Read by January LaVoy
Synopsis: 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. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho is hiding a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened. . . .
My Thoughts: I tried reading the print edition of this book last month but I could not force myself to get past page 80. Though the story was interesting, I found myself unfocused and having a hard time getting into it. Eventually, I decided to stop reading it, but I didn't want to give up on it because of the many good reviews out there. So I chose to listen to the audio instead in hopes to get into the story and finish it. This went better.
Listening to the audio, I came to comprehend the plot and characters more. The events became more clear and the murder scenes became more gruesome. Evie's character was also able to shine more because January LaVoy was able to pronounce the slang like it was supposed to.
It was obvious how much research Libba Bray did for the book. It was full of details about life in the 1920s. I could easily comprehend how prohibition affected the people back then and I could easily picture how race came into play especially when it came to love relationships..
Unfortunately, this book had too many details for me. I felt that it could have been condensed. Also, it had many view perspectives that kept changing the story. I found myself not caring too much about Memphis' relations other than with Theta's. I did not see the point of the sides stories. I kept wanting the story to shift back to the main plot.
Other than that, I quite enjoyed the supernatural and creepiness of this book, and January LaVoy did an excellent job in portraying this. I was amazed on how talented she was when it came to changing her accents. January made the story more intriguing. I especially liked how she spoke when she read Naughty John's part. I found myself with goose bumps and turning up the volume so I wouldn't miss anything. She did a great job and I really hope she narrates other books.
Overall, this was not the best book but it was still a great read. I'm glad that I did not give up on it. I rate it:
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