Lair of Dreams: The Diviners, Book 2
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Engrossing sequel in supernatural series set in '20s NYC.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
LAIR OF DREAMS picks up a few months after the events of The Diviners, but don't expect a lot of exposition to catch you up. The story delves right back in to a world where many diviners have outed themselves and their supernatural powers. Evie is now making a name for herself reading people's objects on a radio show; Mabel still has a crush on Jericho, who in turn is still in love with Evie, who ends up having a "fake" romance with Sam to please her fans. Showgirl Theta is still with Harlem-dwelling poet Memphis, who can heal people, but she has yet to admit she's a firestarter to anyone. Her best friend, songwriter Henry, however, is the book's real star. His lucid dreaming gives him a unique perspective on a "sleeping sickness" that's going around the city: People stay in a coma-like state after falling asleep and never wake up. But his motives for dreaming are that he's looking for the dreams of his long-lost beloved, Louie. Henry is not the only lucid dreamer in Manhattan, however. Downtown in Chinatown, half-Irish, half-Chinese Ling also can walk in other people's dreams, but she usually only meets the dead. This young band of diviners must team up to figure out what otherworldly creature is causing the sleep sickness before one of them succumbs to it.
Is It Any Good?
This is an epic period paranormal tale with characters who are complicated, flawed, and human, even if they can see the past, heal the sick, speak with ghosts, or control people's minds. It's a story about teamwork, friendship, and love -- all kinds of love. Author Libba Bray is the David Simon (creator of The Wire and Treme) of young adult literature. She specializes in super diverse ensemble dramas rooted in a particular city in which she immerses the reader without condescending to explain every little place, event, or historical fact. This continues to be the most fascinating historical portrayal of New York City in all of YA, and any reader who doesn't finish it captivated by the melting pot of New York wasn't reading properly. It's a long book, and there is a big cast of characters and a lot going on, but the strength of Bray's storytelling will keep readers interested the whole way through -- even if they can't read it in one sitting.
The characterization is so deep there's no way not to have favorites. In this particular installment, Ling, Henry, and Sam stand out, while Jericho and Mabel, whose love parallelogram with Sam and Evie takes a backseat, don't get a whole lot of page time. Same with Theta and Memphis. Henry in particular steals the show with his heartbreaking story line. He pines for his first and only true love -- a talented young Creole jazz musician he met on a New Orleans riverboat -- and wants nothing more than to reconnect with him. Ling, meanwhile, is direct to the point of bluntness and not especially sociable, but her purely platonic friendship with Henry is the sweetest thing about the book.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why the '20s is such a popular period to capture in books, TV, and films. How does Lair of Dreams incorporate well-known aspects of the time period with more obscure facts about '20s New York?
What do you think of multiple-point-of-view narratives? Why does the author focus on some characters more than others? Why might it be better to tell this story from so many perspectives rather than one central protagonist?
The book is incredibly diverse and features a variety of LGBTQ, disabled, religious. and racial minorities in the cast of characters. What did you learn about one of these groups from Bray's story?
Book Details
- Author: Libba Bray
- Genre: Historical Fiction
- Topics: Adventures , Friendship , History , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: September 30, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 18
- Number of pages: 624
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: January 8, 2018
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate