As Ethan and Lena become inexorably attracted to each other, another world opens up to Ethan. He finds that Lena and her family are Casters, those with unimaginable powers. As Ethan discovers Gatlin’s secrets about the Caster population, he also finds that Lena’s family has secrets as well: As Lena’s sixteenth birthday approaches, she will come into her powers, and unlike other Casters, she has no choice whether she will Turn Dark or Light. As Ethan pieces together his nightmares, he realizes that his and Lena’s attraction goes back hundreds of years, to another pair of star crossed lovers in their family tree. Now it’s up to them to find a way to break the curse before Lena’s birthday, before Ethan loses Lena forever.

There are several points I found refreshing about this book: It is written from the male point of view, it takes place somewhere that is positively steeped in history and mystery, and we are introduced to Casters, or witches.

Beautiful Creatures was written in Ethan’s point of view, which cuts out most of the stereotypical female POV: adolescent whining, fawning, suicidal thoughts, etc. It was a welcome change to read about the basketball team, or how Ethan’s caretaker would know he was up to something if he didn’t eat at least three plates of food, because she knew exactly how much he could put away.

Next best was the southern atmosphere. The small town is pretty cliche, but combined with Gatlin’s civil war history/reenactments, nosy Daughters of the Revolution, the old plantations, and Southern twang, it ascends to a higher level of worldbuilding and overall crafting of the book.

And finally! Witches! They seem to be a dying breed in this new generation of fantasy, but they are also a welcome change from the werewolves, vamps, and other things that go bump in the night.

Overall, the book is an excellent choice for the young reader. The love between Ethan and Lena is honest and doesn’t feel forced, and their relationship is sweet and much more appropriate for teens to model off of than certain other YA reads. At one point they realize they can communicate telepathically, which adds a new facet to their relationship: they can say anything to each other, even things they normally wouldn’t say out loud. Another point is the accuracy of high school life. While Ethan is already part of the “In” crowd, Lena clearly isn’t. The high school rite of passage is depicted accurately for Lena, as an outsider, and for Ethan, who is slowly “frozen out” for preferring Lena’s company.

Apparently Warner Brothers has already purchased movie rights, so I’m guessing it will be touted as the “Next Twilight” in order to fill that big sparkly hole for the teen/supernatural genre. One thing is for sure; it does have a gorgeous cover. I’d know I’d be tempted to pick it up if I were wandering about my local bookstore.

I thought Fire rocked.

Now, with that out of the way, Fire is a very intriguing book, different from anything else I have read. It takes place in a war-torn land called the Dells. Fire, a young 17 year old girl, is the last human shaped monster. The land is rife with beautiful creatures called monsters: birds, cats, lizards, etc. but they have gorgeously colored feathers, fur, and scales. And they have the power to control the minds of humans.

Fire is stunning beautiful, so beautiful that people (men especially) can forget themselves and proclaim their love for her, resulting in small scale battles, violence, etc. You get the idea. Unlike animal monsters, Fire has morals that she lives by and so does not abuse her powers, often keeping her fiery red hair under wraps. And so Fire lives in her own little corner of the world, until the day her King needs her. What happens after Fire leaves her comfortable niche is  a stunning story with love, war, and everything in between.

What made this book really interesting is that we don’t meet Fire for several chapters into the book. Instead, we meet a little boy with different colored eyes and his father, who leaves his home so that his boy (a Graceling because of his telltale eyes) will not be taken away for the King’s personal use. Those first few chapters are chilling. This boy is everything that Fire is not. While he wants to get to know Fire, she wants nothing to do with him, and so Fire finds herself in the center of a disastrous plot.

Miss Cashore does an excellent job driving home that even though Fire is considered “monstrous”, she is still human at heart. Her love of her horse, Small, is so innocent and girlish that it makes the reader smile. Fire also has a difficult time removing herself from the shadow of her monster father, adviser to the old king. Her father was the cause of much dissension in the kingdom, and many people hate Fire simply because of the deeds of her father. Poor Fire has to navigate through a dangerous castle with people that either hate her, or love her because of her overpowering looks.

Fire is an excellent read, though at one point I felt as though almost every character was the victim or participant in rape, adultery, or some other deviant behavior. Members of the royal family turn out to have not-so-royal lineage, and it gave the characters a soap opera-like air. Otherwise, the writing and worldbuilding were excellent, and I plan to read Graceling very soon, followed by Bitterblue, which does not currently have a release date.