The perfect antidote for book lovers suffering Twilight related stress!
By Olivia Scott-Berry / Spinebreakers Crew
Perhaps the biggest phenomenon last year was Twilight mania. It swept the globe, captured the hearts of tweens everywhere and introduced a far less successful publishing sensation of similarly styled vampire books. The truth is, however much you love Edward/Robert Pattinson, you cannot deny that the subtext is rife with casual gender stereotypical and fairytale attitudes, and that the writing is simply not very good. It may have got people reading en masse, but it did so at the expense of its reader’s perceptions of the world (as well as inventing new attributes for mythological creatures to explain its plot!)
It’s about time a book came along that could inspire millions of young people to read without the added irony of essentially brainwashing one of the most vulnerable target groups.
Beautiful Creatures is that book. Intriguing and addictive, it is the perfect antidote for book lovers suffering Twilight related stress. The relationship between the central characters is balanced, in fact, it is the female protagonist who reluctantly holds the power and draws the attention of the rather ordinary boy. Neither saves the other singly, nor seems to belittle them at every turn, they are harmonious in their protection of one another.
And yet the romance is not comfortable and rather twee in the end, a la Meyer, it is messy, there are spills, and most importantly, both characters have imperfections, none of that girl not being worthy nonsense here. Neither is it predictable, this is a highly complex plot which always has a twist or a turn to bamboozle you and boasts a rather unique format to ensure this. Best of all, whilst Twilight encourages its readers to aspire to perfect romance with an entirely fanciful storyline, Beautiful Creatures is entirely relatable behind the fantasy façade, addressing that age old annoyance- growing up skilfully and truthfully.
Another aspect to relish is the factual element. Karcia and Stohl have not made up powers to seemingly compensate for easier and faster plot lines (did Bram Stoker or Joss Whedon ever mention the sparkling abilities of vampires in direct sunlight?) and most of the mystical elements are based on ancient folklore. The interweaving of the American Civil War adds to the books depth and establishes it firmly and realistically in the mind of the reader.
If not for the positive attitudes and mythological accurate story line, read this book for the writing. Twilight did not have the plot to carry off its relatively simplistic format and was full of mundane detail that clogged up the flow of the story and essentially irritated me. Beautiful Creatures is refreshing in this aspect, whilst the narrative is relatively uncomplicated (he said, she said) it is also direct, witty, and actually successfully employees the teenage voice.
The only danger is that Beautiful Creatures becomes bogged down in the post-Twilight publishing rush, like so many books which could have had the potential to be the next great fantasy story. The cover particularly contributes to this Twi-cotine patch for fans suffering Meyer withdrawal feel, but this is the only complaint that can be made.
Beautiful Creatures is a must read for any self-respecting Spinebreaker. Stand against the tide of second rate Twilight facsimiles- read this book.