Ethan Wate has lived in the same town his entire life, just like everyone else in Gatlin County. Nothing ever changes in Gatlin County where they still think the wrong side won the Civil War. Then Lena Duchannes, niece of Old Man Macon Ravenwood, arrives in town, and suddenly everything is changing.
Beautiful Creatures has been on my tbr list for awhile now, though I couldn’t remember how it had found its way there or what it was about. However it got there, I’m glad that it did.
I’ve been a little bit in love with the gothic novel ever since I read The Mysteries of Udolopho. Modern gothics don’t seem to be as popular, especially those that aren’t more horror than gothic, but Beautiful Creatures filled the hole inside my heart that I didn’t even realize was there.
The characters in this novel don’t necessarily feel realistic to me, but then again I’ve never visited down South. While they don’t feel realistic, they do feel REAL. I know this may seem like an odd distinction, but try to stick with me. I’ve never met someone like Amma Treadaue or the other residents of Gatlin County, but I think that if I were to, they would be exactly as described in this novel.
The setting is like a character all onto itself. Gatlin County. The South. The setting is so vibrant and alive I felt like I had travelled to another place. As much as we’re told that reading can transport you, unless a book is well-written it rarely does so. Beautiful Creatures definitely transports.
My one complaint is that the ending left quite a bit to be desired. The end of the book left me feeling cheated. I don’t mind being tricked. In fact, I LOVE being tricked, but the end wasn’t a clever trick. It felt more like a lie that was used simply to continue the story. I would have much preferred if this had been a standalone book with slightly more of a resolution.
Books with similar aspects
Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
recommended to gothic fans, romance fans, lovers of great settings and characters that will stick with you
not recommended to those who prefer shorter reads; this one has some length to it and it doesn’t push you along
Don’t just take my word for it!
“The writing of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is delicious. I felt while reading it that I could just smell Amma’s biscuits!” April @Good Books and Good Wine
“All in all, this book takes a bit of dedication to finish, but is easy to be absorbed into, and all in all is a good book, filled with symbolism, great characters, and original ideas.” Reut @ Reut Reads
This book is still on my TBR as well. I’m not usually a fan of gothic novels, but I’d definitely like to give this one a go. I am NOT comforted by your thoughts on the ending, though. I hate when endings are basically drawn out ON PURPOSE when it would have made more sense to the story for things to be wrapped up. Oh well. I’ll still check this one out soon. Need to read it before the movie comes out! (So that means I have a year or so. PERFECT.)
I just heard about the movie the other day. I am super excited!
I need to pull this one of the TBR at some point… I keep hearing from a lot of people that there’s a lot to like…
But that ending sounds like it would leave me with a sour taste in my mouth as well.
Yeah the ending is kinda sucky, but I just started the sequel, so maybe it will make up for it.
Amma is legit the best. And omg Ridley! And Lincoln! I love this book and the characters, and I liked book two as well, but I have not read Beautiful Chaos yet. Glad you enjoyed this one, and also I think it would have made a good standalone as well — had the ending been changed.
Just started the sequel. I’m liking it so far though I’m not that far in.
I like gothic novels so I’ll definitely have to check this one out at some point. Although I hate when authors write an ending a certain way just to continue the series. Not that I don’t like series – I just prefer when each book seems like it’s own entity.
Like…there’s some conclusion, but it just does this thing that upset me… I can’t explain it without spoiling XD