Lair of Dreams

Starred review from August 17, 2015
Bray illuminates the dark side of the American Dream in her long-awaited sequel to The Diviners (2012), weaving xenophobia, industrial progress, Jazz Age debauchery, government secrets, religious fervor, and supernatural horror into a sprawling and always entertaining narrative. Romances among the major players get significant time in the spotlight: Evie O'Neill, now "America's Sweetheart Seer" of radio fame, finds herself pushed into a publicity-driven relationship with fellow Diviner Sam Lloyd; their combative (and often alcohol-fueled) exchanges are among the funniest in the novel. Follies girl Theta struggles to maintain her interracial romance with Harlem healer Memphis while keeping her own abilities secret from him. And musician Henry DuBois's efforts to locate the boy he left behind in New Orleans lead him into friendship with fellow "dreamwalker" Ling Chan, whose Chinese-American community is being vilified as a deadly sleeping sickness sweeps across New York City. Bray is equally at home constructing gruesome deaths at the hands of bloodthirsty ghosts and deploying incisive commentary on the march of progress, both of which inflict their share of damage. Ages 15âup. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

Starred review from July 1, 2015
Evie O'Neill, a young psychic fresh from a horrific experience with a serial killer in 1920s New York City, returns in this sequel to The Diviners (2012). After going public about her abilities as a Diviner of the personal histories of others, Evie has rocketed into the limelight as the Sweetheart Seer, even garnering her own radio show. Her notoriety has driven a wedge between her and her uncle, whose occult museum is in dire financial straits, and it's also forced her to fake a romance with smooth-talking Sam Lloyd for the press. Meanwhile, her friend Henry attempts to find the boy he loves, seeking help from Ling Chan, who, like him, is a dream walker, even as people all over the city fall prey to a mysterious sleeping sickness, for which Chinese-American residents are unfairly blamed. The ambitiously broad focus of this novel strikes just the right balance in its division of narrative might, developing each of the dizzyingly large cast of diverse characters with an impressive attention to detail and with period-specific, witty dialogue. Weaving together a chilling mystery with a truly elusive solution, several poignant love stories, agonizing injustice, terrifyingly monstrous dreams, and even a cameo by legendary psychiatrist Carl Jung, this installment wraps enough up to satisfy but clearly sets the stage for more. How will readers stand the wait? (Historical/paranormal thriller. 14 & up)

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Starred review from August 1, 2015

Gr 10 Up-This breathtaking sequel to The Diviners (Little, Brown, 2012) is worth the wait. The novel opens in 1927 New York City, as construction continues on expanding the subway system. When workers break through to an older and forgotten train station, they develop a "sleeping sickness," trapped first by dreams and then "nightmare[s] from which they will, never, ever wake." Bray sets the stage for a mesmerizing exploration of dreams, including the American Dream-the "opiate futility of hope"-the exploitation of religion, science, and patriotism for evil ends. Although the same major characters from the previous volume appear in this installment, an additional Diviner, Ling Chan, makes her debut. She can dreamwalk and communicate with the dead. She and Henry enter dreams together to search for Ling's friend, George (who has fallen ill with the sleeping sickness), and Henry's lover, Louis. Evie O'Neill, still a quintessential flapper on the surface, is back, now famous as the "Sweetheart Seer" on a radio show. A sinister government plot to exploit people who display any Diviner talent brings the characters together for an action-packed, fast-paced, and slang-filled read. VERDICT A multilayered, character-driven, and richly rewarding installment to the paranormal historical fiction series.-Nina Sachs, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Grades 9-12 A mysterious sleeping sickness is taking hold of New York City, destroying its victims from the inside out. But rumors of illness can't dampen the spirits of flapper and party-girl extraordinaire Evie O'Neill, or the Sweetheart Seer, as she is now famously known on her radio show. Diviners are the cat's pajamas, don't you know? Meanwhile, pianist Henry DuBois' nightly walks through others' dreams lead him to Ling Chana dream-walker from Chinatown, who may have an idea of who, or what, is behind the sleeping sickness. All the major players from The Diviners (2012) return in this long-awaited second volume of a planned quartet, where hungry ghosts and nightmares, instead of serial killers, stalk characters but prove every bit as deadly. Bray admirably depicts Jazz Age New York, infusing it with a tense, sinister atmosphere. Though the number of dream-world journeys borders on excessive and little plot progression occurs, Bray's writing and cryptic teasers of things to come will keep readers invested and ready to ankle to the nearest bookstore for book three. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Bray is a best-seller with a Printz Award under her belt (Going Bovine, 2009). A big promo campaign and author tour will help build the hype for her latest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)