Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
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.
Review:
Ethan is a popular boy in a small school, until he decides to befriend the new girl. The narrative is told from Ethan’s point of view. And he’s easy to like right away. Lena is more mysterious, but with a quiet innocence about her. Their connection is sweet with a slower, blooming romance. Nothing like the overdramatic Twilight. The deep South setting is charming and is an integral part to the story.
Beautiful Creatures is a fascinating and captivating YA fantasy with a rich and well-developed world. First in a popular series, the book is releasing in theaters soon, so I had to read the novel first. And I’m glad I did. I’ll definitely be reading the rest in the series, as it’s easy to get invested with the characters as well as the story. With plenty of mystery, suspense, high school drama, and romance – the novel was incredibly hard to put down. Ethan and Lena have won me over.