Book Review of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I did something they say never do, watch the movie before I reading the book.  After watching the movie, which I actually liked.  I just had to read the book.  Mainly because of the cliffhanger in the movie.  I am really glad I saw the movie, because if I hadn't I might not have picked up this book!

Originally I expected the movie to be pretty close to the book, and I almost thought about skipping Beautiful Creatures, and jumping straight to Beautiful Darkness.  Thank goodness sense came to me and I decided to read Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl first!  The book and the movie are so different.

I absolutely love the South!  I love the way the people in the South talk, their antebellum or plantation homes and sweet country life. I love learning about the Civil War, and visiting places that have Civil War significance.  So I guess it was a given that I was going to absolutely love this book, because this book is stocked full of both of these fabulosities.

Ethan Wate has lived in Gatlin County his entire life, as did his parents and their parents and so on.  Nothing changes in Gatlin and he hates that.  He can't wait until he turns eighteen and can move away.  The problem is, he still has two more years to go.  The only thing new about Ethan's life, is the fact that he's been having these weird dreams of a beautiful girl that he has never met.

Life seems like it will always be the same, that was until Lena Duchannes moved into town.  Lena moves in with her uncle into one of the oldest plantations in Gatlin.  Which also happens to be the uncle no one in town will speak of, and the towns southern hospitality has never been extended to.
Lena wants a normal life, to be a normal fifteen year old in high school.   She has high hopes of the new move and new possibilities it could bring to her life.  However, the kids in Gatlin decide differently, immediately putting a target on her back.  Weird and creepy is the name of that target.
Then she meets Ethan, and an immediate connection between the two grows.  Especially since he realizes Lena is the girl of his dreams, literally.

Finally things in Gatlin start to change, and Ethan has a connection to a girl who is filled with surprises and deep old family secrets.  Their paths collide and friendships begin, as Lena's countdown to what she assumes will be the end of life as she knows it ticks down.

This is a fast paced book, and I absolutely loved it SOOOO much more than the movie!  In this Gothic story Beautiful Creatures is fast paced as Ethan and Lena try to uncover curses, black and white magic and avoid death at the same time.  I've already got the sequel on hold at the library because I can't wait to read what happens next!  This is a bit longer book at 563 pages, but even at that I still read this in two days.  It was hard to put down, captivating my attention bringing me into the roots of the south with a vivid and highly imaginary story line.
This is a YA, but any age would enjoy this!  I can't wait to read what happens next!!!