What followes is a bookchat between
Kiwie and Katastrofekat, about the book The Diviners
by Libba Bray
Katastrofekat
: So, where to start then?
Kiwie
: We both read the book superfast, which probably means that
we both liked it a lot. What was your favorite thing?
Katastrofekat
: I really liked Evie, and that her personality was so well
written. I liked that she wasn't a perfect person
Kiwie :Yeah, she was not a Mary Sue, she had real flaws, and I
really liked that.
Katastrofekat : Yes. And i also appreciated that the supernatural elements
in the book were so easily accepted, that a large part of the book
didn't disappear in the characters coming to terms with magic being
real.
Kiwie : Yes! Most of the characters were already aware of their own
abilities, or that it existed so few of them were shocked. I really
liked that not everyone knew about the others. They were all so close
to each other, if only they talked. I think Evie is the only one who
"came out" to anyone other than their absolute nearest/in a
situation dependent of it. It also didn't define their personalities.
Kiwie : Nobody had a personality comprised of "their
specialness" and then "oh, they liked to read, or watch
movies" they all had normal ambitions and wishes and we got a
peek into more than just one side of them, which was really neat.
Katastrofekat : Yes, that is true. I also liked that Libba Bray had included
such things as her friends crush on, whats his name... her uncles
assistent, without it taking us away from the main story. She was
successful in creating small breaks form the excitement, so my brain
got a little break, but not making the book to long either.
Kiwie :True. The plot was fast paced even with the breaks, and I
suspect that a lot of that will help build the overarching plot of
the series. I also really wanted to get to know some of the
characters not so close to Evie better, like Memphis. I also am
really interested to see what the deal with her uncle is.
Katastrofekat : I also found Memphis interesting and I'm super excited to
find out what blind Bills role is in all of this. First I didn't
think he would come back in the story as anything other than
"just-another-bystander" but then towards the end his
character really changed I felt like we were taken for a spin with
him.
Kiwie : Yes! Is he a diviner too or something else? He really
blindsided (ha ha...) me with his ability.
Katastrofekat : I got more of an impression of him as maybe a former
diviner. Like if he used to have powers, but after he went blind he
lost them and now he has to tap into the powers of new diviners to
even see clearly in his own dreams.
Kiwie :Ah, good theory. Because they came along before, and that
lady whats-her-name who showed up at the end and talked to Evies
uncle, might be one too, or at least have some knowledge. I'm also
curious about people losing their abilities, and Evie getting
headaches and her uncle being worried about it. What is the drawback
(outside too much unwanted information) of these powers? And why does
the uncle not share what he knows with Evie, there clearly is
something he's not telling.
Kiwie :I get that he is trying to protect her, but by the end of the
novel it's a bit too late...
Katastrofekat : Yeah, I thought the same thing. I also guess that there is
more to the story with his assistant (what's his name?)
Kiwie :Yeah, Jericho. Also there is the whole thing with Sam. I just
want more, immediately.
Katastrofekat : Me too. I thought a book of almost six hundred pages would be
enough, but it's not. I would gladly have added another hundred pages
to the story.
Kiwie : Libba! Hurry up and get us the next one! Well, don't hurry
too much, because a terrible sequel is pointless.
Katastrofekat : Yes, write like the wind, but do not compromise the quality
of the book!
Kiwie :Yup!
Kiwie :What was the least likeable thing about the novel?
Katastrofekat : Not so much the story, it was just that there where a lot of
characters who got introduced briefly and then we never got to know
them. Like Henry and the girl form the china restaurant, who could
walk in dreams. I hope some of them comes back in the next book.
Also, the police officer kind of annoyed me a bit.
Katastrofekat : And maybe the ending was a bit rushed, but still loved it.
Kiwie :Ah, yeah the china restaurant girl was strange, like an omen
of a sort. Henry could also walk in dreams couldn't he? I'm expecting
his return in the next one. I wonder if Evie will be the main
character or perhaps someone else? Like Sam, Theta, Henry, Memphis or
Jericho? Or even Mabel, although probably not, she's currently
destined to get into trouble with that guy she suddenly fell for.
Kiwie : That annoyed me a lot. Mabel is supposed to be somewhat
smart, at least not stupid, so why did she get so instantly attracted
to that dude? Unless it is revealed that he's got some sort of power
that does that, I don't like it.
Katastrofekat : Yes, an omen! That was the word I was looking for!
Katastrofekat : That is true, that bit with Mabel on the end was kind of out
of character for her. Also, I think that it was a bit of a easy way
out by the author, as in real life if Evie and Jericho got together,
Mabel would be disappointed, at least for a while. With that new guy
she kind of avoided the whole issue.
Kiwie : Yes, I thought that too. I don't like that. It does keep the
plot free of a certain kind of drama, but Evie attracts that sort of
thing, and I don't see why it shouldn't be there. Or Mabel could just
fall out of love with Jericho after getting to know him, getting
criticised by him and figuring out that she didn't really like him
after all. She had a distance crush on him up until Evie forced them
Kiwie : together. It would
be easier to just let her fall out of love with him. Better.
Katastrofekat : Yepp.
Katastrofekat : I wonder if uncle Will will continue being such a push-over
in the next book, or if he will finally learn to say no to Evie. She
kind of need to hear that word sometimes I think. Or maybe that will
be Jericho's job now?
Kiwie : Mhm. I wanted to scream at Evie in the end, when she talked
to the reporters. It was such a *headdesk* moment for me.
Kiwie :Nothing good will come of that.
Katastrofekat : You said it. She don't know when to stop, that girl. But
then again, if she did, her personality wouldn't be as fleshed out as
it was. But someone really should tell her to stop sometimes.
Kiwie :Yeah, and not just by sending her away because she is too
much. Her parents did it, then her uncle tried to do it (which is why
she talked to the reporters). She needs someone to level with her and
explain things to her. Flaws all around (which is good, but
frustrating sometimes).
Katastrofekat : yeah. I kind of felt sorry for Evie sometimes, since it
seems like people generally don't listen to her and when she tries to
get attention by using her diviners powers, they just want to send
her away.
Kiwie : Yes, because she is attention seeking and spontaneous to a
fault she is ignored. Wanting to have fun and be famous does not mean
that you have to be a bad person or stupid, and I think Evie proved
that she is neither of those things.
Katastrofekat : I agree. It would be fun if any of the other characters were
to be the main in the next book, but I think I would miss Evie a lot
if her part in the series got smaller actually. I don't think it
would be the same book without her.
Kiwie :True. Her instinct is what drove this ahead a lot. I still
want more of the others though, so the next one will have to be twice
as long... I wonder what will happen with Sam and his crush on her
too. He's seems like the type to create trouble.
Katastrofekat : He does. But I kind of expect him to go off looking for his
mother in the next book, and not be such a big part of Evies life. Or
perhaps there will be drama between him, Jericho and Evie?
Kiwie :Yeah, he is more concerned with his mother than Evie I
think, and he does not like falling for Evie so he might just leave
that alone. It is also possible that there is no Evie and Jericho,
because they both have valid reasons for not wanting to date the
other, even if they are attracted to each other. I wonder if the next
one will start right after this one, or jump ahead in time.
Katastrofekat : I kind of hope it will start of where this one ended, as I
felt like the ending was a bit rushed, so continuing on from there
would tie it nicely together.
Kiwie : It's a typical book in a series ending though, like the
main plot (Naughty John) wrapped up nicely and then some stuff
happened to make us want to read the next one. Which in this case
wasn't needed. I would have picked up the next one with out without
all the possible drama that was set up in those last pages.
Katastrofekat : Yeah. I think someone woud have to knock me unconscious to
keep me from reading the next book!
Kiwie :Let's not forget about Naughty John, how great of a bad guy
was he?
Katastrofekat : I think he might be the best bad guy since Sauron! He was
really creepy and reading about him kind of made me want to check
under my bed, to be sure he wasn't hiding there!
Kiwie : I know. He's this nut job of a ghost who was raised in a
cult! He's awesome. He is my new favorite ghostly killer (Maureen
Johnson's Jack the Ripper in the Name of the Star being the one
getting dethroned here). I also loved how they had to get rid of him
according to his beliefs, because they were strong enough to bring
him back from the dead. This makes me wonder what other kinds of
shenanigans people in this universe can get up to, if belief is that
strong.
Katastrofekat : Mhm! Also, when Evie looked into his youth, even though he
was a creepy psychopath, I felt kind of bad for him as well, growing
up in that crazy cult, being branded with hot iron from his was
little and all. It's like he might be the bad guy, but you can sort
of still understand why he does what he does. Also, I loved that Evie
used the coin from her brother to banish him, because it was holy to
her. I
Kiwie : The best villains are like that. Mhm, the coin thing was also
great, another proof of individual belief.
