Saturday 29 December 2012

Beautiful Creature by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

“Mortals. I envy you. You think you can change things. Stop the universe. Undo what was done long before you came along. You are such beautiful creatures.”

This was one of those books I didn't do much research into before reading it and I'm glad I didn't as I've seen so many mixed reviews that it probably would have put me off reading it.

Beautiful creatures is a dark, gothic romance set in South Carolina. It's full of mystery and intrigue, the idea of casters (witches and warlocks) becoming either light or dark really interested me, especially since Lena's family don't get to choose. What made this book even more interesting was that it was written from the perspective of Ethan, a boy which is highly unusual for a YA book but I felt added something new and fresh to the mix of girly angst. However this book is not without its angst, the will they or wont they overcome all of these obstacles in front of them, very dramatic at times but it does make for entertaining reading.

I loved the civil war aspects of the book and the flash back to both Ethan and Leans ancestors, it seems they really are destined to be together. Surprisingly my favourite characters came from the support cast, I thought Macon and Amma stole the book for me, their fierce protectiveness and sometimes comical attitudes to each other, created a contrast to the very darkness of Ethan and Lena's love.

I thought that the writing was beautiful and it didn't feel like it came from two authors, they created a believable world that is easy to visual with lovely magical quality to it. It's unlike anything I've read before in this genre.

The only downside to it is the length, there is no real pace to the book until the end, which leaves a lot of repetition and stale moments, where nothing is really happening. I think if it would have had slightly more editing, this would have been a fantastic read.

I'd definitely recommend reading this for any fantasy lover and before the film comes out.

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