Take everything you think you know about supernatural romance and throw it out. Because BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl stands alone in the genre. Sure, supernatural romance is a red-hot category right now and readers seem to have an insatiable appetite for it. But BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is more than just the next contender. It is a wholly original story in its own right that is literary, gorgeous, inventive and turns convention on its head.

The novel tells the story of Ethan Wate, something of an outsider at his high school in Gatlin, South Carolina. Before Lena even arrives in town, he’s already falling for this new girl because she’s been appearing in his dreams, or rather his nightmares. The connection between them is electric, literally. But it’s also much deeper, rooted in shared loss, in shared identity, and quite simply in the time they spend together and even apart.

But the course of true love never did run smooth and Lena’s no ordinary girl. She’s a witch. And Ethan’s a mere mortal. And that may be what I love most about this book. Rather than the girl falling for the vampire, or the immortal, or the fallen angel, it’s the girl who has the powers.

Oh, and can I just say grab some palm fronds, because you’re going to need to fan yourself during the scenes when Ethan and Lena are alone together. They don’t do more than kiss, but the moments are luscious, especially when he tells her he is falling for her. It’s unlike any other confession of love you’ve ever read. Guaranteed.

I recently posted a review of “BEAUTIFUL CREATURES” on my book review blog, BookChick.com. Here it is as well.

Take everything you think you know about supernatural romance and throw it out. Because “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl stands alone in the genre. Sure, supernatural romance is a red-hot category right now and readers seem to have an insatiable appetite for it. But BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is more than just the next contender. It is a wholly original story in its own right that is literary, gorgeous, inventive and turns convention on its head.

The novel tells the story of Ethan Wate, something of an outsider at his high school in Gatlin, South Carolina. Before Lena even arrives in town, he’s already falling for this new girl because she’s been appearing in his dreams, or rather his nightmares. The connection between them is electric, literally. But it’s also much deeper, rooted in shared loss, in shared identity, and quite simply in the time they spend together and even apart.

But the course of true love never did run smooth and Lena’s no ordinary girl. She’s a witch. And Ethan’s a mere mortal. And that may be what I love most about this book. Rather than the girl falling for the vampire, or the immortal, or the fallen angel, it’s the girl who has the powers.

Oh, and can I just say grab some palm fronds, because you’re going to need to fan yourself during the scenes when Ethan and Lena are alone together. They don’t do more than kiss, but the moments are luscious, especially when he tells her he is falling for her. It’s unlike any other confession of love you’ve ever read. Guaranteed.