Sunday 3 February 2013

Book Review - Beautiful Creatures

Title: Beautiful Creatures
Author: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Series: The Caster Chronicles (book 1)
Publisher:  Little, Brown and Company
Release Date:  1st December 2009
ISBN13: 9780316042673

Synopsis
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 Review
I bought a copy of this book ages ago, it must have been sitting on my shelf for at least a year, if not 2. I always intended to read it, then more in the series came out so I decided to wait for them all and then I just got distracted. When the film was announced I swore to read them but still put it off. Finally with only a couple of weeks until the film comes out I decided it was time to pick it up and I can't believe I waited so long to do so. It was a really good book and I already have book 2 next to me ready to start.
This story is told from Ethan's point of view and I always find it refreshing to get a book told from a male perspective, there doesn't seem to be that many out there and it makes a nice change. Ethan is a great character too, he's not afraid to stand up for what he believes in but he also takes other people's feelings into account. He's strong, sensitive, caring, protective, powerful and charming. I felt like I had known him for a long time and felt myself routing for him.
Lena is the other protagonist, Ethan's love interest and the catalyst for the whole story. She has been told that on her 16th Birthday she will be claimed by either Darkness or Light. She has no choice in it - apparently and she is terrified of going dark. Can her love for Ethan keep her safe or will it take stronger magic. 
I'm never sure when you get a book written by two people, whether it will flow or work properly, but I can tell you with this one that it is perfect, completely seamless. You can't tell who wrote what and it all adds up, there are no plot gaps or anything like that. These two authors work perfectly together and weave one heck of a world. 
At 562 pages it's quite a hefty book, but it didn't feel that long, I was so absorbed in the book that it just flew by. I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. It was all just amazing. I'm off now to get stuck into the next one, even more excited about the series and the film. :D

My Rating
         

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