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The Top Ten Books with Amazing Settings

I did my own take on this prompt this week. Rather than settle for just one type of setting, I'm going with allllll of the amazing settings we're offered in the genres we read...and there are a lot. So, without further ado. Here are my favourite books with absolutely epic settings.

1. The Harry Potter Series - Let's be really, really honest here, guys. Does it get better than Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, The Burrow, the Ministry of Magic, The Forbidden Forest...yeah, the list goes on. Let me answer you. No, it doesn't get better.

2. The Raft - It takes a really, really strong novel to have a book with one main setting and one sole character on said setting to make it work so well. The raft and the island were terrifyingly realistic - and awesome - places to be.

3. The Lightning Thief - Despite my initial hesitance to become invested in this series, I couldn't help but fall in love with it. I really would give my right leg to go to Camp Half-Blood.

4. Across the Universe - There's something about a novel set in space that makes it a zillion times more awesome. That's not even an approximate. That's just a real number, my friends. Plus, the good ship Godspeed is both awesome and scary. Love.

5. The Diviners - New York City? Check. The roaring 20's? Check. Really wish I had a time machine? Yeah, check, check, check. Seriously, how awesome would it be to experience the amazing backdrop of this book in person?

6. Graceling - Well, technically, there are seven different kingdoms in this novel, which gives us a whole lot to choose from in terms of settings. I loved the Middluns though. It was very medieval, and it was totally alive.

7. Raw Blue - Who doesn't want to read about life on a beach in Australia? Carly's world is one of breaking waves, sunshine and sand, and it's our immersion in her world that brings light into her very dark and painful past.

8. 172 Hours on the Moon - But really, like I said before, guys. Space. It's vast, it's empty, and it's a whole lot of nothingness filled with incredible mystery and terror. Give me that any day, and I'm sold.

9. The Forest of Hands and Teeth - In a very character-driven novel, the Forest of Hands and Teeth actually feels like a character in its own right in this novel. It's a terrifying possibility, and the probability is even that much better.

10. Carnival of Souls - Though I wasn't the biggest fan of this book, I have to say that Melissa Marr succeeded in bringing the City of Daimons alive. Dang, that place is brutal. I don't know that I'd want to go, but it's sure awesome to explore through the pages.

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray (Twitter)
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: September 18, 2012
Genre: YA, Hist-Fic, Mystery
Pages: 578
Source: Publisher

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-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Evie's life is just getting interesting. She's traded her dowdy hometown streets for the glamorous and lively life of New York City, and she couldn't be more excited. This is her chance to get out, to explore and to live her life like she's always wanted. But things are never quite that simple, or so Evie is about to learn. When murderous tragedies start springing up throughout the city, Evie and her eccentric uncle find themselves right in the middle of it all. Can Evie help figure out who's behind the murders, or will they take her down before she ever has the chance?

The first thing you'll notice when you pick up The Diviners is probably the fact that the book is massive. It would make one heck of a paperweight. However, you'd be sorely mistaken if you assume that that's how I've used my copy. Libba Bray is no stranger to the world of YA fiction, but The Diviners takes her out of that comfort zone we've come to know and associate with the veteran author. Jam-packed with action, this vivid story springs forth from the pages with immense detail, powerful action and characters with whom you can actually empathize and grow to love. 

I held off reading The Diviners for quite some time because, and I'll be honest here, the size of this novel is daunting. Nearly 600 pages, it's a very thick book, and one has to set aside a good measure of time in which to thoroughly read it. However, I can honestly say that I never felt bored or tired with the story. There are touches of gruesome darkness that perfectly contrast the glittering lights of the city and the air of excitement that Evie has when she reaches New York. We're given stark contrasts of light and dark, but we're also given this underbelly of a world when we explore the truth behind the Diviners and their role in the murder spree. Evie, too, was an enjoyable character. While she was, at times, childish and melodramatic, I think it actually lent a very honest air to her transformation as she navigates this new world in which she lives. She has a surprising depth, as well, which provides a relief from the tension of the novel. At times, I did feel as though The Diviners was a bit too unnecessarily descriptive, however, it's hard to find too much of an issue with it because the writing is fluid, complex and beautiful throughout. The ending is a non-ending, but the foreshadowing has me begging to find out just what happens next. 

Overall, I was thoroughly surprised by The Diviners. I don't know why, really, but I didn't expect too much, and I found myself lost in its world for days. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy mysteries, historical fiction and touches of paranormal.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.