Beautiful Creatures Review

Beautiful Creatures

Kami Garica and Margaret Stohl

 Reviewed by S.

Synopsis

Ethan Wate has lived his whole life within the confines of Gatlin County, SC.  Gatlin—like most other small southern town—is a place no one ever really leaves once they’ve been sucked in.  Although Ethan seems to fit in at school as the star basketball player, he yearns for so much more than what the small town has to offer.  Naturally, he would be attracted to any new girl who just so happens to blow into town.

Lena Duchannes is the niece of Macon Ravenwood, Gatlin County’s very own version of Boo Radley.  She is beautiful and different and Ethan is completely drawn to her, not because of the aforementioned qualities, but because she’s been plaguing his dreams for the past few months.  He is determined to uncover the connection they seem to share. 

The mixture of romance, suspense, and magic will surely keep the pages turning as readers race through days until the final hour. 

Review:

I cannot express to you how much I loved this book.  I bought in on a whim because I’d read a particularly intriguing review on Amazon and I do not regret it.  I like to think of the novel as a mix between Harry Potter and To Kill a Mockingbird with a pinch of Twilight just for good taste, which is probably the reason why I gave this novel 5 stars.

Beautiful Creatures is not only a fantasy novel, but also a haunting Southern Gothic tale.  Being from the South, I particularly loved this aspect.  It’s grotesque, mystical, and absolutely engrossing.  The story was so suspenseful I found myself reading on the edge of my seat. 

The characters of Beautiful Creatures seemed to fit into the atmosphere of Gatlin County perfectly, the “lynching mob” and all.  Marian is one of my favorite characters; she runs the Gatlin County library and talks in quotes from books and great leaders.  Lena’s family is captivating and Amma (Ethan’s “Nanny”) is quite dynamic.  Also, The Sisters (Ethan’s great aunts) are a hoot. 

The ending of the story ties everything together quite nicely.  It is then that readers realize just how star-crossed our two main characters are.  The romance between the two is quite organic and inspiring.  I’d recommend this book to anyone sick of the Twilight series.  Mark my words, it will be the next big thing.