Book Review - Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

By Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures, a world of strange creatures, magic and imagination. This sounds like my kinda book before i even open up to the first page. 

I was hopeful for this book, something different after my last read. Beautiful Creatures is an easy read. Simple and not demanding in any way. Unfortunately this carried on through the entire book. I was left feeling un-challenged, un-involved and abit un-satisfied. 

I struggled with some parts from the beginning of the book. I mean, who suddenly figures out that they can talk telepathically with some weird person that just strolled into town?  Doesn't freak out, think they're going mental, ask about or even google it? I'm sorry, but No. This is Far too unrealistic, no human would ever react this way. I thought  the delivery and handling of this particular aspect was a big fat Fail!. 

Altogether the plot was abit predictable. There were no major twists or turns. No revealing of information that changed your perspective in any way. No surprise at the sequence of events. Altogether abit naff really!

I must also say that i hated Ethan's nickname for Lena. We had Hot Rod, Short Straw and even Shrinky Dink. They all made me smile. But "L", wtf?! This is unimaginative and simply damn-right annoying! It drove me insane. She has a lovely name already. A pet name or other affectionate term i could have put up with, but "L"?!?! I couldn't stand it that much i couldn't even read it as part of the dialogue. I'd rather be called Giraffe. Sorry guys but another very irritating big fat... FAIL!!!

The end chapters, if they weren't so easy to skim read, would have had me vomming over a bucket. Too sickly, too cheesy, too predictable, teeny and altogether un-believable. Some parts were like eating a cheese toastie with cheese sauce in and cheese on top. I don't mind abit of cheese, but this was cheese-tastic!

Beautiful creatures is a Teen-Read through-and-through. Teen love, teen disasters, teen-trying-to-be-grown-up ignorance. All abit blah blah blah. I prefer a more challenging read. Something abit more substantial and thought about. It was however, good for reading on my lunch-breaks! If you like a simple love-story sandwich with extra helpings of suffocating cheese in a super-natural setting, this is your book! 

I won't be rushing to read the second, third or fourth book in this series anytime soon. So please don't be expecting my next review to be any of these. I can't say that i didn't enjoy it,  it was OK! But i wouldn't choose to read it again and do not feel any pull to begin on the next ones. 

All this aside, i am looking forward to seeing what they did with the movie, as i haven't yet seen it! Although i havn't heard good reviews at all. And yes, i do often live in a cave (sometimes). My cave includes my hug-in-a-mug (hot beverage), cushions, a book and not having to talk to anyone! 

I have listed some sections of the book that i did enjoy. Although i have to say, these two pages were the only two pages which i can say i got-in-to. The rest was just light entertainment in a genre i generally enjoy. 

Quotes from the book:

"I picked up a book... I opened it, burying my face in the smell of the pages."

Ethan quoting Richard Wilbur: "'What's the opposite of two? A lonely me, a lonely you.'"

'"I can only give you the books. I can't give you the answers." But she smiled, all the same.'

"Back when they had funny hair and ugly pants, and you could see the happiness on their faces."