“Some loves are meant to be…others are cursed.

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. 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.”

From the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES WEBSITE

There’s nothing I love more than a story that still speaks to me days after I’ve read the last page. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have crafted just that with BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.

Ethan Wate is observant, a truth-teller about the way things are in his small town. A town he’s ready to escape. Gatlin isn’t just the setting in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES – it’s another character. The descriptions of the South live and breathe, seducing us into the story with promises of mysterious secrets from both the present and hundreds of years ago.

From interactions with his three elderly aunts (who are absolutely hilarious) to the respect he shows to Amma, the housekeeper who helped raise him, we see that Ethan understands family duty and loyalty. Only one thing challenges that loyalty.

Lena Duchannes, rhymes with rain.

Lena is the niece of Macon Ravenwood, Gatlin’s most notorious recluse. From the moment Lena arrives in Gatlin, she doesn’t have a chance. The house she lives in with her uncle is referred to as the Haunted Mansion. To make matters worse, she drives around in his hearse. Neither of these things fly in Gatlin - especially with the high school crowd. Lena is immediately an outcast. That doesn’t stop Ethan from putting himself on the line for her in front of his friends.

Everything changes on the day Ethan blacks out in class and has a dream he’s had before, a dream about a girl …

I don’t want to ruin the story so I’ll keep the rest of the review spoiler free. If you love paranormal romance, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is for you. Garcia and Stohl are masters at their craft, writing seamless prose that never once pulls the reader out of the story. The details are rich, creating a world that’s easily believable and instantly comfortable. The pace is perfect, building tension at just the right speed. The characters are my favorite aspect of the story; even the most minor are perfectly rounded and three-dimensional.

Beautiful Creatures receives the highest of high recommendations –I have a paperback Advanced Reader Copy, but will be buying it in hardback for my personal library. And good news! Not only is there a sequel, movie rights have been sold!

Five Stars

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