The Diviners by Libba Bray discussion

For general discussion about spunky heroine, Evie O'Neill.

words cannot describe how much i LOVE evie's character okay.

i mean, THANK YOU LIBBA BRAY, for once i have a YA heroine who isn't filled with self loathing and has a horrible self image of herself despite the fact that every available boy around her seems to fall in love with her for no reason.

the beauty about Evie, to me, is that she's the most realistic heroine i've ever encountered. She's spoiled and reckless but most important of all is that she's vain and extremely confident. Something you don't see in YA heroines that much. I LOVE that she's vain and kind of spoiled at times, it gives her such depth and leaves so much room for character growth.

Plus, I just love the fact that i have a heroine who loves herself for a change. I've been getting so bored with the "bella swans" out there who keep degrading themselves to evoke reader pity when in all honesty it just makes me want to strangle them. Evie isn't like that, she knows she's got looks and the confidence for it and she embraces that about herself which is exactly what makes her a strong, independent woman that don't need no 20s man!!

Bless your heart because I grit my teeth at every post I see on Tumblr or Goodreads that complain at how "annoying" Evie can get and how "annoying" it is that she repeats so much 20's lingo.

Like yes, her charm is supposed to be in parts grating and endearing but that's not the entirety of her character. Haters seem to forget how good she can be, how in reality, all that she wants in life is to be more than ordinary and make a mark on the world.

What do they expect her to be--irritatingly self-deprecating to a fault and insecure? Like you, I love her confidence. I love how her insecurities aren't based on her looks or self-worth, but on her powers and abilities.

She's honestly one of my favorite YA heroines simply for that reason. Because in truth, the most perfect characters are the ones that are flawed. And Evie has so much potential to be greater than she already is, to go above beyond what makes her imperfect and I love for her that.

Janine wrote: "Bless your heart because I grit my teeth at every post I see on Tumblr or Goodreads that complain at how "annoying" Evie can get and how "annoying" it is that she repeats so much 20's lingo."

YES!!! i find myself raising my eyebrows when people talk about how the lingo in the Diviners was too extensive or that they couldn't understand the dialogue because of the lingo.

In my opinion, i find it kind of weird for them to say that because said lingo is what makes the book a little bit more realistic in the first place. Flappers in the 20s actually did talk like that and if Libba Bray didn't apply the lingo to Evie's (or anyone's character) then the book wouldn't have been half as historically accurate as it already was.

Was it difficult to keep up with all the different 20s phrases and terminologies? Yeah sure, sometimes, but that's what set the tone and character of the book and you can't fault an author for doing their research now can you?

I'm super excited for the next books simply because I'm just really eager to see how Evie progresses. I also see all her potential which is great because from the get-go she's already shaping up to be such a well thought out character! :D