The Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray [Review]

4.5 out of 5 Robots!

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
Genre: YA Paranormal/Historical Fiction
Release: August 25, 2015
Hardcover: 624 Pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon

Book Summary:

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 andNew York Times bestselling author Libba Bray takes readers deeper into the mystical underbelly of New York City.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

The Diviners was a surprised hit for me when I read it in 2013, especially given that I'm not the biggest Libba Bray fan.  But I relished it's creepiness and the time period.  It was a long wait until the sequel and it was worth the wait.  I'm not sure I enjoyed it quite as much the first book, but I still managed to rip through the 624 in a couple of days.

Here is what I liked:
**I was surprised by how easy it was to read.  Generally speaking, anything over 450 pages tends to drag for me.  But this book had a surprising zip to it.  I think I had an easier time getting through this book than The Diviners.

**I enjoyed the introduction of the new character, Ling Chan.  She is such a foil to all the other characters in her honest, blunt, no nonsense manners.  I loved how she and Henry discover they have the same ability to dreamwalk and team up together.  I liked how she and Henry bring out the best in each other and become friends.

**The creepiness is on point once again.  Libba Bray is a master at creating suspense and atmopshere.  Not only does she do a great job with her creepy ghost story, but she also really brings the "Roaring 20's" to life.  

**I also liked Theta's storyline.  It was small, but crucial, especially at the end.  I can't really say much more than that, but I'm really looking forward to learning more of her background and story in the next book.

Here is what I didn't like:
**Evie's personality suffers a bit in this book.  She was not the most altruistic person in the first book, but she takes her self absorption up a notch in this book.  Most of it is a defense mechanism to keep her from thinking about the horrible events of the first book, but it doesn't keep me from wanting to slap her. 

**Evie finds herself in a strange love triangle (square?).  I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I'm kind of willing to go along with it and see how it plays out, but it I don't really want to spend several books watching Evie try to figure out who she should be with.  This is not why I read these books.

**The main ghost story was creepy and interesting, but I guessed it WAY before the characters did.  It wasn't quite as compelling as the first, but on the other hand, I'm super intrigued by Sam's storyline and his quest to find his mother.  

Overall:

A very good sequel!  It is slow building and intricate, just like the first, but the second half flows quickly.  If you were a fan of the first book, you should definitely read the sequel!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray [Review]

3 out of 5 Robots!

 

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Genre: Young Adult

Release:  May 24, 2011

Hardcover: 396 Pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Audio Book: Scholastic, Inc.  Narrated by Libba Bray. 

Book Summary:
The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program - or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan - or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again. (Courtesy of the Publisher)

 
Shannon's Thoughts:

To be honest...I've picked up this book many many times from the shelf, only to set it back down.  It seemed like it could have great potential.  But there is was always some doubt.  I wasn't a fan of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series, which was part of my hesitation.  But I had just finished her The Diviners and really enjoyed it.  So I decided to give Beauty Queens a go on audio book.  Afterwards, I realize I should probably listen to my doubt more often.

Beauty Queens isn't a bad book by any means.  It is well written and had some shining parts.  But the main problem for me is the satire.  I like satire, I do.  But I don't like to be smacked in the face with it.  And this brand of satire was so overtly obvious, it hurt.  After awhile, it became tediousness and I just wanted to scream "I get it!!"

The other part I had a problem with is that while the book rails against stereotypes, it is filled with...stereotypes:  The dumb Southern blonds, the Man-hating Feminist, the Texan Pageant Queen,  and so on.  

Also, I will say upfront that the plot is RID.ICU.LOUS. and Beauty Queens is best enjoyed if you just go along with it.  Don't expect it to make sense or even be remotely plausible.  The book felt over long, especially at the end.  But, as I mentioned, there were some shining moments.  I really enjoyed the back stories on the girls.  Here is where Bray's storytelling strengths really show.  In a couple pages, Bray gives great depth and insight into the girls' lives and motivations.  Some of the girls are a lot easier to get along with than others and I particularly liked Petra. She was my favorite character by far.

Also, I give points for the audio book portion.  The production value was very high and I was impressed that Bray read it herself.  She does a very commendable job with different voices, accents, influctions and genders.  I never had a hard time telling her characters apart and there are A LOT of characters.  So well done, Bray.  

The Diviners by Libba Bray [Review]

4.5 out of 5 Robots!

   

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Series: The Diviners #1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Release: September 18, 2012

Hardcover: 592 Pages

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:
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. (Courtesy of the Publisher)

 
Shannon's Thoughts:

This wasn't a book I could sit down and read in one go (almost 600 pages!), but I can't say I wasn't entertained. Bray takes her time setting up her intricate plot and then putting everything into motion. I loved watching the different storylines start to come together and intersect. And some of it was creepy, creepy, creepy!  The killer is really scary and his scenes are very chilling.  The killings are much more gruesome than I would expect from a young adult novel.  But I liked it because it kept the stakes high.

Bray also does a great job bringing the Roaring 20's to life. She obviously did a lot of research, but it doesn't come across as forced or awkward.  I really felt immersed in the time period.  I found myself wanted to use 1920s slang in my everyday speech.   Bray also creates some very interesting and multi-dimensional characters.  Even the side characters are well fleshed out.  The point of view is constantly changing, giving us an omnipresent viewpoint and it really works for this book.  It heightened our awareness and gives us insight into Bray's wonderful characters. 

This book was the cat's pajamas!  (HAHA).  I can't wait to read the second book in the series (due 2014) to see the Diviners come together.