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

Excellent except for all the background noise.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this book. The only thing I have to complain about is all of the background noise. I do not mind a little suspenseful music from time to time, but I just felt that there were a few too many sound effects added in this recording. I will listen to it again despite the sound effects as I really liked the story and am sure I missed a few things.

Enjoyable

The male narrator was fantastic but I wasn't so crazy about the narrator for the chapter told from Lena's POV. Overall it was an enjoyable listen and I'm sure I'll continue the series.

love it

litterrally my favorite book, and im a 17 year old dude.. recommended 10/10 can't wait to finish the next one

Disappointed

Wanted to read the series but this one made me change my mind. I enjoyed the movie better.

Great Reader- So So Story

What did you like best about Beautiful Creatures? What did you like least?

Even though the story is predictable, the reader gets the southern accent so good it makes you feel like your there. By the end of the story you actually begin to care for the characters, which makes you want to read the next one.

excellent

great book, could have used a bit Better accents though. but still good!

not an Oscar performance

Would you try another book from Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and/or Kevin T. Collins?

No I wouldn't

What was one of the most memorable moments of Beautiful Creatures?

I loved the reading the book myself the characters came to life for me

What didn’t you like about Kevin T. Collins’s performance?

The southern accent seemed fake

Was Beautiful Creatures worth the listening time?

No, it was the first time I wanted to get my money back on audible

Any additional comments?

Won't make this mistake again

Can't wait to hear the rest of this series!

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

Entertaining, amazing and utterly delightful!

What did you like best about this story?

From the fantastic story, excellent narration, engaging characters and the inclusion of subtle sound effects and music, this audio book has too many great features to choose one and say it was better than the others. They all combined to capture me from the very beginning, and never let me go. I didn't listen to this book; I experienced it. There aren't enough stars to accurately rate this one.

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

While I loved the two main characters, my favorite is bad girl, Ridley. It's easy to root for the good guys and against the bad in most stories. There are a few characters in this book that aren't easily pigeonholed. Ridley's definitely dark with a sassy and saucy "since I'm headed to hell I might as well enjoy the ride down" attitude. Her cheeky humor and trademark lollipop cracked me up and the glimpses of girl she used to be made me feel for her.

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

It's too long to listen to in one sitting but I would have loved to. This was one of those "listen to in the car, while making dinner, doing housework and ANY you can until it's done" books.

Any additional comments?

I have an extensive collection of audio books in a variety of different genres and this is my absolute favorite. The movie didn't do it any justice.

A Good "Listen" Even If You're Over 16

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

This is my first time with this narrator and he did a great job voicing all of the characters and giving the big names their own voices where they were immediately recognizable even if they hadn't appeared in a few hours.

Any additional comments?

I had never heard of the book prior to seeing the trailer and while I've joked with friends that it's like Twilight, it's not. While the plot centers on Lena and Ethan it isn't purely about them trying to figure life out around who they are as a couple and both are very developed and vulnerable.

I love the other rich characters in this book that also provides insight on the two main characters.

Twilight-Like but with Witches

Would you listen to Beautiful Creatures again? Why?

No I probably will not read again, but I look forward to the movie.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the Southern setting, the witches powers, and the mystery behind Lena's 16th birthday.

What does Kevin T. Collins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I liked the performance, southern accents and all.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some parts made me laugh, some parts I could not stop reading.

Any additional comments?

I did not like the ending.