beckyyreadss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved this film when I was younger and forgot it was a book series first. I was gifted the set for my beautiful and fell in love with the first book in September, I was eager to get back into this world and yet this book really disappointed me, and it hurts me to say that because I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t.
This book still follows Ethan Wate. He used to think of Gatlin as a place where nothing happens, and nothing changes. Then Lena Duchannes shows up and revealed the secret world of curses and Supernaturals with terrifying abilities. Lena showed him a Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen. Now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there is 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. This book is a young adult fantasy book.
Okay, let’s start with what I liked, I liked the side characters - I liked Liv and Link. I want to see more of Link, and I think we will from how it ended, and I liked Liv, she kind of dwindled out towards the end of the book so I'm hoping she will be making an appearance in future books. I liked Amma’s and I want to see more of her, I feel like we didn’t see much from her in this book . . . and that’s about it.
I think I struggled with this book more than the first one because my expectations were so high, and I was expecting more actions and it was just more explanations of the world and the characters and introducing more things that I didn’t think were needed. I didn’t like the love triangles in this book, I'm guessing when this was originally released love triangles were all the hype – The Maze Runner, Twilight, The Hunger Games all had them that I can see why she did it. But there was like 4 different love triangles like maybe one I get but more than one I just didn’t see the point. Also, I thought the storyline was too much of like light bulbs moments instead of them figuring it out, it was just like oh my god, this happen – jump to this conclusion. I missed our MCs together against the problem, instead they were both trying to figure it out if it was themselves or the other person that was the problem.
I just didn’t vibe with this book, I didn’t like the fact that I didn’t vibe with this book because I wanted too so bad. I'm hoping the next book is better than this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Violence
Minor: Cursing, Mental illness, and Bullying
eccentricutie's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a great addition to the series. It had some nice twists and left me wanting more. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
periodicreader's review against another edition
3.0
I read Beautiful Creatures awhile back and decided to give the rest of the series a go. In books 2 (Darkness) and 3 (Chaos), the story of teenage romance with supernatural consequences continues.
Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes have been hiding secrets from plenty of people in their town. A death at the end of the first book has made Lena withdraw from everyone, including her boyfriend/bff Ethan. They’re both growing up and coming into their powers as their perception of their world and situation changes.
This series is YA, so my expectations for vocabulary/complicated plot lines etc were not very high...but the two authors seem to repeat themselves a whole lot. Rehashing for the sake of book to book is definitely necessary...but when you’re going back and retelling the story that you told for the first time 100 pages prior...it seems like there’s a flaw in the style.
Ethan Wate and Lena Duchannes have been hiding secrets from plenty of people in their town. A death at the end of the first book has made Lena withdraw from everyone, including her boyfriend/bff Ethan. They’re both growing up and coming into their powers as their perception of their world and situation changes.
This series is YA, so my expectations for vocabulary/complicated plot lines etc were not very high...but the two authors seem to repeat themselves a whole lot. Rehashing for the sake of book to book is definitely necessary...but when you’re going back and retelling the story that you told for the first time 100 pages prior...it seems like there’s a flaw in the style.
kellyjcm's review against another edition
4.0
Four and a half stars. Here's why:
I was swept away by the plot, and found the worldbuilding incredibly rich and well constructed. I think Ethan is such a fantastic character.
However, I was a little bummed by certain events toward the end, and I feel that one character, though very well developed, was just a plot device, and I think she deserved better. Maybe the third book will provide that ... who knows? Thrilling read overall.
I was swept away by the plot, and found the worldbuilding incredibly rich and well constructed. I think Ethan is such a fantastic character.
However, I was a little bummed by certain events toward the end, and I feel that one character, though very well developed, was just a plot device, and I think she deserved better. Maybe the third book will provide that ... who knows? Thrilling read overall.
damnthereiam's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one even more than the first! I really did not like L in this book though and I felt really bad for Liv.
autumnhab's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
snowbenton's review against another edition
1.0
Yeah this was so bad. The entire book until about 95% is Lena being an asshole and Ethan being sad, so it's not even puppy cute like the first one.
They realized too late that Macon was the only interesting character in town (except maybe Amma) and they do bring him back, which is great, but he doesn't get enough page time to contribute to the story. I liked the history of him and Ethan's mom, but it's such a small part of this ridiculously long book that it doesn't make it worth reading.
Just all bad, uninteresting droning garbage.
They realized too late that Macon was the only interesting character in town (except maybe Amma) and they do bring him back, which is great, but he doesn't get enough page time to contribute to the story. I liked the history of him and Ethan's mom, but it's such a small part of this ridiculously long book that it doesn't make it worth reading.
Just all bad, uninteresting droning garbage.
buffywnabe's review against another edition
4.0
In a way, it reminds me of New Moon, in that I want Lena and Ethan to be together, like I wanted Bella and Edward to be together, and this book is about them being apart, because one thinks it would be better for the other. But the other, Ethan, doesn't agree, and fights for Lena. Full review at Lisa Loves Literature later today.
zoeleighcraig's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
mgagermeier's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0