Beautiful Creatures

This page is under the protection of the Blog History Preservation Committee (BHPC). It was established on November 11, 2010 - just five days after the establishment of this blog. It was the first review to be written by the author, Britta. While this blog may undergo many changes, this review will remain somewhat the same. Which is why it is extremely oddly formatted.

Book #1

   I had the almost imponderable joy of stubbing upon Beautiful Creatures at Borders early last December. Looking at the cover, I thought, "Isn't that the book that is becoming a movie soon?" Turns out, it wasn't (even though now it has been optioned by Warner Brothers). I bought the book because I wanted to read it before I saw the movie and the description interested me.  I have never been so happy about a mix-up in my life. I never did find out what book I was actually thinking of, but I have no doubt in my mind that it could have never even came close to the love I have for Beautiful Creatures. I sat down that afternoon, cracked open the cover and was sucked into a world so beautifully written that I couldn't stop reading for anything. Luckily for me, I had already eaten lunch, because dinner didn't happen that night. Hours later when I read the last words on pg. 563, I closed the book and stared at the cover awestricken. I tweeted about my current inability to speak due to the romance, suspense and southern charm of Beautiful Creatures. Nothing could have taken me out of my daze like being united with Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, and Vania from caster girls (over the internet anyway: @Kamigarcia, @Mstohl, @reverieBR). They kindly let me know that Beautiful Creatures is only book 1 of a 5 part series and there is a good possibility of Beautiful Creatures making it to the big screen. With this great news, I was able to sleep that night in peace. To fully understand my experience, you really have to pick up the book yourself. Now that you've read my two cents, heres a little about the book.

~@~

    Beautiful Creatures is set in the sleepy southern town of Gatlin, South Carolina, plain and outdated. Ethan, the charming narrator will be the first to tell you, "There were only two kinds of people in our town. 'The stupid and the stuck, the ones who are bound to stay or too dumb to go. Everyone else finds a way out.'" (pg. 1) He introduces us to his own version of a dysfunctional family, his father who locks himself in his study all day to cope with the loss of his wife, and his loud, outspoken housekeeper/mother-figure Amma- who's been there since before he was born. His witty best friend Link offsets the blandness of the town with his witty jokes and horrible band lyrics, making just another day in Gatlin County worthwhile.

~@~

    Theres nothing extraordinary about his life, except maybe his humongous breakfasts as prepared by Amma. Going through the motions each day seems to be getting harder for Ethan, and he can't wait for college to be his ticket out of this place. That is until the new girl shows up, drastically different from the cookie-cutter, cheerleader girls in town. Dressed head to toe in black, Lena Duchannes (rhymes with rain), is off limits. Lena is the Niece of Macon Ravenwood, Gatlin's very own Boo Radley.

    Rainstorms and broken windows are only a few of the odd happenings since Lena showed up. There are the dreams, seeming so real that Ethan awakes drenched with water and caked with mud. There's the song, the haunting song that no one else seems to hear. And theres the smell, the scent of lemons and rosemary which Ethan comes to expect at each odd occurrence.

    As Ethan and Lena's relationship grows danger seems to lurk behind every shadow. Both families hold secrets, and neither of them new it.

   The beautifully written suspense, romance, and charm of Beautiful Creatures will leave your heart racing. Transported to this quaint town in the middle of nowhere, you will find yourself aching with empathy for the all too real characters. The secrets hidden within the ink will keep you eager and engaged throughout each of the 563 pages. Your heart will fall, you brain will reel with questions and your body will need to recover after the ending dramatically leaves you hanging. This is not a series you want to miss.

~@~

There was a curse.

There was a girl.

And in the end,

Book #2

there was a grave.

~@~

    Fortunately for me, and all of you who are also in love with the series, the second book in the series, Beautiful Darkness, is to be released on October 12, 2010 (Countdown in sidebar). You can find out more about the series and characters on BeautifulCreaturestheBook.com, or the Caster Chronicles Facebook page.

Comment Questions
1.) Have you already read Beautiful Creatures? If so, how did you like it?
2.) If you haven't read the series, will you?