Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Release: December 1, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Rating: 5/5

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.

Review: Beautiful Creatures is simply extraordinary. This is my second time reading it and while reading the beginning I kept asking my self “Why did I love this so much?” I was worried it would happen again. That I’ll reread a book that I loved so much the first time I read it, then the second time around, the magic just isn’t there anymore. Luckily, that wasn’t the case this time because it picked up and everything fell into place.

One aspect of the book that really worked for me was the main character Ethan. The fact it was a male main character in love with a girl with a secret and not a female character in love with a broody, two-dimensional male with a secret really made this book stand out to me. All of the characters were great. There was excellent development, especially with the adult characters who usually get looked over in young adult literature. 

I am a major advocate that the setting of a book is a character. It can make or break a book. Breathe life into a scene or leave it flat on the floor. The setting in this book is breathtaking. It enhances the whole mood of this novel is absolutely perfect for a southern gothic. 

I have yet to see the movie, and I’m glad for that. I like reading, or rereading in this case, books before I see the movie. 

Beautiful Creatures is a stunning novel that will peak your intrigue. You will quickly become fixated on the romance and hooked by the drama. A fabulous novel that I recommend to lovers of paranormal romance and mystery.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think?