Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

The book “Beautiful Creatures” is full of mysteries and secrets. The author started off with Ethan, who is one of the main characters, talking about how nothing ever changes in his town, then ended the first chapter with him saying, that he was wrong, that there was a curse, a girl, and a grave that he never expected. It kind of wraps up what Ethan had started talking about. Which later lead into a song that keeps on appearing in his ipod and then disappearing. A repetition like technique the author used as a way to set a grounded pattern that draws readers in. The reappearance of the verse drives Ethan crazy, because he had fallen in love with a girl he sees in his dreams, but now his nightmare is becoming a reality. The author tried to show a message through a song verse that shows up throughout the story which changes little by little leading a message to what is coming their way.

Ethan heard a verse coming from his ipod, playing out of nowhere. When he doubled checked to make sure that it was a song in his ipod, there was nothing at all,  the song was gone as if it was never there. The verse of the mysterious song said, “Sixteen moons, sixteen years; Sixteen of your deepest fears; Sixteen times you dreamed my tears; Falling, falling through the years…”. The verse made him think whether it was just a dream or was he thinking too much. He also had been having weird dreams about this girl that he tries to hold onto but she slipped out of his hand into the darkness under. This verse that the author added, was to add a hint that something unusual is going on. Ethan mom had died, his dad  locked up in the basement “working” ever since. He is now taken care by Amma, a housekeeper that had been with his family for longer than he can remember. She is very superstitious and is also mysterious. The song verse will reveal some stuff, that Ethan never knew, especially about the people around him, Amma, his dad, and even his mother.

Ethan heard this song playing from his ipod for a second time. Again when he check again it was gone. Ethan had recognized the same melody, but some of the words changed while he was in class. Ethan suddenly felt disconnected from the reality, he was falling, she was falling, he was in his dreams. He was confused. He had a feeling that connects to an uneasy feeling with the remembrance of the girl that appeared in his dreams. He then thinks of the new girl Lena, niece of a crazy man living in a haunted like mansion in town. He felt a strong connection to her the more he had gotten close to her. “Sixteen moons, sixteen years; Sound of thunder in your ears; Sixteen miles before she nears; Sixteen seeks what sixteen fears….” To him, this verse that appears, always give him a tense feeling, that something will happen. It gives Ethan signs, he knows is going on, but does not know what it is. The author, used many other form of repetition in the book, yet the particular verses from the same song makes the book connect in a unique way. After the verse plays with a change in words throughout the book, Ethan would find himself in a different place, experiencing things so real that it can hurt him, something supernatural. The repetition of the verse, this style chosen by the author, gives the book much bigger mystery and suspense that the reader sometimes can’t catch up with even though it is predicted by readers that it will show up throughout the story.

Ethan keeps on getting this same repetitive verse with slight changes throughout the story. “Sixteen moons, sixteen years,; Sixteen times you dreamed my fears,; Sixteen will try to Bind the spheres,; Sixteen screams but just one hearts....” And every time, it is almost a signal that something unusual will take place, and Ethan must be more cautious than ever. The repetition of this verse with slight changes, are what the readers look for, since it leads to the interesting parts of the book, and more secrets being revealed as the story goes along. It keeps the reader entertain and interested. The author used the repetition in a way to not make it too predictable, but instead, it makes the book more interesting. It is a repetitive thing that happens a lot to Ethan.

This style of repetition the author used in the book allows the readers to think of what the verses actually mean and understand what is going on in the story. It’s not just the things that are being written in the book that the readers are reading, but a much deeper understanding. all the other little repetition, such as his dreams, his daydream illusions, and secrets being revealed to him by Amma. It all leads up to the what the readers look for after each time the verse or vision Ethan gets. It is the small problems that shows up in the story that reveals more and more secrets that Ethan never knew. “Used sparingly and in the right context, though, repetition is a literary device that can make quite the rhetorical effect.” said Ben Huberman.

The author gave characters in the book chances to speak, in order for readers to get a glimpse into their character that builds up over time. Introducing more and more character in over time, as more verses with different wordings being revealed in the story. This allows the readers to be more in touch and build a relationship with the characters. This will result in the readers not knowing exactly where the book is leading to, but a very exciting way of keeping the readers entertain yet feeling the suspense. Repetition plays a big part in this story, the author made it connects with everything else that leads up to what the readers like.

"Rinse, Repeat: Make the Most of Repetition in Your Writing." The Daily Post. 29 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <https://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/repetition-literary-device/>.

"The Beautiful Creatures Complete Collection (Caster Chronicles, #1-4)."Goodreads. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13537830-the-beautiful-creatures-complete-collection>.