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The Cupertino Library will be closed Monday, October 25 & Tuesday, October 26 for RFID equipment installation.Beautiful Creatures
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In a small South Carolina town, where it seems little has changed since the Civil War, sixteen-year-old Ethan is powerfully drawn to Lena, a new classmate with whom he shares a psychic connection and whose family hides a dark secret that may be revealed on her sixteenth birthday.
Ethan - (Male) Raised by his distant father and a housekeeper; falls in love in Lena
Lena - (Female) New in town; discovers buried locket giving her Civil War era visions
Kirkus Reviews
This smart, textured and romantic Southern Gothic takes place in Gatlin, S.C., where cheerleaders and the basketball team run the high school and the Daughters of the American Revolution and Civil War re-enactors run the town. Ethan Lawson Wate, raised by his authoritative and spiritually inclined housekeeper Amma in the months since his mother's death, can't wait to leave Gatlin's predictable monotony. Then Stonewall Jackson High's first new student in years, headstrong, vulnerable and expressive Lena Duchannes, shows up driving her reclusive uncle's hearse, and Ethan recognizes her from his dreams. Compelled to explore his connection to the new girl, Ethan learns that Lena's family are magic Casters and that Lena's supernatural fate will be chosen for her when she turns 16. Community outrage, emotional tension and Lena and Ethan's doomed search for a way around her uncertain destiny build to a boil in the expansive but tightly plotted march toward Lena's 16th birthday. Ethan's wry narrative voice will resonate with readers of John Green as well as the hordes of supernatural-romance fans looking for the next book to sink their teeth into. (Paranormal romance. 12 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Summaries
I liked this book. It was interesting, the paranormal aspects were fairly unique, and I love a story with a long family history like this one has.
But I just liked it. It never grabbed me and demanded that I keep reading. I think, mostly, this was because the pacing was off. There was too much time during the story when I was relaxed and not worried about whether the characters were going to get out of trouble. Sure, there were intense moments when I was glued to the pages, but then things slowed down too much and I was lulled into a strange sense of security. This made it too easy to set the book down.
Beautiful Creatures is a good story. I think it could have been great if it had been shorter, which would have increased the tension and kept the reader glued to the pages through the whole story. Or, at least, if it had a bit more depth to it with the characters and setting.
Overall, the only thing that really set it apart was the paranormal aspect, which was really interesting and unique. Unfortunately, it's not enough.
Quotes
“Mortals. I envy you. You think you can change things. Stop the universe. Undo what was done long before you came along. You are such beautiful creatures.”
“You watch yourself, one day you're gonna pickc a hole in the sky and the universe is gonna fall right through. Then we'll all be in a fix – Amma to Ethan”
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I am a avid reader, and thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. The background and setting of the story is real, could be anywhere. The characters are just as real too, when you read it you will relate to the emotions, not all but some of them. therefore you bond with the characters. I thought the ending was perfect. Already knowing there is a sequeal. And the way it ends, i can't wait to read the next installment.
I'm glad I decided to finally take this book off of my sister's bookshelf. Because it really is amazing.
Beautiful Creatures is told from the point of view of Ethan Wate, a sixteen-year-old boy living in the small town of Gatlin in South Carolina. Nothing much changes in Gatlin. But then Lena Duchannes moves to town, the niece of the local shut-in. Ethan is immediately drawn to Lena, because he's seen her before. In his dreams.
One of the reasons I liked this book so much is because it is so unlike anything else out there. Garcia and Stohl have created a completely different world. No vampires. No werewolves. Something brand new and very scary, yet so exciting.
I also really enjoyed the male narration. It's always fun to get a look at what the guy is feeling in a story such as this. And Ethan is a complicated character. I really like him. I think any girl could easily fall in love with him, because he is so ordinary. And yet so extraordinary.
This book is long. And it does start off slow. But it was never boring. I kind of didn't want it to end. It was like an adventure. You can just sort of slip into this book. It just rolls along at a steady pace. I can only imagine the amount of planning that must have gone in to creating this book. What a masterpiece. I am really looking forward to the next installment in this series.
ok so iown this book got it chistmas da y its a horror/love/pain kinda noval theres lot of betrayal in it ALSO THE SECOND BOOK beautiful darknees comes out october 12th
I found this one to be a quality example of the much-loved teen gothic genre. It was entertaining and well written.
When I first read this I literally couldn't put it down, and once I was done I went through serious withdrawal.....now I'm not really sure why i was like that. I mean it was good, but the end was horrid.....it just ended. I'm not giving anything away here. It was ended knowing there will be more, but it just needed more to the end. But a definite must read.
I enjoyed this book and found the different complex characters interesting, I enjoyed how the love story was allowed to develop but I didn't like the ending at all which is why I only gave it 3 stars. I also found the story dragged on. 563 pages could have something to do with it.
LOL I loved this book ALOT! ALOT ALOT ALOT! I LOVED ETHAN! He made me laugh so hard with his thoughts... ! :D
Are you in the mood for a paranormal southern gothic set in a contemporary small town in South Carolina? Beautiful Creatures has a good balance of foreboding nightmares, high school social politics, an ancient curse and buttermilk pie. Ethan fell in love with Lena, the girl of his dreams, before he had ever met her. Then, he recognized her at school, where she was a new student. Lena comes from a long line of witches. Ethan is a mortal. Their feelings for each other are dangerous in ways they don't fully understand.
I liked that the story is told from Ethan's point of view because that kept the romance element - which is crucial to the plot - from being too emotional for my taste. Ethan and Lena are misfits so sympathetically portrayed that it's everyone else in the school who seems freakishly normal. Recommended to fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Grade 8 - up.
Too much hype over this awful book. Extremely boring with very annoying and dull characters. I had to force myself to read to the end...and for what..nothing...It left me with a blah feeling.
This book was truly wonderful. I love the characters. They were relatable and funny. The plot was fast paced and I found it hard to put the book down.
I don't know how I will be able to wait a year for the next one!
I would (and have) strongly recommend this book to my family and friends.