Review: Beautiful Creatures

Finally! I'm getting around to writing my review for Beautiful Creatures! Yay! There's really no reason I haven't done this yet. I've been done with the book for a while now. The hubs and I have been pretty busy living life and making memories so that has hindered me some I'm sure. Also, I've gone back to night shift and it always takes me a couple of weeks to really get back into the groove of whatever is "normal" when you are keeping vampire hours.

• Title: Beautiful Creatures
• Series: Caster Chronicles
• Author: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance
• Source: Purchased
• Fave Quote(s):

"Everything means somethin'. Don't try to change somethin' wild into somethin' tame." (Amma, page 369)

"I waited to hear the diagnosis for the mental illness Mrs. Lincoln thought Lena suffered from--the state of being different." (Ethan, page 397).

"The thing about fate is, are you the master of your fate, or are the stars?" (Marian, page 420) 

~~~

More info from Goodreads on Beautiful Creatures.

I've known about the Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles) books for years but I just hadn't got around to reading them. I met the authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl at Yall Fest this past year (see below photo) and I knew I'd read the book sometime and with movie coming out the time was right. (See my movie review here.)

I really enjoyed Beautiful Creatures. I thought it was great that the story is told from a teenage boy's, Ethan, perspective. It seems that a lot of YA books or at least the ones I read have female main characters. I found that this change was refreshing and just as romantic as one could hope for.

As I have mentioned before, I'm from the South, y'all! So I loved that I could really picture the setting in my head. I loved that I could really imagine the type of place Gatlin would be. And as much as I love my home and I don't know how it is other places, I know we have tended to shun the unfamiliar, odd, unusual, or different around here. So again, I could really picture how Lena, and Macon too, was treated in a small town. We can all use a reminder not to judge and bully others just because they don't seem to be like us. (Major points for Beautiful Creatures for making us think and challenging us to accept more and hate less!) 

Beautiful Creatures was also literally an inspiring read for me. As I was reading there were many different things I was excited to recreate on my own. For one inspiration look back on that movie review. 

Next, there was mention of buttermilk pie in the book (page 27 in my copy). I wasn't familiar with buttermilk pie but it sounded Southern enough to me and I asked around found that yes this was a dessert and that many grand-mamas have made it plenty. I was assured that it tasted nothing of buttermilk (yuck!) and that it's easy to make! So I was in. Um. Y'all. It's sooooo good and sooooo easy! 

(Just search for "buttermilk pie" online, there are tons of recipes but they are all really similar and I really don't think you can go wrong on this one. The hubs LOVED it and is begging for us to make it again soon!)

Lastly, and probably more common, as I was reading I decided I HAD to have my very own Lena necklace! So I read the description carefully in the book and looked around online for what others had done. Then I made my own and I was very pleased with my results. I wore it when we went to see the movie. I love that it was Lena inspired and yet totally Alli too since I hand-picked my pieces and collected a few of my items from my beloved family members. (BIG thanks to my sis for finding a flattened penny from the zoo from ages ago!)

Me modeling my Lena necklace.

"They aren't really charms, just things that mean something to me." (Lena, page 146)

A "raven" for Lena's mom.

A black glass bead from Lena's aunt for luck.

A tab from a soda can tab like from Lena's first orange soda with her grandma.

The cameo "locket" Ethan found.

A red piece of yarn from Lena's sweater.

A bubble gum machine ring.

A little notebook (because that reminded me of how Lena's always writing in her journal).

Ethan's mom's paper clip star.

A flattened penny.

I gave Beautiful Creatures 4 out of 5 stars. If you are fan of the genre, you will most likely really enjoy this book. It's a good read with inspirations sprinkled throughout. It is on the longish side, almost 600 pages so it may not be a quick read. But I think it's more than worth the read. 

If you saw the movie and you're wondering if you should read the book, I'd say yes. The book has much more detail and therefore movie fans can delve deeper into the Caster world. I'm totally planning on reading the next book (Beautiful Darkness) in the series soon!

Have you read this one? Seen the movie yet? Have any of your own creations from this series? Let me know about them in the comments! If you have links to your projects I'd love to see them!