Title: Beautiful CreaturesAuthor: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Genre: Young Adult
Release date: 12/01/09
Summary:
There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
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.
Plot: 5 Stars
The supernatural aspects of this story were a fresh take on magic and psychic abilities, and the way the characters' powers were handled definitely sets this novel apart from others. I loved how all these little storylines and bits of information came together at the end to blow the reader away.
Pace: 4 Stars
There was a point in the middle of this novel where it started to slow down. It was a long book, and although every bit of information was needed, it just felt like it could've been tightened a little bit here and there to read a little faster. But other than that hiccup in the middle, the pace was fantastic. It sucked me in within the first two chapters, and the ending was just one surprise after another.
Characters: 5 Stars
I absolutely loved the interactions between Lena and Ethan. It's not every day you get to read a YA novel from the POV of a teenage boy. And what I loved the most was how unsure and yet completely sure he was of himself the entire time. There was a large cast of characters throughout the novel, but I felt everyone important to the plot definitely wasn't flat.
Cover: 4.5 Stars
I loved the spookiness of the cover. The purple title really stood out against the black, and the soft gray forest really made my wonder what I was getting myself into. I also love that the marketing department didn't feel the need to put people on the cover, which is probably the biggest reason it stands out.
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment.
Hi Sara, great review. I have been dying to read this book, but have been holding off because I think we are going to read it for a group review site that I take part in. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it, it seems to be going over very well with everyone - building my excitement even more.
ReplyDelete- Parajunkee
Definitely agreed with you, loved the book! Their relationship was so sweet and the ending was AMAZING. :)
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