Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Summary: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. -Goodreads.com

Review:
I just turned the last page a few minutes ago and I have got to say...wow. This story is absolutely breathtaking. I wasn't quite sure what expect when I began reading Beautiful Creatures. Sure, I had read several reviews, but overall, I walked away with a mixed consensus. Regardless, I was determined to see what all the fuss was about myself. I won this copy from the ever lovely Donna. :) After finishing up a few other books on my tbr list, I immediately plunged into Beautiful Creatures and was instantly captivated. Garcia and Stohl are amazing storytellers. The characters are multidimensional and their stories are inter-weaved nicely. There are several underlying themes to this book...magic, secrets, family, and the list goes on... However, the overall theme is love, and it holds a strong first place. I simply can not do this story justice, but I will tell you, it almost immediately became one of my favorite books of all time.

Cover Art Commentary:
Absolutely gorgeous! First of all, I love the colors. Most of all, I love the mystique. Strictly based on the cover, you know it's going to have an overall dark theme, but you aren't quite sure what to expect. I love it. Very fitting. :)

Overall Rating: