#YAWednesdays #Review Beautiful Creatures byBeautiful Creatures on December 1st, 2009
Pages: 563
Format: Audiobook
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

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.

YAwendseday

 

 

 

I don’t know about any of you, but I always try to read the book before watching the movie version. I had no idea about these books until I heard about the movie. So, even though I could have gotten a physical copy, I chose the audiobook for that long ride to work. I’m so glad I did! I immensely enjoyed the narrating and even the special sound effects.

Let’s talk about the characters. Ethan reminds me so much of my husband. A tender-hearted male who reads emotions so well, loves books, and is such a gentleman. It just made me fall for Ethan so easily. Lena is a sweet girl with an unfortunate past and future. Afraid every day of what she will become, she counts down until her sixteenth birthday. Written to be a good mix of gothic and punk in style, her heart is worn not on her sleeve but all over the walls of her room. I look forward to seeing her develop in the next novel, Beautiful Darkness.

My favorite character, though, has got to be Amma. I love her witty humor, southern hold on life, and quirky spiritual nature. As I listened to this, I applauded Kevin T. Collins for his adept way to bring out Amma’s southern drawl.

This is a long, but light read. Maybe I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should, but it didn’t seem too deep of a novel. I liked the story and got swept up in the dramatic climax and the end really caught me off guard in a very good way (don’t worry, I won’t reveal anything). Even though I really enjoyed the reading of this, I might still pull the book off the shelves and read it on my own!

The Book HeroineFTC Disclaimer

four-stars