About Beautiful Creatures:
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.
Beautiful Creatures is the first book in a planned 5 book series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The setting takes place in the small town of Gatlin, South Carolina. The story is told by high school boy Ethan Wate, and the new girl in town Lena Duchannes.
Ethan falls for Lena, and they share a close, somewhat psychic connection. She lives in a spooky house with her uncle Macon, the town outcast. Lena is from a family of casters and the town is afraid of her.
The story is about Ethan and Lena’s relationship, uncovering secrets from the past, and trying to stop a curse that threatens them both.
The story is intertwined with stories from the past, as Ethan and Lena unravel the mysteries of their families and their connection.
I had read that this book was being made into a movie. And I can definitely see this translating well to the screen. The writing is very vivid and beautiful. It was also a nice change of pace to read a novel told by the male perspective.
I would give this 5 stars, except I thought the story could have been edited down a bit. But I enjoyed getting lost in this book, and look forward to the sequels.
3 Stars