Review--Before the Devil Beaks You by Libba Bray

 

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 claimed two of their own, the Diviners have had enough 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 face-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.

Off to a rocky start this new year as the first week almost I was bedridden with a cold. But now I am back and reading and I finally have finished Libba Bray's Before the Devil Breaks You and it was quite a thrilling read indeed.

There wasn't a clear cut mystery this time around, but boy was there a lot going on! Again, since we have so many characters in this series that we follow throughout each book, it's hard to really pinpoint an exact science of a plot because everyone has their own thing going on, that eventually, all begins to connect together. There is a great battle brewing between the Diviners and the dark forces and the King of Crows is at the helm. We don't know when this "battle" is coming per se, but we know it will be in the next and final book, because the title obviously says it all.

From reading these last two books I have enjoyed the great foreshadowing of this King of Crows. I've been dying to know more about him, and while we don't know exactly who, or what, he is, we do definitely get a better glimpse of this character.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be chaos. So much happened to all these characters that I am actually glad I waited to binge read the rest of this series because it's a lot to take in. Theta's past has come back to terrorize her in the form of flesh, something I suspected from the get-go of book 2 really! Then Mabel finds herself getting caught up with a rebel group and falling hopelessly in love with the leader. Despite the terrifying acts of protest, she does believe in what they are trying to do. Then Evie is dealing with her now radio rival Sarah Snow and seeing her dreams of fame slowly fade away; Sam is struggling to find more clues to the whereabouts of his mother; then Jericho decides to go undercover and work for the enemy, Marlowe and submit himself to experiments in order to find a special machine that can read a set of cards decked in holes that Evie and Sam found last go around. 

Lots of of heavy stuff, and yet, I was once again amazed at how Libba was able to carefully craft this into a story that is still easy to follow and understand. We do get a little more insight to these suited men of mystery who continue to lurk in the shadows of the Diviners' going-ons. There was a lot of eye-opening reveals about past secrets and how they connect to the current time, but never fear, as there are still plenty of unanswered questions and puzzles that have yet to be solved.

There was still a great deal of romance in this one as well, as nearly all of the Diviners manage to find someone to connect with. Of course, dear sweet, Evie manages to go back and forth between Jericho and Sam once again. I find myself a little softer on Sam this time around as he's always intrigued me. Jericho just has too much mystery and aloofness to him that seems off-putting. But I'm not writing him off just yet...close as things get a bit dark in this one in the romantic realms as well.

Quite a bit of jaw-dropping actions happen at the end of this one. My mind is still spinning actually and again, I am thanking my (good?) sense at waiting to finish up this series because I can dive in right away without any conflict of memory happening in between! This is definitely a series that is a bit more complex than your typical YA one, so if you haven't read this series yet, but want to, definitely plan on a binge read, unless you read super fast or have a super memory. It's a very detailed and well thought out series where all the pieces will connect together eventually and with the overload of characters and different plot points, a binge read is a seriously fine idea!

Libba Bray is a master at her craft! I don't usually find myself reading historical fiction too much, but mix it with paranormal elements and I'm all in! She weaves in historical facts and knowledge intricately well within a fantastical story of magic and secret government plots. If you plan to read this series, prepare to have your mind blown away with the incredible awesomeness that is Libba Bray!

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars