn about themselves and their past, or will it be a continual guessing game?
Mabel: This broke my heart. I thought that Memphis would pop out of no where and heal her and things would be happy go lucky. Little did I realize that this is how she met her death. It broke my heart to see her dying trying to stop something to no avail.
Jericho: I hope he freaking regrets what he did. To go after someone the way he went after Evie is unexceptable. I understand that he was out of his mind, but still its scary to think that that is the new brand of American's that Marlowe is trying to bring to life.
Jake: I think he might be the bumbling idiot villian if I've ever saw one. To be willing to release the king of crows and think that they would be able to control him is just stupid. For someone so book smart, he's not the brightest of the bulbs is he?
King of Crows: I wonder about his origins and his story. Why does he want to destroy humanity so much.
Roy: I wish he would have met his end. He deserved it, but I'm glad that he knows that he doesn't have the power to control Theta anymore. That he is less than nothing.
Sarah: Her death served a huge purpose for those shadow men, which is unfortunate, but it makes me wonder if Jake had something to do with it.
Arthur: He and Mabel might have been happy together, but after all they went through they met their end in the most unfortunate way. I was hoping that at least one of them would survive. I think that he sincerely thought he was doing his part in social justice, but it just wasn't the right course of action.
Moments to Remember:
Pg. 135
"She got drunk and talked too much and danced on tables. She had a temper and a sharp tongue, and she often blurted out things she instantly regretted. Worst of all, she suspected that was who she truly was- not so much a bright young thing as a messy young thing."
Pg. 482
"I can't say what the future holds. That is my brother's gift not mine. I only know my heart has picked yours from the multitude, a secret sign, a small piece of the Divine, and it will not let go."
Final Line: "'The time is now.'"
Thanks for reading,
Sidny
