Monday 11 January 2010

Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Pages: 563
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: 4th February 2010

In Ethan Wate’s hometown there lies the darkest of secrets…
There is a girl.

Slowly, she pulled the hood from her head…green eyes, black hair.
Lena Duchannes

There is a curse.
On the sixteenth moon, of the sixteenth year, the Book will take what it’s been promised.And no one can stop it.
In the end, there is a grave.

Lena and Ethan become bound together by a deep, powerful love. But Lena is cursed and, on her sixteenth birthday, her fate will be decided.
Ethan never even saw it coming.

Beautiful Creatures is a sprawling, Southern, epic tale of secrets, magic, mystery and love.

I adored this book. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s writing is beautiful. It’s softness and lyrical quality gave Beautiful Creatures a compelling, Gothic atmosphere that enhanced the air of history, enchantment and mystery of Gaitlin. The stifling claustrophobia of a small town was captured gorgeously with characters like Mrs Lincoln, Mrs Snow and Mrs Asher and the stories and rumours spreading through the town like wildfire.

The American Civil War played a significant role in the plot of Beautiful Creatures and I enjoyed re-learning all about it as I was around twelve when I studied it in History. I think I might actually remember something about it this time! The way that it entwined with Ethan and Lena’s story was effortless and it helped to introduce the mythology seamlessly. The mythology itself was completely new to me and unlike anything that I’ve read about before. It’s complex and intricate and was gradually revealed throughout the novel.

But my favourite aspect of Beautiful Creatures (besides Ethan!) is the bucketfuls of mystery. Nothing was ever disclosed in full; we were drip-fed titbits of information that I tried to piece together. Only once or twice did I guess correctly! All of this led to an explosive final few chapters where everything fell into place, mysteries were solved and some rather shocking events unfolded.

After turning the last page of Beautiful Creatures thinking only, ’Wow!’, I’m very excited to see how Ethan and Lena’s story continues in book two, Beautiful Darkness.

Sophie

15 comments:

  1. I'm only halfway through this book and I'm already looking forward to the next one! I love how its a lot less "fluffy" than most YA, if that makes sense =D

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  2. Thanks a lot for the great review - it sounds like a wonderful mix of mythology and history.

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  3. I'm glad you liked it, I did too :)

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  4. I had very similar feelings towards this book. Loved Ethan , loved the mystery and all the magic :)Great review

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  5. Great review Soph, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! Yay! It seems everyone loves this one :)

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  6. Fabulous review! This is such a great book. I love Ethan's voice. It was like a doorway into the male mind. Highly enlightening!

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  7. I'm glad you liked it. Beautiful Creatures is my favorite book read last year.

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  8. I've heard a lot of great things about both this book and Ethan. I really look forward to discovering all of it on my own. Thanks for the great review!! :D

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  9. I have this ARC and look forward to reading it, but it is big! Glad you loved it!

    Being in the USA the book came out for us in Dec. 2009. I am so behind in reading my books!

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  10. I didn't know that was the title of book two!

    Thanks for pointing that out. Glad to see you enjoyed Beautiful Darkness so much. I also liked the paranormal aspects, the mystery and the Civil War tie-in!

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  11. I loved this book, so glad you liked it!!

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  12. This really is a great book, isn't it? I love the whole mysterious Southern atmosphere it's got going on. Wonderful review!

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  13. I've been reading this and agree that it is a wonderful book. Great review!

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  14. I loved Beautiful Creatures!!! This is the best book I have ever read. I can't wait to read another one like this. I got lost in the world of Nora and Ethan. My hat is off 2 you ladies.....looking forward to the next one.

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  15. im 3/4 way through this book and i love it! it's one of my favourite books and i cant wait to read the next one(:

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