Countdown: May 2013

So for me and most others, May marks the beginning of Summer, Memorial Day weekend has always been a favorite of mine.  Friends and I have always headed down to the beach and spent the weekend basking in the sun (hopefully), enjoying the beach and getting excited that Summer is here and it means the end of cold weather, the start of vacations for most, and a lot of other good things.  Last year it marked the beginning of wedding season for my friends and me as a member of their wedding parties.  While that was a lot of fun it was also complete craziness and didn't leave a lot of time for reading and checking out new books to review.  This year I'm hoping and crossing my fingers that I'll get a real vacation in and a whole lot of quality time with my books and hopefully a lot of these future new releases scheduled to hit the shelves!

Countdown Pick #1:  Icons (Icons, #1) by Margaret Stohl (05/07/2013)

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

I love the sound of this one!  Hello, new dystopian series, yay!  I've always been a fan of Stohl's writing and now with this new series I think my fandom might just have gone up another notch and I haven't even cracked the cover.  I will definitely be adding this title to my shelves as soon as it becomes available.

Countdown Pick #2:  The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr (05/07/2013)

Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.

That was all before she turned fourteen.

Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside the exclusive world of privileged San Francisco families, top junior music competitions, and intense mentorships. The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It's about finding joy again, even when things don't go according to plan. Because life isn't a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.

Doesn't this one sound like a journey you guys all want to witness for yourselves?  That's how I felt when I first read this book's description.  I'll admit that I've always had a large respect and a healthy dose of interest in all thing music related.  Not much in the musically talented department myself, I've always envied concert level musicians and enjoy going to as many performances as I can get to.  So the chance to see inside this world and all that goes into it is a chance that I won't be able to pass up.

Countdown Pick #3:  Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield (05/07/2013)

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England.

“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.

When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.

Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…

Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

Sign me up please!  I love this kind of read that's chalk full of mystery and intrigue, not to mention maybe the possibility of some romance too?  Regardless if there is romance blooming or not, this short teaser has me hooked and I'm wishing May wasn't so far away so I could dive right in.

Countdown Pick #4:  The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble (05/14/2013)

“I found out two things today. One, I think I’m dying. And two, my brother is a perv.”

So begins the diary of 14-year-old Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad eighth-grade year. Her single mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was eight. Her 16-year-old brother, Casey, tries to hold together what’s left of the family by working two after-school jobs— difficult, as he’s stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead.

Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her. Beatified. Literally. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that Casey didn’t survive the accident at all. He’s an “A-word.” (She can’t bring herself to utter the truth.) Soon they discover that Jenna isn’t just dying: she’s being poisoned. And Casey has been sent back to help solve the mystery that not only holds the key to her survival, but also to their mother’s mysterious depression and father’s disappearance.

Normally I don't delve into reads where the main characters aren't at least of high school age, they're just normally not my thing.  But I couldn't resist adding this one to my countdown for May for several reasons.  The characters sound witty, there seems like there could be some dry humor thrown around which I love, and then there's the mystery and apparently dangerous person on the loose that readers will get to tag along while these characters do their best to solve the crime before it's too late.

Countdown Pick #5:  The End Games by T. Michael Martin (05/07/2013)

It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.

Goodreads has a giveaway of five advanced copies of this future release going on right now!  The last teaser for this book hits the nail on the head.  I was sold when we're told that we can look forward to action, emotional insight and unexpected romance.  I'm worried this book may in fact give me nightmares, but I'll take that chance this time around!

Countdown: 2012 Releases (16)

While I've been doing a pretty great job keeping up with my reading (if I do say so myself) while balancing all the craziness that is going on around me, there is never a shortage of books, it seems, that I'm looking forward to hitting the shelves. So I've got quite a few countdown posts in the works for this week and maybe even next week, because there just doesn't seem to be an end in sight for all the great titles that have still yet to be released this year. I can only imagine what 2013 will turn out to be like.

I've got a whole bunch of series' that I've fallen in love with and I'm aching to see how the authors will continue their adventures in future installments. Lots will hopefully be coming out next year, but for now, the new releases schedule for the rest of this year are more than enough than I can handle right now. I try to fly through a few books a week on my downtime, and I am a fast reader, but even I'm having a hard time. How does everyone do it? This is why I know my TBR list will forever continue to grow and never shrink!

Countdown Pick #1: Whispers At Moonrise (Shadow Falls, #4) by C.C. Hunter (10/02/2012)

A breathtaking new installment of the bestselling Shadow Falls series for young adults by rising star C. C. Hunter!

At a camp filled with vampires, werewolves, and fairies, Kylie Galen has always struggled to figure out what she is. Now she finally knows the truth—but she's left with more questions than answers. She doesn’t have a clue what her heritage means or how to harness her new found powers. All she knows is that she needs to sort out her feelings for Derek, the sexy half-Fae who just confessed his love, and Lucas, her werewolf boyfriend who seems more committed to his pack than to their relationship. All the while, Kylie's dealing with a group of underground rogues who want her dead and a mysterious grandfather who makes it clear he doesn’t trust the FRU . . . or Shadow Falls. Soon Kylie will have to choose: Will she stay with the new family she’s formed at Shadow Falls, or will she leave with her grandfather and embrace her destiny?

You guys know how big of a fan I am of this series. I've devoured each and every installment and I'm always left wishing the next installment was available to continue on in Hunter's journey. But sadly I am left waiting with the other readers for the next release date that always seems so far away. But that's also how you can separate a good book from a great book. If you're always shouting more, more...than you've found yourself a great book, and you need to spread the word. This series had me hooked from the start, and I'm going to be crossing my fingers that I get to check this one out sooner rather than later...hopefully I can hold out for it's release date!

Countdown Pick #2: Tilt by Ellen Hopkins (09/11/2012)

TILT is the story of three teens inter-related through their parents' family relationships and friendships. As their parents pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the kids' worlds tilt, through love--good and bad:

Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year, and decides to keep the baby?

Shane turns sixteen that same summer, and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister's impending death. Can he accept Alex's love, knowing his life, too, will be shortened?

Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.

Talk about having issues to resolve and obstacles to overcome, right? Hopkins seems to be stepping out of her normal genre and bringing readers what sounds like a very realistic taken on three teens' lives and what all they must face on a day to day basis. While it doesn't sound like a book that will be fun and easy to fly through, it sounds like it has the makings of a page turner, and one that could make everyone stop and think and maybe reevaluate what's truly important in our lives.

Countdown Pick #3: Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (10/23/2012)

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

The end is finally here. I wasn't sure how many installment the authors had planned for this series, but now I've got my answer. With this final installment, readers are sure to be put through their paces. These authors never cease to amaze me with how quickly they can get me involved in their writing and how I'm always left on the edge of my seat wondering what could possibly happen next, haven't these characters been through enough? I guess this time around, the authors will be wrapping things up and hopefully Lena and Ethan will get themselves the happy ending they deserve...but if they do I'm sure the authors will have definitely made them work for it.

Countdown Pick #4: Mystic City (Mystic City, #1) by Theo Lawrence (10/09/2012)

For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided. A political rebellion ignited. A love that was meant to last forever.

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

With a description like that I knew I didn't stand a chance! I of course am a huge fan of The Hunger Games and Matched series....who isn't? So if this book and series turn out to be even half as good as the two it's being compared to, than I think it sounds like we've got ourselves a winner, don't you think? I'm loving how this one sounds like there will be a fantastic mix of action and suspense, love and romance, and mystery and intrigue. I'm always up for a challenge, and the idea of our main character struggling to figure out what happened to her memories and to get them back, not to mention all that is going on around her? Sign me up for sure! Can't wait until it's release date!

Countdown Pick #5: Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini (10/30/2012)

Life altering mistakes are meant to alter lives…

When Elliot dies for the third time, she knows this is her last shot. There are no fourth-timers in this afterlife, so one more chance is all she has to get things right. But before she can move on to her next life, Elliot will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed… and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the mistakes of her past, Elliot must earn the forgiveness of her best friend and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

Did you guys ever read The Five People You Meet In Heaven? I did and while it was a tough read to get through (not very upbeat obviously) it's always stayed with me in a lot of ways. This book's description sounds very close to them central focus in that book as well. I always find it interesting when people give their versions of what they think will happen when we pass on, and while I'm not saying that this is what Sabatini's take on that is, she's putting a unique spin on the ways things might go. So the idea that this character must go through these trials and tribulations in order to find her peace is something I'm very much looking forward to checking out for myself.

Countdown: Series Edition

I've come to realize that when I find a book I've truly enjoyed or characters who have touched my heart, that I don't want to say goodbye just because the book has ended. For these reasons and so many more, I'm a huge fan of a good series. I know there are readers out there who don't think there's a reason to continue the story, they think the novel is good enough as a stand alone and I can understand that. But for me, when there are no quick goodbyes or feelings of disappointment due to a lack of closure, it just gives me something else to look forward to. With a series the story goes on, the characters continue to grow and the fun carries on. Here are just a few of the upcoming releases that are parts of series' that I've come to love and get excited about.

Countdown Pick #1: Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles, #3) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl (10/18/11)

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.
Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

I was honestly hoping that this time around Lena and Ethan may have things a little easier. Silly I know, but this is the third installment in the Beautiful Creatures series and they've been through so much already. But based on the book's description I'm worried. Not only do their problems seem to be bigger than ever, but the authors have come right out and said there will be no happy ending. Ouch! I may have to psych myself up or harden myself up before starting this installment.

Countdown Pick #2: Fever (The Chemical Garden, #1) by Lauren DeStefano (February 2012)


Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but they’re still in danger. Outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they left behind. Determined to get to Manhattan and to find Rhine’s twin brother Rowan, the two press forward, amidst threats of being captured again . . . or worse.

The road they are on is long and perilous—and in a world where young women only live to age 20 and men die at age 25, time is precious. In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price—now that she has more to lose than ever.

After reading Wither, I was convinced that dystopian novels could now be listed under favorites for me. DeStefano had me connecting with her characters almost immediately and I couldn't put her book down. I'm hoping this installment puts readers at ease, at least a little after the cliff hanger the series opener left us with. But Rhine and Gabriel are not out of the woods yet and I'm looking forward to seeing what they do next.

Countdown Pick #3: Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (1/10/11)
The highly anticipated sequel to Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.

It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

I adore Beth and her writing has always been fun and manages to pique my interest. I don't know many readers who didn't enjoy her series opener, not to mention who didn't want to get their hands on this sequel. I can't wait to see what Jessica and Lucius' lives are like now. It seems that married bliss is not quite attainable for these two quite yet and now Jessica's got to do the protecting, the investigating, and the rescuing all on her own. I'm curious to see how she fares.

Countdown Pick #4: Betrayed (Guardian Legacy, #2) by Ednah Walters
Lil has come to terms with her life as a Guardian/demon hunter and the wielder of the Nephilim most powerful weapon. She trains everyday to master her growing powers, gets along with her Guardian trainee friends (most of the time) and cherishes her moments with her human friends.

Just when she feels she belongs, her nature-bender father contacts her and warns her about a betrayal by someone close to her. Then Bran, the guy she loves, starts to act strange and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability. While Lil struggles find a connection between these three things, she begins to realize that someone is manipulating her and Bran, and will stop at nothing (including hurting those she loves) to lure them to the dark side.
When Ednah contacted me last year and introduced her book Awakened, to me, I figured why not? The cover didn't thrill me but I let that slide. I can't tell you how glad I was that I gave this series a chance because now I'm hooked. Lil and Bran were two characters that I just couldn't get enough of. But what I really liked was that Walters had me wanting to know more about not just the two main characters, but all the surrounding and supporting characters as well. I've heard promising reviews of this sequel and can't wait to read and judge it for myself.

Countdown Pick #5: Charmfall (Dark Elite, #3) by Chloe Neill (1/3/12)
High school can be a battlefield, but for Lily Parker, surviving at St. Sophia’s School for Girls is a matter of life and death…

Protecting Chicago from the dark side can be an exhausting job, especially when you’re a sophomore. So when the girls of St. Sophia’s start gearing up for Sneak, their fall formal, Lily decides to join in on some good, old-fashioned party prep—even if it means not giving demons, vampires and the twisted magic users known as Reapers her undivided attention.

But when a Reaper infiltrates the school, Lily doesn’t forget what she’s sworn to protect. She reaches deep into herself to draw out her magic—and finds that it’s gone. And it turns out she’s not alone. A magical blackout has slammed through paranormal Chicago, and no one knows what—or who—caused it. But Lily knows getting back her magic is worth the risk of going behind enemy lines…

After leaving Hexbound, feeling slightly disappointed with the way things are looking for Lily and her friends, I'm really hoping some luck finds its way to them and soon! I've found Neill's books to be light and fun for the most part and I always hit a point near the end of the summer where a deep read is not what I'm in the mood for. Hopefully with this coming out in January it'll be the perfect opportunity to fill the post-holiday blues with a new installment in this series.

ARC Tour & Review: Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, #2) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

When I tried to formulate my review for this book I was torn, and I kind of still am. I'm a big fan of Garcia and Stohl's writing and enjoyed the first installment in the Caster Chronicles series, Beautiful Creatures, but I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it's sequel. There were some elements that I loved and some that I didn't enjoy much at all. Let me try to make some sense of my ramblings.

To start off, I can say that while I found Beautiful Creatures to be slow in some parts, that was not the case with Beautiful Darkness. We did get more background and of course some histories and mysteries were cleared up, but at the same time the plot wasn't slowed down because of this. Ethan is back as our narrator and this time around he really (for me at least) became a stronger character. If anyone thought he and Lena's troubles/obstacles were over, they were wrong. In fact, their previous problems were nothing in comparison in my opinion. Garcia and Stohl upped the anti (so to speak) in this one and that aspect won me over and kept me reading. Ethan's personality came out more and I think readers will get the chance to see him as an individual as far as his feelings go and will only grow to love him even more.

Now for what I wasn't really loving about this book. We meet some new characters in Beautiful Darkness and they didn't really win me over like I expected them to. Garcia and Stohl gave us such an all star cast in Beautiful Creatures, maybe in my mind they just didn't stand a chance of measuring up, I don't know? But some of the original characters upset and disappointed me too. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone so I can't be specific, but when this book hits the shelves and readers get their hands on it, I don't think I'll be the only one feeling this way.

But to end on a good note, I did like the wrap-up Garcia and Stohl wove together in the end. All I will say is that the Caster Chronicles series can only get more interesting and I'm extremely curious to see what happens next. Cliffhangers vs. neatly tied up endings, which do I prefer? I'm not really sure, but what I do know is that I'm still a fan of Garcia and Stohl's writing and I'm looking forward to reading what the Caster Chronicles will bring us next.

I gave Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, #2) 3 shamrocks!!!

Review: Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.

At least, that's what I thought.

Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.

There was a curse.

There was a girl.

And in the end, there was a grave.

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.

Romeo and Juliet appear to have had it easy in comparison to Ethan and Lena in Beautiful Creatures. They not only have their families telling them to steer clear of each other, but they're also dealing with humans vs. casters (a.k.a. witches) in this struggle. Talk about your star crossed lovers tale, but how does this one end you ask? Are they to suffer the same fate as Romeo and Juliet? Or will they find a way to defy the odds stacked against them? I'm not telling of course...read on people! And boy was it ever a struggle! Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl know just how to write the twists and turns, joys and heartaches to keep their readers not knowing what to expect with every turn of the page. They had me hook, line and sinker without a clue as to what the outcome would be until the very end.



Our main characters were set in a small town in the south and one that has very old ways. We're talking extremely conservative here people. But Ethan and Lena weren't alone while trying to beat the clock and squeak out a happy ending for everyone involved. Lena's family was one of my favorite parts of the story. Her uncle Macon (the town recluse) was entertaining and mysterious of course, and he kept my attention throughout. Ethan's close but yet strange relationship with Amma won her a place in my heart - she was scary with her charms and voodoo, but her love for Ethan overpowered my fear of her. But that's not to say you should underestimate Amma, if Macon Ravenwood doesn't square off with her, what chance would I have? With the rest of the Ravenwood/Duchannes family making surprise appearances, along with our lovable librarian friend Marion Ashcroft, this book had a wonderful cast of characters to call it's own.
Although the story was slow in parts for me, I think the action scenes were very much filled with suspense and the right amount of thrills. I'm hoping the second installment in the Caster Chronicles, Beautiful Darkness will have more action and substance now that Beautiful Creatures has laid out all the groundwork for us. We've got the background now and we're ready for more of this world that Garcia and Stohl have created.


I gave Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1) 3 shamrocks!!!