Beautiful Creatures ~ Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl review

Beautiful Creatures (Beautiful Creatures #1)
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
December 1, 2009
563 pages
Goodreads/Amazon

If you're looking for an addicting read, look no further than Beautiful Creatures the first in the series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Ethan Wate is trying to act like he enjoys being part of his South Carolina high school's 'in' crowd when a mysterious new girl shows starts school. Lena Duchannes, niece of the town's recluse she's immediately shut out by the 'in' girls. She's also the girl of Ethan's dreams . . . literally.

There's more to Lena's appearance in Ethan's dreams, though . . . Lena and her whole family have a secret, a secret that will leave them and Ethan in danger; but not before he starts to fall for the intriguing Lena Duchannes.

(There's tons more to this plot - obviously, it's 563 pages - but it's much better to discover it as you read than to read it in a book review/synopsis.)

Some books that are nearly 600 pages can feel like they drag on or needed to be edited down, but not Beautiful Creatures, it's absolutely engrossing. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have written an absolutely engrossing tale here. With just the right amount of Gothic and Southern allure, Creatures draws you in and doesn't let you go.

Lena and Ethan are truly quite a pair. Their relationship feels, it doesn't flow effortlessly or without some bumps in the road - much in the way that actual ones do.

The paranormal aspect to this story is different than so many - or all - out there and unbelievably well developed and written. There aren't places that leave you grasping for logic or consistency.

Family relationships here were not of the norm but weren't out there or implausible. There were a great addition to the story and introduced not only plot elements but also characters to love.

The audio version of this is also highly recommended (I listened to a little and read a lot) as it included some special effect sounds and music that really adds to the listeners enjoyment.

Easily as -if not more- thrilling, enticing, addicting and unputdownable as Twilight or The Hunger Games Beautiful Creatures is a series you won't be sorry you started (if you somehow haven't already). This first novel will leave you, for sure, clamoring for the second - and then the third (which is out the 18th) - volumes in the series.

10/10