Amidst the roaring 20s Evie O'Neill is shipped off to New York after a mean and scandalous run-in with one of Ohio's golden boys. Evie hits the ground running when she moves in with her Uncle- the curator of The Museum of the "Creepy Crawlies". In a convenient turn of events Evie proves herself useful as she has a talent for the supernatural.And when a Ouija board awakens an evil spirit, all hell breaks loose as Evie and her Uncle try to track down New York's most terrifying (and biblical) serial killer. Of course Evie isn't alone, she's joined by a Harlem numbers runner, downtown Ziegfeld Girl, and a crafty pick-pocket (among others)- all who have their own secrets and special abilities.
This book has everything you want in a 1920s occult mystery: speakeasies, loud mouthed reporters, bathtub gin, a mystifying cult, fringed flappers, grim crime scenes, and New York, New York in all it's historically accurate* glory.
The cover of this book taunted me from the shelf for ages with it's gorgeous design and when I finally sat down to read it, it was perfect. I adored the characters, it was beautifully paced, had a flawlessly painted setting, and the horror in the plot genuinely shook me.
This book was a long one, but when it was finished I was so sad (albeit relieved to get a break from the nightmares)! Seriously, I woke up every night convinced I could hear Naughty John whistling in my kitchen.
Hearts for Libba Bray and her wonderful mind.
A+
**Best Teen Books of 2012- Kirkus Reviews
**Best Young Adult Books of 2012- The Boston Globe
**Best of the Best Books for Teens- Chicago Public Library
**Best Books of 2012- Library Journal
*Ms. Bray has notes at the end of the book laying out what was accurate and where she took liberties, but she was largely loyal to New York in the 1920s and you could feel it in the tone of the book. Genius!
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