Beautiful Darkness
Jan 22, 2011
Beautiful DarknessAuthors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little Brown and Company, Books for Young Readers/Hachette
Publication Date: October 2010
ISBN: 978-0-316-7705-7
Beautiful Darkness is a sequel to Beautiful Creatures, a book reviewed by the Dew in March of 2010. At the time of that review, I stated that this Young Adult book was definitely open for a sequel… and here it is!
I will say that I really feel the first book should be read before opening up the newest. There was a lot of back story I already knew that helped me to jump into this one. You might be a little lost without that information on hand.
In the first book, Ethan and Lena are teens in a small town where nothing exciting ever happens.
Well, except for the fact that Lena is part of a coven of vampires, shape shifters, incubuses, etc. and on her 16th birthday she needs to decide whether to stay with the “light” side of the family or go to the “dark” side. Oh, the side she doesn’t pick……..well, they all die. Somehow through all this Ethan and Lena act somewhat like normal teens and date.
This second book picks up after a pretty intense 16th birthday party. Lena still has managed to walk the fence on the the whole light and dark side but that’s not stopping either side from trying to get her. Meanwhile Ethan still loves her and wants to continue dating, but she is getting a little odd and secretive.
Ethan, a mortal, has somehow gained a few peculiar talents of his own, and he’s also in danger from supernaturals who want him out of the way and unable to influence Lena. This is all leading to a huge battle between dark and light.
Regardless of the outcome, these are still just two teenagers in love, trying to get to the prom…. But without supernatural interference.
At 500 pages it’s a hearty novel for teenagers used to The Hunger Games or The Forest of Hands and Teeth. More on the Harry Potter scale for size and plotting story lines filled with intrigue.
Review for Beautiful Creatures (March 2010) HERE.
