Wrap-Up: May 2013

Lots of great reads this month! Though my favorite was definitely Beautiful Redemption, the fourth novel in the Beautiful Creatures series. =) 

Beautiful Redemption

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

*Contains Spoilers*

After our beloved hero died in the third book of the Beautiful Creatures series, we thought the story would end. After all, death seems so final. But Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl prove readers wrong, bringing hope to mortals and casters alike, in the final book, Beautiful Redemption, where Ethan discovers a way to return to the land of the living and that he was never truly meant to trade his life for the world in the first place. 

For the first time, Garcia and Stohl give Lena the main point of view as we watch the world move on without Ethan. It's odd at first, reading the story from another character's sight, but this gives the audience the ultimate chance to finalize their connection with Lena. Throughout the series, the bond between Ethan and the readers has blossomed, grown, and deepened. And now, we get to see why Ethan fought so hard to stay with the girl he loves. We get to see what happens after Ethan is taken away from her. It's almost like the authors wanted to prove that Ethan died for the all the right reasons, even if he was never supposed to die in the first place. 

As Lena and Ethan share the POV - readers also get to see what the Otherworld has in store for our fated hero. We see Ethan reconnect with his mother and Aunt Prue, even the Greats. It's a glorious afterlife with all the ones Ethan lost, but must lose again in order to return to Lena. The bond between Ethan and the reader will never be stronger after this book. While he faces down his biggest fears, struggles with the memories, and bargains his soul readers will be on the edge of a breakdown waiting for the final word. 

Oh how I wish it wasn't over. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

Beautiful Redemption (Beautiful Creatures)

Beautiful Chaos

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What — or who — will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself — forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl give readers the third installment in the Beautiful Creatures series with Beautiful Chaos, and I wouldn't dare to argue with the description. It is nothing if not chaotic. And the ending definitely isn't the happiest one I've read. 

The struggle for love continues between Ethan and Lena after Lena chose to be half light and half dark when she claimed herself at the Great Barrier in Beautiful Darkness. Though, the consequences of her actions are fierce and are affecting the entire world, as it is on the brink of destruction and the End of Days has begun. 

Readers will see the relationship between Ethan and Lena shift back to (almost) normal while their newest problems present themselves. The main obstacle being that the world is out of balance. The bond between readers and Ethan will strengthen as he realizes what needs to be done to fix the broken world. He is such a strong character - in personality and in faith - and it's truly remarkable to be able to believe a character like him exists. 

There will also be a chance to further relationships with Olivia, Ridley, Link, and John Breed in this novel. Readers will get a deeper look at what drives these characters and opinions of good and evil will change with each passing page. It's a chaotic mix of fighting for the light and dark while the world suffers, but the characters in Beautiful Chaos will not disappoint. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

Beautiful Chaos (Beautiful Creatures)

WWW Wednesday (50)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

01. Currently Reading:
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Continuing the Beautiful Creatures series. Totally absorbed! Only one more to go after this!

02. Recently Finished:
Benevolent by Devon Flaherty. Wonderful coming of age novel full of deep character connections. A must read for this summer! Let Flaherty take you around the world with her do-gooder characters trying to find their way to love.

03. Reading Next:
And the Soft Wind Blows by Lance Umenhofer. Tim's life is falling apart and he doesn't know what to do other than let the soft wind blow him through his problems. Back to the author review list with this one. =)

Teaser Tuesday (59)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



Beautiful Chaos (p.159)
   - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl


Lena didn't take her eyes away from the book. "This line is my favorite. 'I have been bent and broken, but -- I hope -- into a better shape.'"

WWW Wednesday (49)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

  

01. Currently Reading:
Benevolent by Devon Flaherty. A novel about a group of kids as they grow up and find themselves, their dreams, and their futures while an old legend takes root in their lives.

02. Recently Finished:
Wander Dust by Michelle Warren. Great young adult novel about time travel and all the secrets that history has to offer, especially when it comes to family.

03. Reading Next:
Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The third installment of the Beautiful Creatures series. Seriously cannot wait to read this!! I've been good and waited until I finished a couple review books and that hard work is about to pay off. =D