Beautiful Darkness (Beautiful Creatures, 2) - Hardcover

Garcia, Kami; Stohl, Margaret

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316077054 ISBN 13: 9780316077057

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010

Synopsis

Fall under the spell of the Beautiful Darkness, the sequel to the instant New York Times bestselling gothic fantasy, Beautiful Creatures!

 

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. At least, that's what I thought. Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin as a place where nothing ever changed. Then mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes revealed a secret world of curses and Supernaturals with terrifying abilities. Lena showed him a Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen. Sometimes life-ending.

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.


 

About this title

About the Author

Kami Garcia is the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures and the Legion series. Kami lives in Maryland with her family and her dogs, Spike and Oz, named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.




Margaret Stohl is a lifelong science fiction fan, former video game designer, and #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Beautiful Creatures, Cat vs. Robot, Life of Captain Marvel, and more. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her family.

Reviews

Grade 7 Up—This engrossing must-have sequel to Beautiful Creatures (Little, Brown, 2009) immediately returns to Gatlin, SC, and the seemingly impossible relationship between Caster girl Lena Duchannes, as yet un-Claimed for Light or Dark, and Ethan Wate, her beloved Mortal. Grieving the recent loss of Uncle Macon and worried that her 17th Moon and family curse will destroy everyone else she loves, Lena pulls away from Ethan and runs off to the Great Barrier with Siren cousin Ridley and mysterious John Breed. But is she headed for nirvana or danger? Plagued by strange visions and accompanied by his loyal friend Link and Keeper-in-Training Liv, Ethan travels the Caster Tunnels running beneath the world determined to save Lena. Along the way he faces shocking revelations about his family and gets help from several unexpected sources—developments that will further enamor readers. Familiar and favorite characters behave just as remembered, and sometimes even better. New additions, especially clever Liv, enhance the series and its plot, which is a cycle of hope, despair, and possibility. Like her Book of Moons, it gives and takes with equal measure in a great storytelling balance. Mortal and Castor settings aboveground and below reinforce the novel's Southern and gothic tone. Past and present are navigated successfully, offering new information while creating more questions. With allusions to a bigger game afoot and a classic good vs. evil climax that leaves several loose ends (unique, dangerous, and entertaining), this volume will leave readers clamoring for the next installment.—Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ
(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The anticipated sequel to Beautiful Creatures (2009) picks up where the first book left off. After revealing some of the twists in their tangled relationship, Ethan and his otherworldly Caster girlfriend, Lena, must further delve into her fate. Will she be claimed by the Light or the Darkness? And what can Ethan do to help save her as her journey intensifies? The southern gothic atmosphere, several new characters, and the surprising fate of one old favorite will keep readers going until the next book, which promises new surprises as “18 moons” approaches. Grades 9-12. --Ilene Cooper

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0316077054
• ISBN 13: 9780316077057
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 512