Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Darkness
Author:Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
Release Date: December 1, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 
The Caster Chronicles Book #1
ISBN:  0316042676
ISBN13: 9780316042673
Genre: Young Adult

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.

This was a neat unique story. I liked that the story was told through a male POV, I dont think I have read anything from an exclusive male POV before and it was a nice change. Although there was always something happening in the book I did find my self "mind wandering" at points because It wasn't keeping me in the pages. I think somethings kinda just went on and on and got a little bit slow at some points throughout the book. I enjoyed the characters as well as the southern setting. The author did a great job with bringing me into Ethan's world. The mental connection between Ethan and Lena was interesting. You dont really find out why they have the connection though so I'm hoping that it is explained more in book 2 BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS. The ending makes it perfectly clear that Ethan and Lena's struggles are far from over but doesn't leave you hanging with a huge cliffhanger. I think most YA fans will enjoy BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.

I gave it a 3/5 stars