Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures, Book 1

By: Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

The first book in the instant New York Times best-selling gothic fantasy series; a modern paranormal romance set against the gothic backdrop of an isolated southern town.

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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2009 Kami Garcia (P)2009 Hachette

liked it a lot

i wasnt sure about this book before i read it, but i am glad that i did give it a try.

Ok story. Hated the sound effects

The story was ok, what really made me dislike it was the sound effects (like the constant rain) & the song they kept playing. The book also has soooo much repetition in the dialogue. Gets old after awhile.

Great! Very engaging and well written!

If you could sum up Beautiful Creatures in three words, what would they be?

Fun, Intriguing, and Sweet

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ethan. Very well written, especially for two female adult writers.

Which scene was your favorite?

Probably the dance. Riddley is a lot of fun.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Claim yourself.

Any additional comments?

This is a great little ride for anyone who wants to escape back into the fantasies you had as a teenager. It's well-written so adults will enjoy the story, and the characters are easy to connect to. It's not Shakespeare or anything, but it's a fun journey. I'll definitely read the second book.

The plot has a lot of really creative details, which is especially interesting if you're into witch craft or the occult. However, it's written in a non-threatening way, so no one should feel like they're getting "converted". Plus, if you're Southern or have spent time in the South, you'll get a familiar kick out of the way that the authors present the small South Caroline town and its members.

Sound Effects.....Really.....?

I really enjoyed the story. The narrator was good. He was very well spoken and really helped to immerse you into the story. That being said, I did not like the production of this audio version of Beautiful Creatures. There were sound effects and music throughout the story that greatly distracted from the narrator's performance and the entire experience. It made it difficult to get through the story. I am glad that I stuck with it, but I probably would have preferred to read it rather then listen given the strangeness of the sound effects.

Well done!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The story is nothing out of this world, but it's interesting enough to keep you listening.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alma, the housekeeper is your traditional black southern overprotective wanna be mom. Too funny.

Have you listened to any of Kevin T. Collins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this is my first one, but I love his narrations and characters... A+

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, if I could I would have.

Any additional comments?

Between the amazing narration and the story you have quite an entertaining book here. I really enjoyed it.

Love torn teens against the odd try to save other!

Would you consider the audio edition of Beautiful Creatures to be better than the print version?

I never read the printed version and after listening to the audio I never will. It's a classic Romeo and Juliet story if Juliet had magic powers and Romeo was merely human. Still it's not an awful story. It keeps you just enough interested that you want to get to the end even if it's a little predictable. I am not sure I would be willing to sit through a book two of this series though, I am not sure there is anything left to say. Yes there mystery as Ian builds the mystery out of mostly his dreams and talking to his girlfriend about how and the if's of spellcasters and the meaning of her kind of curse. Is she destined to go black or could she go white. Honestly I didn't really care that much the way the story was told.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I guess Ian was because he was the story teller of the story and you saw the story through a 17 year old hormonal teenage boy. Who was a little bit more than your average jock air head and was a deep thinker. He always thought before acting which is different from most 17 year hormonal driven teenage boys I have known in my life.

Which character – as performed by Kevin T. Collins – was your favorite?

He had a good southern accent that went with Ian and made his story a little more to your liking but honestly in parts because the story dragged in some places and was predictable in others it wasn't his narration that was the downfall of the story. But don't take me the wrong way I still gave it 4 stars so it was awful either.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

To ill fate teens must cross the boundaries between the human and magic worlds to maintain there love. Or something as equally corny like that.

Any additional comments?

I gave this audio book 4 stars. But I was being generous. It's not awful and is interesting in places. I actual did enjoy most of it when it wasn't a classic Romeo/Juliet teenage angst romance novel. Other than that the magic paranormal parts were interesting and imaginative. I like the librarian best in the story. Over I call it a 4 star book.

Amazing book

At first I didn't know if I would like this book but I like to try out new things. It has an amazing story line and plot I absolutely love it will be getting the series

Wish I read it years before

This book has been on my "to read list" for 11 years. Wish I read it sooner.

Powerful

I found the book to be hauntingly powerful as you feel their connection grow stronger pulling the reader in.

Great!! Trust me.

Ok, at first I was really considering if I should buy it or not because of all the negative reviews I read, also it's 17 hours long. But since some of my favorite authors recommend this book I decided to give it a try. It turns out to be very good. I thought it was going to be slow, but actually it's fast paced and exciting from the beginning. If you like mystery, this is the best choice. Very additive and kept me from doing my homework. Just couldn't stop listening.