Do you ever feel like you know something or someplace like the back of your hand? Then something happens and you find out there’s a whole other side to the story. That’s how Ethan Wate feels in the book Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. In the book, Ethan lives in small southern town of Gatlin, where everything is the same, until Lena Duchannes moves in with her crazy recluse uncle. As the town laughing stock, Lena feels out of place in a town where everyone is the same. As Lena and Ethan get closer, they start to dig into the pasts of their families to uncover a dangerous mystery. But only if they can survive a deadly curse, a mob of cheerleaders, a town of crazy DAR women and a crazy witch that haunts Lena’s family.
So far I’m only about halfway through the book; to page 279. The book takes the view of Ethan, who has a particularly curious mind. His approach to leap without looking and follow his gut, instead of his head, is quite endearing. This comes out especially strong when he gets closer to Lena. When the others make fun of her, he’s the one that sits with her in class, gives her rides home and makes her feel better. Even when his friends start to question him, he stands his ground with her, making all of his friends, except Link, turn against him as well. His passion for the things he loves is something I admire, and something I think most people don’t have. This is especially apparent in Gatlin, where you’re not accepted if you aren’t a clone of the Gatlin cheerleaders. I commend Ethan for having the courage to stick up for what he believes in, despite the consequences.
From the minute I met Lena, I fell in love with her character. She is portrayed as a free spirit who does what she wants whenever. This is ironic, considering how much she tries to fit in. She is self-doubting, always telling herself that the family curse is going to happen to her, which makes people want to help her. At least Ethan does, when she finally breaks down and tells him what she is and what the curse will do to her. She is always putting her family and Ethan above herself, almost willing to give up to save them. She also believes she is a danger to them, especially Ethan who she can’t quite touch, and her uncle Macon, who’s now keeping secrets from her. She wants the truth, but she doesn’t understand why she can’t be normal, which is why she buries into herself. She cuts off all contact with the people she puts in harm’s way, no matter how much they want to help. Even when Ethan wants to help, she just pushes him away.
The book has many characters besides these two, but the one I love the most is Ethan’s best friend Link. Link is eccentric, but in a lovable way. He’s crazy, but loyal to Ethan when things get thick. He even stands up against his mother, who is one of the crazy DAR women who are hell-bent at getting Lena out of town. He seems over confident, especially about his music, and thinks he’s a huge ladies man. He isn’t. No matter how crazy Ethan seems to get, Link is with him to the end. Another character who is straight-up crazy is Amma. Amma is the one that takes care of Ethan, since his mother’s dead and his father’s a recluse. She gets him up, yells at him when he skips basketball practice to be with Lena and cooks all his meals. She can boss anyone is town around and no one stands up to her. She is the man, there’s no doubt about that. Although, it seems like Amma is working an angle she doesn’t want Ethan to catch. I can tell she knows more than she says she does. I just want to find out what it is.
The book is 563 pages. It’s a long book, and it takes patience to read because it moves a little slower than most books, but its worth it. It’s a great book so far. It keeps you reading because you want to find out what’s happening. The only thing is, when you do figure it out, another problem arises in the book, so it doesn’t end until you finish the book. Great strategy by the authors, you have my complements, to make you care about the characters and about what happens to them. I can’t wait to finish this book.
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