Lovin' los libros

A book blog dedicated to young adult and new adult novels

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

By 10:31 AM , , , , , ,

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)
    by: Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Publication Date: Dec. 1, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Fantasy/ Paranormal
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed from e-Library
Page Count: 563 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

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.

                         -goodreads.com description

I really didn't want to read the book until I had already watched the movie. That way, when the movie wasn't as good as the book, I wouldn't have the book to compare it to! Well, I was on the waitlist for this e-book from the library and had been waiting for quite some time. So, when it popped, I knew I had to take the opportunity to read it. From what everyone has said, the movie will irritate me. Ah, well.

I really liked Beautiful Creatures. I wasn't sure if I was going to because I had heard mixed things. I liked reading from a male's point of view (no matter, that it wasn't entirely realistic to me- I teach 16 year old high school boys and while there are alot of sweet ones, they just don't operate the way Ethan does.)

Ethan Wate is our protagonist and is a good ol' small town boy, who has to deal with the problems that come with living in a small town- everyone knows everything, they are constantly in your business and reporting back to your family about your whereabouts. Not to mention- the gossip! Ethan lives with his estranged dad and his housekeeper Amma, who really is the one who takes care of him. His mother passed away and now his relationship is very strained with his father. I felt really bad for Ethan, as he longs for a connection with his father, but due to his dad being so grief-stricken over losing his mom, he doesn't have that.

I love that Ethan is a dreamer. He is desperate to get out of Gatlin, SC. He dreams of new places and experiences. That was me living in small-town Tennessee. I wanted out, to explore the world, meet new people.

Lena is that breath of fresh air that Ethan has been longing for. Not only is she beautiful and different, but Ethan is drawn to her (and not just because they share a connection from the start). Lena is the niece of Macon Ravenwood, who is a reclusive man. Upon her arrival, she instantly has to deal with the backlash of that, when all she wants is to be accepted and live life like a normal girl.

Lena is tough, but at the same time she's human and there's only so much taunting and teasing she can take before she breaks. She has been branded an outcast in Gatlin, and as much as she pretends not to care and tells Ethan not to stand up for her, she really is hurt by this. What 15 year old doesn't want to be accepted?

Ethan is the first person to befriend her and becomes her rock throughout the duration of the novel. I like that they have had to face alot of obstacles in both their friendship and relationship. I think it makes them stronger and shows how they won't let outside influences tear them apart.

I really liked the paranormal/supernatural aspect of the book, though when it came to explaining the Caster history, some scenes were a bit wordy and seemed to drag on.

Overall, despite those few flaws, I enjoyed this book and will be reading the others in the series in the future.

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10 comments

  1. Glad you enjoyed it. I liked it too, but I agree that Ethan was not a 'real boy' (Forgive me Pinoccio. Not sure how to spell it!) Following you now on Circles too.
    Gwynn
    http://gwynnethwhite.blogspot.com/

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    1. I'm glad you agree with me! He was way too good to be true! Thanks for following on Google+ also!

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  2. i liked the book decently. and i liked that the pov was from a male perspective. I did however HATE the movie. i couldn't wait for it to end. ugh. it was terrible. I still want my $10.50 back for that movie ticket AND they should give me book 2 in the series for free.

    trish - my follow friday

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    1. Thanks Trish. I'm glad you guys are telling me this. I definitely don't want to spend the money on a movie I'm going to be disappointed in. If anything, I'll wait for Redbox, lol.

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  3. I saw this movie, but still haven't read the books. But I'm glad you liked it. I'm probably going to read it sometime soon. I agree that Ethan's not a typical high school boy, but he was really sweet in the movie and made me smile.

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    1. Did you like the movie? I wonder if I would have liked the movie, having known nothing about the book. He definitely made me smile multiple times in the book. If only every girl had her own Ethan!

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  4. Hey Jessicsa, Great Review. I read the book first, then watched the movie. So of course I was like " Did these movie people even read the book !?!?" I normally am not a critic about book to movie addaptations, but this one i felt was sooo far from the original plot line. I'm sure i would have felt differently if i would have watched the movie first. But i litterally watched the movie the day after i finished the book, so everything was still fresh on my mind. I did like the book! I thought the plot was fresh and original, i know there were some flaws but overall i am a fan, and look forward to reading the others in the series. I just reviewed Beautiful Creatures not too long ago, if you'd like you can check out My Video Review for Beautiful Creatures (Book and Movie ) I would love to see what you think. So glad I found your blog, new follower, and thanks for following ours as well! Hope to have more bookish chats!!! - Katie @ Inkk

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    1. LOL. My friend said the same thing when he saw the movie! I will definitely check out your video review. I love reading and seeing others reviews about the same book. Thanks for following- I'm looking forward to more chats too!

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  5. I keep hearing so many conflicting things about this book! I know I'm going to read it though. It has everything that I love in it, so I will be getting my hands on it soon.

    Great review!

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    1. Definitely give it a shot and see what you think. People either really like it or don't. I was one of those who did and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

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