Before the Devil Breaks You
The Diviners, Book 3
By: Libba Bray
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Series: The Diviners, Book 3
Categories: Teens, Romance & Friendship
Lair of Dreams
A Diviners Novel
Audie Award, Young Adult, 2016. After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to "read" objects and therefore read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, "America's Sweetheart Seer." But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities.... Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?
Another Winner from Bray
By spaceykasey247 on 09-05-15
The King of Crows
After the horrifying explosion that claimed one of their own, the Diviners find themselves wanted by the US government, and on the brink of war with the King of Crows. While Memphis and Isaiah run for their lives from the mysterious Shadow Men, Isaiah receives a startling vision of a girl, Sarah Beth Olson, who could shift the balance in their struggle for peace. Sarah Beth says she knows how to stop the King of Crows - but, she will need the Diviners' help to do it.
The Diviners
Something dark and evil has awakened.... Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City - and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, 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 her uncle will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far.
Fun supernatural mystery
By Erin on 10-22-12
Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
It's 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one.
More Details, please!
By Beverly on 02-04-06
By: Shea Ernshaw
Narrated by: Emma Lysy, Mark Turetsky
Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it's this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman - the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago - and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he'd been missing.
well knit
By Sarah on 12-16-19
Rebel Angels
Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma's visions intensify, visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain.
By Jennifer on 01-14-09
The Sweet Far Thing
It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength to turn catty schoolgirls into loyal friends, and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild.
Absoulute Perfection!!!
By Felicity Fairchild on 08-02-09
By: Neal Shusterman
Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
In the highly anticipated finale to the New York Times best-selling trilogy, dictators, prophets, and tensions rise. In a world that's conquered death, will humanity finally be torn asunder by the immortal beings it created? Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?
A lot for one book.
By Bells on 11-07-19
By: Brigid Kemmerer
Narrated by: Kate Handford, Davis Brooks, Matt Reeves
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his 18th year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
The Bone Houses
By: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Narrated by: Moira Quirk
Seventeen-year-old Aderyn ("Ryn") only cares about two things: her family and her family's graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don't always stay dead.
Lovely Read
By Robyn Gregg on 10-29-19
Truly Devious, Book 3
By: Maureen Johnson
Narrated by: Kate Rudd
Ellingham Academy must be cursed. Three people are now dead. One, a victim of either a prank gone wrong or a murder. Another, dead by misadventure. And now, an accident in Burlington has claimed another life. All three in the wrong place at the wrong time. All at the exact moment of Stevie's greatest triumph.... She knows who Truly Devious is. She's solved it. The greatest case of the century.
The Beautiful
By: Renée Ahdieh
Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to 17-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of the carnival season, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirées and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's enigmatic leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.
Need to up the speed of 2nd narrator
By Anna on 11-28-19
Capturing the Devil
By: Kerri Maniscalco
Narrated by: Nicola Barber
In the shocking finale to the best-selling series that began with Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are on the hunt for the depraved, elusive killer known as the White City Devil. A deadly game of cat-and-mouse has them fighting to stay one step ahead of the brilliant serial killer - or see their fateful romance cut short by unspeakable tragedy.
Season 8 of Game of Thrones
By Cheekyreviews on 12-10-19
The Queen of Nothing
The Folk of the Air, Book 3
By: Holly Black
Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly
Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power. Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan's betrayal. She bides her time, determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.
By desirae on 11-23-19
By: Laini Taylor
Narrated by: Steve West
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old, he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.
Great until the ending
By Shane A. McGarry on 10-23-17
Narrated by: Melissa Bayern, Matt Reeves, Kate Handford, and others
Find the heir, win the crown. The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.
By Amy Cornutt on 01-21-20
By: Leigh Bardugo
Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang, Michael David Axtell
Galaxy "Alex" Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale's freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age 20, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. At her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world's most elite universities on a full ride. Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale's secret societies.
Good plot but confusing
By Aly P on 10-16-19
House of Salt and Sorrows
By: Erin A. Craig
Narrated by: Emily Lawrence
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were 12, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister's deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts.
By Heather on 09-15-19
The Diviners are back in this thrilling and eerie third installment by number one New York Times best-selling author Libba Bray.
After battling a sleeping sickness, The Diviners are up against a group of new and malevolent foes - ghosts! Out in Ward's Island sits a mental hospital full of lost souls from 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 New York City, the Diviners must band together and brave the ghosts haunting the asylum to bring down the King of Crows.
Heart-pounding action and terrifying moments will leave you breathless in the third book of the four-book Diviners series by number one New York Times best-selling author Libba Bray.
©2017 Libba Bray (P)2017 Listening Library
"This story broke my heart and made me laugh and gave me hope - and really, what more can you ask of a book than that? I loved it, and I have a feeling you will too." (Jennifer E. Smith, author of Windfall and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight)
"Narrator January LaVoy shines in the third installment of The Diviners series.... Despite the considerable number of characters and their intersecting storylines, LaVoy never misses a beat, demonstrating a wide range of vocal dexterity and skill that creates the impression of an ensemble. Listeners are encouraged to begin at the beginning of this planned four-audiobook series and enjoy LaVoy's mastery." (AudioFile)
The Deep, Deep Snow
How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen
I love this series so much. It's so well done. I can't wait to find out what happens in the final book. It's going to be an unbearable wait! And the narrator is fantastic, she really captures each character's personality.
MissSusie66
I want the next book NOW!!!
I am having a hard time lately writing reviews but I wanted to tell you all to READ THIS SERIES!
I love this series so much, I honestly went into this book thinking it was going to be the last book in the series so was pleasantly surprised to get to the end and find out no it is not the end there will be more of these fabulous characters, which made me very happy!!
January LaVoy's narration of this series couldn't be more perfect every character has their own voice and inflection and you are never left wondering who is speaking. I will always listen to these on audio.
Can I have the next book NOW Please!!
Top 5 audiobooks of 2017
Sean A. Smith
Worst of the 3
Would you try another book from Libba Bray and/or January LaVoy?
debatable at this point!
What could Libba Bray have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
This was a filler book, nothing got accomplished. All this book did is set it up so you have to read the next one. Very disappointing.
Which scene was your favorite?
when theda saved them all and revealed her powers.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Before the Devil Breaks You?
none, would have added a bunch instead of just leaving every storyline open.
Very disappointed in the way this turned out to be a filler book to lure you into the 4th book. Nothing was accomplished in this book, very unsatisfying.
Great story however
Why so much sex added in? It felt like author trying to fill quota. In previous books it was just the right amount. Sometimes subtle is so much better. Particularly subtle good when this is supposed to be a young persons novel. Really unnecessary.
CarolinaC
Excellent, chilling listen
Loved this mix of history, humor and supernatural storytelling. I highly recommend! Best of the books, so far, in this series.
Malgorzata Kaczmarska
Another part in the series, and it's divine!
Darker than previous books, but equally engaging and good. I was surprised to see few characters killed off, but it made the story that much more dramatic and grand.
Another amazing performance by January LaVoy.
Highly recommended if you liked the previous parts of The Diviners.
Many explicit sex scenes and social commentaries
The diviners book 3 continues the engaging interpersonal drama and supernatural stories from books 1 and 2. Bray continues to delightfully paint the picture of a likeable but relatable diverse set of characters with powers in the swinging 20s. Similarly, LaVoy's presentation, as with the first 2 books, is a joy to listen to: she gives each main character a unique tone and inflection pattern, so it's easy to follow along with and know who is talking to who.
The diviners series is not new to social commentary. Books 1 and 2 openly discussed racism, homophobia, xenophobia, sexism, indentured servitude, sex traffiking, Native American injustices, and made several subtle digs at other social injustices (e.g. unfair labor practices). In the first 2 books the social commentary enhanced the book, as Bray expertly integrated the social injustices into relatable and believable plot twists. In book 3, however, social commentaries are so numerous they feel artificial and forcefully injected into the main story. There were many instances where I thought, "that doesn't fit into the 1920's" or "that doesn't sound at all like something the character from the last 2 books would say". Near the 2/3 mark I just started rolling my eyes and fast forwarded every 10 or 15 minutes to skip the authors' frequent social injustice soliloquies.
Sex is also nothing new to the series. Books 1 and 2 vaguely hinted at various sexual activities in a PG-13 like manner. In book 3, the clothes come off and sexual activities are many and very explicit, more like an R movie that earns the rating solely for sexual content. The sexual narrative is not so explicit as to be pornographic, but if you don't like listening to sex narratives describing specific body parts and actions for 4 or 5 minutes at a time this might make you feel uncomfortable.
Jessica {NoobChic}
I don't know how Libba Bray does it but she takes something and makes it feel both real and gritty and completely genuine but also magical and mystical and other worldly. Being book three it's very hard to say anything about this book without spoilers BUT I will say that it takes all the atmosphere and vibe of the first two books, takes all the magic and world building and takes it up to a ten. The way this found family comes together, the way they lean on each other, all so different and all so unique, it's a very American dream type story. Not the American Dream that excludes and abuses and hurts but the one that we are sold as children, the actual hope filled and promising melting pot. I can't wait for the conclusion of this series.
Vive la résistance
Listen to the authors note at the end. Just as in the kkklansman, it makes an excellent entertainment in a piece of resistance.
Kathrynn Satava
This has been my favorite so far!
I am such a huge fan of Ms. Bray's work and The Diviners Series has been one of my favorites of all the reading/listening I do. I love the cast of characters and how they interact. They remind me of the goonies if they were older and it was the 1920s. Also amazing job to January for one of the best narrations ever. I hope I am able to relisten to the whole series before the next comes out. This hands down has been my favorite book of this series.
best book in the series
this was a really good one. You could see it as a filler for the story but I thought it was more building up to the last book. It took up many important subjects like how mentally ill people were treated back in the day. Also I've waited for Libba Bray to do something BIG, cause I thought she was playing a bit safe (to the point where it was unrealistic) but damn did she deliver this time. I was that "F*CK GO BACK" button meme lol
Amazing in every way
The narration is still amazing and makes the already great writing even more enjoyable! The chracters were fleshed out even more in this book and I'm really looking forward to the next book!!
ValaDrew
Another Great Diviners Adventure
Thanks to Libba for another rip roaring Diviners adventure. I was hooked to the story, which had lots of surprises and cannot wait for the next adventure.
I love this rag tag group of misfits
I enjoyed this book very much. January LaVoy's array of voices makes the audiobook that much better. Sam and Evie Forever. How cute is Isaiah. I would recommend this book to YA lovers.