Waiting on Wednesday (32)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Beautiful Darkness which is the second book in the Caster Chronicles Series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl! I really liked the first book Beautiful Creatures, so I can't wait to see what happens next to Ethan and Lena. I'm very excited to read it when it comes out on October 26, 2010!

Beautiful Darkness: 
Caster Chronicles Book 2

By: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Description from Goodreads:

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.

The Best and Worst of Covers (11)

Every Saturday, I post book covers I love and dislike from books I've read or currently reading. I include the information for each book: the edition, summary, publisher, number of pages, reading level, and my thoughts of the cover. This week I only have a cover I love...again. The cover I love is Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I just reviewed this amazingly fantastic book, and you can find the review here.

The Cover I Love: 
Title: Beautiful Creatures
Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: December 1, 2009
Pages: 576 
Edition: Hardback 
Reading Level: Young Adult

Summary (from Amazon):
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.

Thoughts of the Covers:

The cover of Beautiful Creatures is gorgeous and very mysterious! When holding the actual book in your hands, the purple font is raised up and is nice and shiny. The background is really cool also with the trees and black background that has a hint of glimmer. This great cover is so perfect for such an amazing book. The font of the title is very pretty and goes perfectly with the background of trees. I really love this cover and want to read the sequel so badly! I highly recommend buying this book, so you can see for yourself the fantastic cover and read a great story.

What are your thoughts on this cover?

Beautiful Creatures Review

Title: Beautiful Creatures 
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 
Publication Date: December 1, 2009 
Pages: 626 
My Edition: ARC Paperback 
Reading Level: Young Adult 
Where I got it: Hip Scouts 

Summary from Beautiful Creature's website:
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.  

Review:

Wow, I loved this book so much! It is so unlike any other Fantasy book I've read, and it's probably my new favorite. Beautiful Creatures is definitely one of the best books I've read in 2009. The characters are so well described and likeable which will make you fall in love with the story. By the end, you will be rooting for Lena and Ethan to be together...forever.

The plot and story line are very unique, and it put a new twist on the whole idea of witchcraft. I couldn't put down Beautiful Creatures for a second, even though it's really long. All throughout, I never knew what was going to happen. By the end, you will be sitting on the edge of your seat ready to finally find out what will happen at the end of Lena's birthday. The ending is perfect and leaves it open for a sequel. I really hope there will be a sequel, and recent news says that is going to be made into a movie. As debut authors, Kami and Margret did an amazing job! I'm really looking forward to reading more from these amazing new authors.

Rating: