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!