Review of Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Little Brown Books for
Young Readers

Beautiful Chaos
by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
4 Stars

Some powerful, otherworldly force is out to destroy Gatlin and the residents who live there. Lena’s Claiming has disturbed the natural order of things, and Gatlin is experiencing apocalyptic events that have the whole town terrified. Under the devastation of locusts, raging storms and stifling heat, the landscape is changing. Worse, Ethan doesn’t feel quite right, and he suspects the town is not the only thing changing.  How can Ethan, Lena and their friends stop the coming end? Will they discover the correct offering in time to save the town and their loved ones, and more importantly, who will have to pay the ultimate price in exchange for the town’s salvation?

This is one of those series that has made me an avowed fan of the authors. The third book in the Beautiful Creatures series is, I am happy to proclaim, just as satisfying as the first two. All the creeptastic characters from earlier books make an appearance, the spooky town is rendered somewhat spookier given the paranormal attacks that are taking place, and a new, more powerful force from beyond the tunnels rears its head. What’s really satisfying is the fact that the authors recognize the need to lose important characters in a series from time to time, and they seem to be willing to do this in this installment (l’m not telling who!) which ups the ante for book four. And unlike in former books where some characters were resurrected after their deaths, I’m pretty sure these characters aren’t coming back. Ethan and Lena still take center stage—their chemistry as hot as ever—Link is still pining for Ridley, which makes for some interesting, charged scenes, and a surprising new couple emerges. The cliffhanger ending is a bit frustrating, but guarantees a repeat customer (not that I wouldn’t have finished this incredible series anyway).  So for those on the fence about whether or not this series will continue to go strong, pick it up! At least then, you’ll be prepared for the movie franchise which will be releasedFebruary 2013.

This reader predicts that this movie franchise, given its Southern flavor and spooky charm, will outsell Twilight. Why? There’s something for the male element in this series—after all—the main character is a guy!