Pages: 592
Published: September 18, 2012
Summary: Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring hometown and shipped off to the bustleing streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, the 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 brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl with a cryptic symbol and Will is call 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 name 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...
Rating: 4
Review: I have am having lots of love for this book right now. This book took me much longer to read than usual, because of the length. Even though it was long it was so wonderful. I am thrilled there will be a sequel!
I just want to say how much I love this cover! Well first there is the jacket for the hard cover, which is pos-i-tute-ly superb! There is the eye and then in the blue area is a picture of New York City. On the actual book for the hard cover, is just as lovely. Well for some reason I can't put a picture up but it is amazing if you see the book check it out because love it!
This book is wonderful! The writing. The characters. The setting. The plot. Usually when I here a book historical fiction or at least has some history and it is supposed to be a bit spooky, I wouldn't always read it. I bought this and felt daring. Though this book isn't the type I would usually read, it blew me away! Everything about this is incredible, except the length but the book. The book wouldn't be this good unless she explained everything. It has so much depth in the the characters, the plot, everything.
I have not read any of Libba Bray other books, so I can't compare them but this one is incredible!
First I'll do the writing. The writing was pos-i-tute-ly perfect for the 1920's. It wasn't modern writing or really old writing trying to be the 1920's it was the 1920's.Some people might have found the 1920's speach irritating, but I thought it was charming. It fit the characters. It was so lush and descriptive. She added things that I would never think about adding but it is things like that, that make the story great! It isn't a novel you can just categorise. It falls under so many different topics. It is historical fiction, supernatural, murder mystery, and a bit of romance. It is things like this that make this book wonderful.
Next the characters. The characters are Evie, Uncle Will, Jericho, Sam, Mabel, Theta, and Memphis. They are all so different and complex. It isn't one story line that all the characters share. They each have there own problem's, and ways to react to them. Evie was so naive in the beginning, but she grew throughout the book. She learned things and seemed insane at times even though she was completely sane. She was daring and brave. She was willing to help find the murderer and go to some spooky places. She was even willing to go to the library and she hates the library.
Her relationships between her and the other characters were so fascinating. There is Evie and her Uncle Will, who she calls Unc. They are very different but they work together and it started out rocky like she was working with someone she didn't like but it became a strong bond and they cared for each other. Then there is the relationship between her and Jericho which changes throughout the book. It was quite awkward at times. Her relationship between Sam is the funniest. They are always ridiculing each other and joking even though they seem serious, what they say is hilarious. Well those are some of her relationships with the other character, they change so much throughout the book. My favourite character was probably Jericho. He was smart and tall and mysterious. He has own secrets.
Evie is from Ohio, but she is shipped to New York City by her parents because she caused trouble in Ohio and they need time to sort out the problems. She was thrilled to go to New York, where she could stay out late, be whoever she wants and get very drunk. I love New York so naturally I was very excited that this took place in New York. Then there are the places they go and the problem's they encounter. It all fits into place perfectly.
I think I have describe the plot from describing everything else so there is the murderer left to talk about. It was so fascinating following Evie, Unc, Jericho, and Sam all working together to figure out who the killer is. Too any logical person the murderer they suspect wouldn't seem real, but in fact it is completely logical. The suthor explains everything and makes it logical.
Well that was a rather long review. It was a great read, I definitely suggest reading it!
Well have a great day!
-Jane
