SE Reading Buffs 6th hour discussion

Beautiful Redemption is the last installment of the Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl. It is a young adult fantasy romance book. It is set in modern times in the fake town of Gatlin, South Carolina. The series is about Lena Duchannes and Ethan Wate. Lena is part of a Casters family, meaning they can use a type of magic. In the previous book, Lena claimed herself both Light and Dark. This ripped the balance of reality apart. There were swarms of locus bugs eating everything as well as a heat wave that lasted well into the time it was supposed to be snowing. There was a prophecy that said the only way the balance could be restored is if the one who is two sacrifices themselves. Ethane, believing he is the one in the prophecy, jumps off the water tower killing himself and tearing himself away from the only girl he ever loved.

In this book, Ethan deals with his death. He is in the afterlife and finally gets to be with his mom, who had died a year before, but he longs for Lena in the mortal world more than anything. His aunt tells him that his death wasn’t supposed to happen. He learns that someone had put a page into the Caster Chronicles, which records everything that has happened and will happen. The only way Ethan can go back to living a mortal life is if he goes and removes the page out of his life.

To remove this page, Ethan must go to the Far Keep which holds the Caster Chronicles. He uses his aunt’s map to navigate his way there. Ethan is welcomed a hero when he reaches the Far Keep and requests to remove the page. He is refused. Angelus, a mortal who records the events of the Caster world, reveals that he has re-written several fates to fulfill his plan of getting rid of all the Mortals, and that Ethan’s death was not supposed to happen. Angelus said that the imbalance of the mortal world was supposed to go on until all mortals where killed. If not for the Lilum who told Ethan how to restore order, Angelus’s plan would have succeeded.

A challenge was proposed between Ethan and Angelus that whoever gets to the Chronicles first shall do whatever he wishes. The two race, Angelus often taunting and crossing Ethan, but Ethan manages to get there first. He is able to cause Angelus’s death and remove his own death page.

He woke up back at the water tower where he jumped to see Amma, his caretaker and second mother, going upwards to the Greats, sort of like Gods. Amma had traded her life for his. Her death is met with disbelief. Lena and Ethan are able to continue their lives together. The book ends with Ethan offering chocolate milk to his Aunt, Amma, and his mother.

It is beautiful written and very engaging. It was hard to put down once you started. You feel Ethan’s pain almost as if it was your own. Garcia and Stohl are able to connect well with the readers and represent the teenagers in the story as if they were real teenagers. Not only that but they end the series in a way that many authors can’t. It ends in a nice, peaceful way with the words “Life has never tasted sweeter.” You don’t feel the want for more of their life after this. Many books just don’t end that way, the often leave you wanting more.

ive never heard of this book. you gave good explanations. i would like to read it . it looks like a book i usually wouldnt read, but the way you talk about it makes it intersting.