Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

The first of the four books in the Caster Chronicles, Beautiful Creatures is a novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl that centers on the life of Ethan Wate, a 17-year old boy who has lived in the small town of Gatlin all his life. Feeling as though nothing ever changes in the remote town, all Ethan wanted was to leave. That was until he started having dreams about a girl he's never met before, and he's even more surprised when he sees her in school. Meeting Lena Duchannes was unlike anything Ethan experienced, but inexplicably, the two are drawn to each other. But things get complicated as Ethan soon realizes that there's more to Lena and her family than what meets the eye. In this exquisite southern gothic novel, the past haunts the present, dark and light battle, and love is put to the test. Will Ethan and Lena's love conquer all, even as he discovers the secret about her that changes everything?

This book may be hard to read at first, but after a few pages, I discovered a plot so thick and strong it just devours you. The mystery surrounding the book is definitely one of the reasons why you can't put it down--you just have to find out what happens next. Another reason why I loved it is because it's told from a guy's point of view, something you don't see a lot on teen novels, and Ethan's take on things prove to be interesting on a lot of levels. The main characters are thoroughly developed throughout the book and the emotions, of course, are gripping. The book was wonderfully and intricately written with accurate descriptive details. It's filled with humor, romance, drama and depth and overall, was truly a great read.

- Reviewed by MLVE, grade 12.
Central Library