readingwithhippos's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into when I picked up Beautiful Creatures. Like Twilight, it seems like the kind of YA paranormal romance that people love to hate. Somehow it managed to stay off my radar until now despite being released while I was still teaching high school English, but lately I’ve been wanting to read light, fluffy fun stuff and nothing else and I’ve had to do some targeted browsing to find more of it. Thus Beautiful Creatures appeared one day as I was tunneling deep through a rabbit hole of fantasy stories written for audiences decade(s) younger than me. When I noticed it was set in the South, I was sold. Something about the advent of summer makes me crave books about hot, sticky, swampy places, and if dark secrets and magic are involved, all the better.
And you know what? For the most part, I really enjoyed myself. Beautiful Creatures is a perfectly adequate diversion if that’s what you’re in the market for. If I put on my snobby English major hat, sure, I could pick it apart like a kid in science class armed with a scalpel and presented with a formaldehyde-soaked frog. But why would I want to do that, when I could sit back with a sweating glass of sweet tea, slide on my shades, and let the story of reclusive witches and dark magic wash over me? Which, I should note, is even easier to do if you choose the audio version, read by the silky-voiced Kevin T. Collins in a delightful southern drawl. His voices for the doddering elderly aunts had me in stitches.
I say, if you like it, don’t fight it. Beautiful Creatures is lazy summer fun that goes down like ice cream on a hot afternoon.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
And you know what? For the most part, I really enjoyed myself. Beautiful Creatures is a perfectly adequate diversion if that’s what you’re in the market for. If I put on my snobby English major hat, sure, I could pick it apart like a kid in science class armed with a scalpel and presented with a formaldehyde-soaked frog. But why would I want to do that, when I could sit back with a sweating glass of sweet tea, slide on my shades, and let the story of reclusive witches and dark magic wash over me? Which, I should note, is even easier to do if you choose the audio version, read by the silky-voiced Kevin T. Collins in a delightful southern drawl. His voices for the doddering elderly aunts had me in stitches.
I say, if you like it, don’t fight it. Beautiful Creatures is lazy summer fun that goes down like ice cream on a hot afternoon.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
mothmans_library's review against another edition
4.0
I loved it, the first chapter was a little lacking but it picked up right away and kept me reading from there. :) I can't wait to read the next book!
subpolka's review against another edition
1.0
Poorly written young adult tripe. If you loved the Twilight series, then you might appreciate this book.
(Personally, I hated the Twilight series.)
Forced myself to read half of it, skimmed the remainder to see if there was any hope for redemption, came up short and dumped it in the donation box. I'm not a literary snob, mind - I enjoy young adult books and am a dedicated fan of the Paranorma-Being-and-his/her-Mortal-Lover cliché, even the more predictable ones. But this? Was just so BAD. It doesn't even qualify as a "guilty pleasure".
Maddeningly Repetitive: Maybe the dual authorship is to blame for this? Take a plot device, write it one way, THEN present an alternative version (repeat ad infinitum) a few pages later? Really, how many cycles of "OH MY GOD WE CAN'T BE TOGETHER/Sure, we can!/Oh, okay! We're totes back together/OH MY GOD WE CAN'T..." does a single book need? I get that it's a staple of this genre, but the authors really went to extremes.
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Writing: In terms of adjective abuse, laughably over-inflated drama, and inconsistent and idiotic characters/plot devices/everythings, Garcia and Stohl could give Stephanie Myers - or any 12-year old girl, really - a run for her money.
You guys? I hated this book.
(Personally, I hated the Twilight series.)
Forced myself to read half of it, skimmed the remainder to see if there was any hope for redemption, came up short and dumped it in the donation box. I'm not a literary snob, mind - I enjoy young adult books and am a dedicated fan of the Paranorma-Being-and-his/her-Mortal-Lover cliché, even the more predictable ones. But this? Was just so BAD. It doesn't even qualify as a "guilty pleasure".
Maddeningly Repetitive: Maybe the dual authorship is to blame for this? Take a plot device, write it one way, THEN present an alternative version (repeat ad infinitum) a few pages later? Really, how many cycles of "OH MY GOD WE CAN'T BE TOGETHER/Sure, we can!/Oh, okay! We're totes back together/OH MY GOD WE CAN'T..." does a single book need? I get that it's a staple of this genre, but the authors really went to extremes.
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Writing: In terms of adjective abuse, laughably over-inflated drama, and inconsistent and idiotic characters/plot devices/everythings, Garcia and Stohl could give Stephanie Myers - or any 12-year old girl, really - a run for her money.
You guys? I hated this book.
andicaro7's review against another edition
4.0
This book was good. The fact that the story is told from Ethan's point of view is refreshing. It is refreshing to have the male character be the one who is madly in love with the supernatural character. Seeing him fall in with her and his reactions to her world was amazing. I loved how, as the male character, he needs saving but he also saves her. It is definitely a good book!
madwonder's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book but it just didnt happen. Between things being repetitive, the story filled with meaningless history and other boring narrative, a craptastic love story, shoddy characters, and a not so wonderful storyline, it just let me down.
Also, the ending sucked ass. I can't decide rather on not the other books in this series are worth my time at the moment :-/.
Also, the ending sucked ass. I can't decide rather on not the other books in this series are worth my time at the moment :-/.
brii_brii's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
mnsperkins's review against another edition
5.0
I loved it. It has been a while since a series has sucked me into its world to where I could completely block out my own.
rockchickchickyrock's review against another edition
4.0
this book is so much better than the film gives it credit for. loved it
stygianvixen's review against another edition
1.0
So basically I made it to page 120 or so and put the book down. I couldn't force myself to read the rest. I dislike the characters and the way the book starts to unfold. I thought (based on the back cover) that I would enjoy this book but I was sorely mistaken.
lexi8601's review against another edition
Just on a pause, wanted to read all the books that came out