mrs_mander_reads
Written on Apr 20, 2013
The first book in a lush gothic fantasy series for younger readers of Charlaine Harris and fans of Cassandra Clare.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.
- ISBN10 0316042676
- ISBN13 9780316042673
- Publish Date 1 December 2009 (first published 1 January 2009)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 576
- Language English
Reviews
Jyc
Written on Mar 14, 2013
mhwilk
Written on Feb 19, 2013
angelarenea9
Written on Feb 18, 2013
This review may contain spoilers to this book.
I picked this book up because I saw the trailer for the movie. Not because the trailer 'wow'd' me but because if it is good enough to be made into a movie I'm willing to give it a chance (plus I have seen so many books destroyed when they are made into movies that I do not judge books by their movies). To be honest, though, this book did not wow me. there were a lot of things that had potential but it just did not follow through.
First of all it ended up being a romance, but the narrator is a male. This is something I found interesting because most of the times these type of books are from a female perspective. Second the actual basis for the plot was interesting, not the best I've read, but interesting non the less. Unfortunately I felt like it was not handled well.
Overall I thought that it felt like another post-Twilight mess. (Please do not mistake me, I loved the Twilight series -minus the first book- but in the wake of Twilight's popularity there were a lot of books with basically the same plot put out and they are mostly a mess.)In fact I found myself seeing parallels to the Twilight series the entire way through. The main difference being that the role of Bella was filled by Ethan.
Example: Ethan meets Lena who he is instantly drawn to. He cannot get him out of her head even though she insists that she is dangerous. He finds out he is a supernatural Caster(much like a witch) from a family of Casters who all have different gifts and who might hurt him, but accepts this overly easily. He doesn't care and they spend a short period of time together at their high school happy. Then a bad supernatural Caster comes along and tries to kill Ethan. Luckily Ethan’s Amma(?) is easily deceived even though she is constantly said to be very powerful. Ethan loses a fight with said villain and almost dies but luckily due to what Lena is she saves him.
Which sounds a lot like:
Bella meets Edward who she is instantly drawn to. She cannot get him out of her head even though he insists that he is dangerous. She finds out he is a supernatural vampire from a family of vampires who all have different gifts and who might hurt her but accepts this overly easily. She doesn't care and they spend a short period of time together at their high school happy. Then a bad supernatural vampire comes along and tries to kill Bella. Luckily Bella’s well meaning father is easily deceived even though he is the Chief of Police. Bella loses a fight with said villain and almost dies but luckily due to what Edward is he saves her.
It wasn’t bad enough that I will read the second book in the series, and the last few chapters were pretty good, but it was mostly a disappointment.
What book did you feel got a lot of hype but ultimately fell short?
Hixxup
Written on Oct 20, 2012
Jo
Written on Oct 1, 2012
After recently seeing the awesome trailer for the movie of Beautiful Creatures, I knew I had to dive straight into the book as soon as I could. I was really hoping to love it, but now, I feel like maybe I could have waited.
Ethan Wate lives in Gatlin, a small Southern town living a small town life he can't wait to escape. Nothing new happens, and the people of Gatlin are a against anyone new or different. They are a snobbish and narrow-minded people. So it doesn't bode well for her when Lena Duchannes turns up in town, the niece of Macon Ravenwood, the town shut-in. Despite being related to the town's Crazy, Ethan can't keep away from her, no matter what the town thinks of him for doing so. Lena isn't an ordinary girl, though. Around her, windows spontaneously break, rain clouds release a torrent, and she's followed around by a wolf-like dog. Lena is a Caster, a person of power, and her sixteenth birthday is looming - a birthday that on which a Caster's fate is decided.
Beautiful Creatures is exciting, mysterious, intriguing, and slightly creepy! The plot itself is brilliant, with the mythology of the Casters and the mystery of the curse is what keeps you turning the pages. There are a number of highly exciting, adrenaline rushing action scenes. There are visions and secrets, and a history that the people of Gatlin would have a heart attack over, and enough questions that you're gripped. Well, most of the time. In my opinion, the book is far too long. Too often, it feels like nothing is happening between all the action. The same thoughts and questions are repeated, with few, small answers if any. It starts to drag. To be honest wit you, there were a few times when I actually felt quite bored.
There are good points! There are a huge cast of secondary characters that save this book in it's quiet moments. The Sisters, Ethan's great aunts - Prudence, Mercy and Grace - are all amazing! Seriously old, Southern ladies who cannot stop bickering, but with memories as good as they are old. They provide a lot of the humour in the story, and you can't help but adore them. The mothers of the school kids, especially Mrs Lincoln, make your blood run cold. They are the book banners and control what their children watch to keep their teens away from all things evil. As awful as they are, they're characters you love to hate.
One of the great things about this book is that, because Ethan has lived in Gatlin his whole life, it seems more real. What I mean by this is that he is constantly thinking of Gatlin as the old Gatlin - the life he had before, with his friends in the basketball team, the people around town, the cheerleaders, the mothers who were all so prejudiced against anyone different, the Gatlin that never changed and always stayed the same, and the new Gatli - the arrival of a new girl causing the discovery of magic, of visions, a history of a town that no-one knew. The two Gatlins don't seem to fit in his head, but they have been the one and the same the whole time, a town full of secrets, and he is constantly thinking about how no-one else knows what's really going on, living their normal, small town lives in a town that's anything but normal. The fact that he is constantly reminded of how normal everyone else thinks Gatlin is, how normal he used to think it is, makes it feel like story that could happen anywhere, any normal place, making it so much more credible than any other urban fantasy I've read. In Beautiful Creatures, it's not all of a sudden all about the New and the After, it also remembers the Old and the Before - it's not forgotten.
Overall, Beautiful Creatures was an ok story, but I think it will make a brilliant movie. I can see why a lot of people would love this book, and I so hope I loved it too, there was just to much angst without anything major in some places. I have the next two novels to read, and I will read them, I just don't feel any real need to rush to pick them up. Please read a few other reviews before deciding not to read Beautiful Creatures. Don't be turned off by my review.
Kelly
Written on Sep 19, 2012
It was entertaining, but I'll be taking a break and reading something else in between each book, so it doesn't become monotonous.
ellieroth
Written on Jun 6, 2012
violetpeanut
Written on May 23, 2012
I love love loved entire cast of characters - starring and supporting both. Many of them were really funny. The only character I didn't like was the villain Serafine. She was evil but her character wasn't really developed enough to be satisfying to me.
I still have unanswered questions
What's going on with Ethan's mom? How did Lena make the moon disappear? What kind of power (if any) does Ethan have? but I'm guessing those will be answered as the series continues.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely check out the next in the series.
Linda
Written on Oct 25, 2010