Pages: 562
Published: December 1st 2009
by Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Y.A/ Fantasy
Format: Hardback
Acquired: My own TBR Shelf
Date Finished: March 27th 2013
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
Buzz words: Magic, Mayhem, Romance, History, Southern gothic, Secrets,
Psychic connections.
Much like everyone
else, I admit that I jumped on this book when I heard the movie was coming out.
I had heard a bit about it and at the mention of vampires I pushed it further
down my pile until someone told me in fact it was about magic, and that for me
was the kick up the ass I needed to get stuck into it.
Beautiful Creatures
was very atmospheric in the southern gothic way that I just love to read.
Everything from the setting of the old historical town [Gatlin], to the
underground tunnels throughout the city and the chilling roads that lead to all
kinds of trouble on ground and down below I felt myself immersed in the imagery
and it made me devour the story even more. I am a sucker for still standing
ancient houses and libraries that house magical books as well as dusty old
tomes which lead me to wanting to even try out Ethan’s method of reading with
his map that spans the length of his wall, where he marks the places he has
been in books and one day wishes to travel.
I felt that all the
characters were well rounded, fleshed out and emotionally absorbing. My
favorites being; Marianne and Ethan. I thought that each character really added
depth and complexity to the richness of the story and made me want to know more
about them. Even the less likeable characters had me caring about their next
move. Each one I believed deserved a place.
I love the aspect of
Psychic connection. Through the dreams that Lena and Ethan share we are able to
get glimpses into the past that brings us back into the present moment and
propels the characters towards immense change that reflects on each and every
character in the book. I also enjoyed going back into the past and seeing it
through the eyes of different characters. I am a sucker for past life and
history repeating itself so it was fantastic to see that explored and I love
how it reflected on Lena and Ethan’s budding relationship throughout the
journey of the story.
I will admit at first
the dialogue was a bit jarring. I am one to dip into a southern book when I
can, but it did take me a little getting used to it. I also had issues with
near the ending of the book with the big span of characters and the
introduction of a new one that had only been mentioned once or twice. I would
have liked to see a little more of an appearance of Hunter throughout the novel
to give it a bit more consistency. Also the change in perspective during the
end was a little jarring, but refreshing and it did leave the novel at an
interesting place.
Overall this was a
strong, provoking and captivating start to The Caster Chronicles series. I think Margaret and Kami did a seamless job
at matching each other’s writing styles and overall this book was an addictive
read. I cannot wait to get started on Beautiful Darkness and am excited to see
where the authors take me with the next few books in the series.
I am giving this:
★★★★★
Moons and stars
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