Before the Devil Breaks You: The Diviners, Book 3
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Intense supernatural installment sets up an epic finale.
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What's the Story?
BEFORE THE DEVIL BREAKS YOU is the third installment in Libba Bray's The Diviners series, and it's a whirlwind. It follows the same cast of characters -- Evie, who reads objects; Sam, who has powers of persuasion and invisibility; fire-starter showgirl Theta; poet and musician Memphis and his clairvoyant little brother Isaiah; lucid dreamers Henry and Ling; cyborg Jericho; and activist Mabel. Now the crew is battling not only a secret agency that's out to get them but also their most powerful supernatural villain yet, the Man in the Yellow Hat, who can command ghosts to force humans to do unspeakable things. The Diviners, who face a propaganda campaign to paint them as dangerous and un-American, must bond together to amplify one another's powers and defeat -- or at least defend themselves and the people they love against -- the powers of evil.
Is It Any Good?
Another riveting, page-turning entry in Libba Bray's fantastic Diviners series, this intense installment is not for the weak of heart. More horror, more romance, more deaths, oh my. Bray isn't quite as vicious an author as George R.R. Martin, but these characters suffer and bleed and hurt. This is the sort of book you'll need to clear the calendar to finish, because it's long, and you won't want to put it down -- except for when you're overcome with feelings. It's hard not to love each member of this ensemble, even when they make questionable decisions. Ultimately, they're all so vulnerable; they all just want to be loved. It's also amazing how seamlessly Bray works in the characters' diverse backgrounds and identities, whether it's a brief mention of Sam's bubbe's borscht, or Ling's complex relationship with her polio, or African-American Memphis and Isaiah's inability to enter certain places. Mabel's ties to the socialist/communist labor movement is also well explored -- especially how radical youth can feel frustrated with more patient -- but just as committed to the cause -- older generations.
Despite being quick reads for invested fans, these books aren't easy reads. This installment in particular requires a lot of attention; you can't skim it or you'll miss a lot. But, as always, Bray infuses humor, historical trivia, and a good bit of romance to keep the story from being bloody and bleak. As for the characters, we've met them all, but Mabel, who has suffered from sidekick-itis this entire series, finally gets bumped up from a supporting role to her own, separate subplot. The Jericho-Evie-Sam love triangle is finally resolved, but not before there are enough twists and turns to nearly break a shipper's heart. And even previously uninterested Ling realizes she is capable of falling for someone. Prepare to feel all the feels, as the kids say, because Bray puts readers through the wringer!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Before the Devil Breaks You blends fantasy with history. Does this book make you want to learn more about New York in the 1920s?
What do you think of multiple-point-of-view narratives? Why does the author focus on some characters more than others in certain installments in the series? Does the narration feel more evenly spread out in this book?
Before the Devil Breaks You, like the other books in the series, is incredibly diverse and features a variety of LGBTQ, disabled, religious, and racial/ethnic minorities in the ensemble of characters. What did you learn about the history of these groups from this story? How is it relevant to today and how we treat those who aren't like us?
Which of the relationships did you root for throughout the story? Do you enjoy love triangles and other complicated romances?
Book Details
- Author: Libba Bray
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Friendship, History, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: October 3, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 18
- Number of pages: 552
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: January 8, 2018
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