"Mortals. I envy you. You think you can change things. Stop the universe. Undo what was done long before you came along. You are such beautiful creatures." 
 Have you ever picked up a novel where you have to put it down numerous times because you just don't want to know what will happen next, or if you don't want to see the romance shatter to pieces, or if you are just a plain sucker for surrendering to emotional extremes? Well folks, Beautiful Creatures was that novel. Although it was a hefty 563 pages to get through, taking me four days with breaks to complete, this book had everything from a well-developed world of magic, a great plot, well rounded and realistic characters, humour at its driest making you chuckle every now and then, emotions to juggle, and a dimensional setting. This novel had it all. 
 What surprised me the most was realizing that there was a male protagonist behind a cover like this. If someone had told me that beforehand, sure I would've picked this novel up and read it sooner. A title filled with femininity, not just in word but in colour, deterred me from venturing past it. It's beautiful in a way, but not in the way I had hoped. You get why don't you? However, through reading of the book, I understood why this title was chosen and its meaning. 
 What I loved about Beautiful Creatures was that Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl in their seamless writing and storytelling, managed to create characters which were all faced with challenges to overcome, and each with their own "world" of things that are of importance to them. For example, Link a close friend of Ethan, has very specific and realistic goals. This is what I enjoyed. Lena, was the girl who was "different" and the freak of the school because of her family. Then little accidents begin happening and everyone is against her. All she wants to do is be normal and fit in for once, but it takes a lot of persistence for her to finally come to terms with who and what she is, and if anything can be done to achieve what she wants. Ethan had a torn apart family, whom longed for someone to love and someone to love him return. His mother is dead and his father is constantly avoiding Ethan because of it. There's a scene in which I cried because the father had held so much guilt and anguish, that he was afraid of telling Ethan what was really wrong. Everything was behind closed doors. It was a heartfelt scene and it felt tremendously real. I had strong feelings toward each of the characters, besides those you are made to hate. 
 There was a strong family involvement in Beautiful Creatures, with each parent determined to protect their child in every known way possible. Which is an even greater addition to the story. Too much smothering and overprotection leads to rebellious teens who just want to do what they want and voice their own opinions, reflecting in today's society. 
 In addition to the male protagonist, I'm glad this book has a paranormal female and a mortal male in this lovely, tender and bittersweet relationship. Thumbs up to KG&MS for going in the opposite direction to the normal YA.There are many small additions of story arcs, themes and characters placed here and there, which make this novel a thrilling and satisfying start to a magical series, The Caster Chronicles. I cannot wait to begin Beautiful Darkness. 
 I love my magic. Bring me more! With a given five flasks, this deserves to be in my YA CONCOCTION. Everything from the front cover to the back cover, every single word and lyric. 
 Favourite other quote than the one at the top: 
 "It was like being born in Germany after World War II, being from Japan after Pearl Harbour, or America after Hiroshima. History was a bitch sometimes. You couldn't change where you were from. But still, you didn't have to stay there. You didn't have to stay stuck in the past, like the ladies in the DAR, or the Gatlin Historical Society, or the Sisters. And you didn't have to accept that things had to be the way they were, like Lena. Ethan Carter Wate hadn't, and I couldn't either."