Author: Robyn Schneider
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ebook
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 Stars
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Synopsis
from Goodreads:
Golden boy Ezra
Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter
after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy
waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless
driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.
No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.
But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?
Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.
My
Review:
This book felt so
unique and so real to me. The main character, Ezra, was so lifelike. It was
like I was sitting next to him while he conveyed his whole story to me. And
boy, did I love listening. Beautifully written, this story is all about
discovering who you are and going from childhood into adulthood.
Ezra’s life changed
forever the day of the car accident. The day he was told he would never play
sports again. His plan had been to get a scholarship for tennis and go to
college nearby. But after the accident all those dreams go out the window. At
first this book reminded me of Eleanor & Park, because Ezra is kind of in with the cool kids and then he meets
Cassie who dresses differently from everyone else and just is very unique. She’s
immediately picked on by the “cool kids” and Ezra befriends her. But the plot
quickly veers off into its own beautiful thing.
I loved Ezra’s
relationship with Cassie. It was so realistic and I really appreciated what the
author did with it. It wasn’t simple and it wasn’t easy, but it was exactly
what high school romance was like. You just kind of get swept away with it.
I loved watching Ezra
explore new hobbies and discover new things about himself. The way I looked at
it, Ezra was really rediscovering
himself. He had slipped so much into the façade of golden boy that he forgot
who he really was. Toby really
helped him out with that and I loved him for it. I loved that no matter what
had happened in the past, Toby just shrugged it off like it was nothing. He was
such an awesome friend and person.
Overall this book was
fantastic. A truly beautiful story about discovering who you are and
remembering that in the midst of tragedy, life goes on. You can either choose
to dwell on it or you can use it to discover new things about yourself. Happy
reading all!
Let's talk! Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you love Ezra and Cassie's relationship? What did you think of Toby? The ending?
Loved Ezra and Toby and ended up HATING Cassidy. I actually posted a spoiler discussion for this because I had to rant to get it out of my system. I don't want to comment why here (don't want anyone else to read it and have the book spoiled for them) so if you want to read my spoiler discussion, please do! Glad you enjoyed the book, I did too. It was the last quarter of the book that made me crazy, though. ~Pam
ReplyDeleteYeah, Cassidy was pretty messed up. I didn't hate her, but I certainly wasn't happy with her. I'm definitely jumping over to your spoiler discussion to read your thoughts.
DeleteI really liked this book so much. I loved the writing and the story that was told. I waiting a while before reading it, but I wish I hadn't. I wasn't the biggest fan of Cassidy but I loved how she fit into the story.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I waited a really long time to read this and it was sooo good. Agree about Cassidy, but I think she was really hurting and just wasn't dealing with it in a healthy way you know? I hope that she figures out how to deal with her grief eventually.
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