Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Magaret Stohl

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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.

Review:

I was a bit hesitant, I'll admit, to start Beautiful Creatures. I wouldn't consider myself the biggest paranormal fan, despite the craze that seems to be going on in the YA genre. However, once I began Beautiful Creatures, I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down.

The novel is told, surprisingly, from Ethan's point of view. While in the beginning I wondered why not from Lena's, I now couldn't see it being told any other way. As much as Ethan is in the equation, he's able to take a step back and let us see the picture from a wider shot. Also, being that Ethan has lived in Gatlin all his life, he's able to enhance the southern small town feeling (everyone knowing everyone, people never leaving town, strong pride in history). Coming from a southern small town myself, I appreciated these touches.

Overall, I found Beautiful Creatures... intoxicating. Though written by two authors,  the words flowed beautifully, and I connected with the characters easily. All the characters as a whole were placed in the novel very strategically. They were there when you needed them, but also when you least expected them, each adding uniquely to the storyline.

My Ratings:

Plot: A
Fantastic. Wonderfully original

Characters:A
Fantastic. Easily understood.

Cover Art: B
Not my style, but I get the mysterious/beautiful feel.

Length: A

The ending opened up a lot more questions, but since there's a sequel, I'm more than okay with that :)
Beautifully written that leaves you wanting more, Beautiful Creatures is nothing short of 


Five Stars!

Beautiful Creatures is out now, and be on the lookout for Beautiful Darkness October 12th!