Review Detail

Reader reviewed by The Bookshelf Sophisticate

Romeo and Juliet appear to have had it easy in comparison to Ethan and Lena in Beautiful Creatures. They not only have their families telling them to steer clear of each other, but they're also dealing with humans vs. casters (a.k.a. witches) in this struggle. Talk about your star crossed lovers tale, but how does this one end you ask? Are they to suffer the same fate as Romeo and Juliet? Or will they find a way to defy the odds stacked against them? I'm not telling of course...read on people! And boy was it ever a struggle! Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl know just how to write the twists and turns, joys and heartaches to keep their readers not knowing what to expect with every turn of the page. They had me hook, line and sinker without a clue as to what the outcome would be until the very end.
Our main characters were set in a small town in the south and one that has very old ways. We're talking extremely conservative here people. But Ethan and Lena weren't alone while trying to beat the clock and squeak out a happy ending for everyone involved. Lena's family was one of my favorite parts of the story. Her uncle Macon (the town recluse) was entertaining and mysterious of course, and he kept my attention throughout. Ethan's close but yet strange relationship with Amma won her a place in my heart - she was scary with her charms and voodoo, but her love for Ethan overpowered my fear of her. But that's not to say you should underestimate Amma, if Macon Ravenwood doesn't square off with her, what chance would I have? With the rest of the Ravenwood/Duchannes family making surprise appearances, along with our lovable librarian friend Marion Ashcroft, this book had a wonderful cast of characters to call it's own.
Although the story was slow in parts for me, I think the action scenes were very much filled with suspense and the right amount of thrills. I'm hoping the second installment in the Caster Chronicles, Beautiful Darkness will have more action and substance now that Beautiful Creatures has laid out all the groundwork for us. We've got the background now and we're ready for more of this world that Garcia and Stohl have created.