Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Synopsis:
There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Review:
Beautiful Creatures is my favorite book of 2010 so far. I could just stop the review right now and say, "Go read it!", but I wont.
The authors really captured the feel of a small, southern town. The characters are all important, and none of the characters are overshadowed by the two main characters. I feel that this is a huge accomplishment for any book. They're believable, lovable, and some are loathable. The book is long - almost 600 pages - but never drags. The pacing is great, and there are surprises everywhere. I have nothing bad to say about it. :)

Recommended if you like To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter, Shadowed Summer


I'm going to see the authors tomorrow, so I'll be posting pics soon. I'll probably tweet some too, so if you want to see them as I put them up, follow me. @Travis_Pearson