So I had the luxury of being able to take lots of baths this past week and so I was able to finish this book!

"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. "

This book turned out to be pretty good. It was a bit slow in some areas, but otherwise picked up shortly after those slow spots. The main character Ethan meets Lena, who is new to a very small southern town. But from the moment they meet there is something between them that draws the two together and forms bonds beyond just the average friendship or teen romance. Only Lena's uncle turns out to be the town outcast that's rarely seen and lives in the rumored Haunted Mansion and everyone dislikes him and Lena, including Amma, Ethan's servant who is more like a family member who tells him he as to stay away. But as well all know, that just pushes the two of them together.

While some of the characters were pretty stereotypical, including Amma and a few of the town members, it all fit very well into the book and brought it alive in a way. Lena's uncle turns out to be a very very interesting character that leaves you wanting to know more about him and the entire family. It especially leaves you still wanting to know what happened to Ethans mom because that is never fully answered.

In general I would say this book deserves 9 stars! I can't wait for the sequel and hear there is supposed to be a movie, but I'm not sure I want to see it.

I believe my son is getting ready for a nap, so please excuse such a short and rushed review. It's a good book though!