FlumeAward – The Beginning of Everything
FlumeAward – The Beginning of Everything The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
I enjoyed this book. It is solid, well-developed, contemporary fiction. It’s not a story that stuck with me over the past year, but it would be an easy read-alike for someone who likes books with smart characters trying to sort themselves out after a major, life-changing event. It is well written and fun, with only a slightly elevated amount of angst. -Sophie Smith, Nashua PL
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found myself peeking ahead when I needed to stop reading to go to bed or do something else important. The characters are realistic and well-developed. I would love to do a book like this with my Teen Book Club, but they currently avoid anything at all that resembles romance in any way. I don’t believe the romance is overpowering, but my teens would. – Barb Ballou, Whipple Free Library
Well, there is a lot of pro and con fuss over this book on GoodReads. I view myself as the type of reader that just likes to feel the characters and not get too fussy about the rest. It was annoying sometimes how Cassidy acted. She was just as bad, if not worse, than Margo from Paper Towns. Other than that, this book was witty and a good read for those of us who like teenage angst. Many people say this read like a John Green novel. I concur. I would think this is good realistic fiction to add to the list depending on how many other good recommendations we get.
~Kathy Watson, Kimball Library (Atkinson)
Fell in love with the book in the first ten pages; then felt guilty for loving the book because the story is reminiscent of others (Cassidy reminds me too much of Eleanor in Eleanor and Park and the outrageous high school students and situations reminded me of Will Grayson, Will Grayson). When I decided to stop making these kinds of connections and just enjoy the story, I couldn’t put the book down. This is a debut novel after all (and a mighty fine one at that). The author uses phrases and dialogue(Ezra is a great narrator) that beg to be read more than once. Smart, sad, sweet, silly, and sassy, I dare anyone not to love Ezra and all his flaws in this tragic romance.
-Kelly Budd, Keene High
Ezra was hit by a car while leaving a party just before his junior prom. I enjoyed every bit of Ezra’s story from the pre- high school story of his former best friend, Toby, to the accident to recovery and the changing of status, friends, and interests upon return to school, to new love, etc. All I have to say is that YA books do not have to be sad to be taken seriously, and the ending brought a specific title of another YA book to mind. A nice book for older teens (girls and boys). I felt that the physical matters were handled tastefully -not out and out funny, as in Brent Crawford’s books, but not gross, as in, say, Andrew Smith’s books. Things just seemed realistic to me, and I was surprised to notice that the author was female when I got to the end.
-Kirsten Rundquist Corbett, Sandown Public Library