Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
Author(s): Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 563 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (December 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316042676
• ISBN-13: 978-0316042673

SUMMARY:

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

MY THOUGHTS:

I had heard so many wonderful things about this series, that I knew this would be a perfect read for Halloween.  I started this book on Halloween morning and finished it that night even though it is over 560 pages long.

While I enjoyed the characters of Lena and Ethan, I did have faults with the book that distracted me to where I couldn't enjoy it as much as others.  First, Ethan was a little too calm about all of the nightmares that turn out to be visions.  Frankly, if I was having these visions and they were becoming real, I would be a little freaked out. 

On the other hand, this book had the creepy and suspense that I was looking for.  It kept my interest and had me guessing with each chapter.  It was a mystery that needed to be solved. I loved the characters of Amma and Macon.  Amma was the sort of woman that you just knew not to smart off to.  She had spunk and a mouth that would keep any child in line with just a look.  Macon was eccentric and amazing, even if we don't get to meet him until further into the book. Link, Ethan's best friend, was also a favorite of mine with his funny and witty remarks. 

While I can say I enjoyed the suspense, mystery, romance and overall plot of the story, there was something still a little off about the book that I can't seem to put my finger on.  For as long as the book was, to me it felt like the characters story was a bit repetitive in chapters. I want the story to pick up in certain spots.

While this is a fan favorite of many readers, myself included, there were still some things that needed fixing to make this a great book.  I am still going to read the next book in the series because yes, I am addicted to it now.  I need to know what happens next.  An amazing story, that I hope will progress and grow to outstanding reading in the next book!

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book!