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The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Tuesday, November 19, 2013
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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.


Goodreads Summary



Ezra used to be the guy who had it all.  He was hot - dating the best looking girl in town, and was
a talented tennis player; Ezra was a shoo-in for homecoming king.  That was Ezra’s life before his
girlfriend cheated on him and his leg was shattered in a car accident.  Now, Ezra is broken and trying to find his identity.  Ezra used to be king of the popular kids, but he now sits with misfits, walks with a cane, and joined the debate team.  There is a new girl at school, too.  She is unlike anyone he has ever known and Ezra finds her irresistible.  Cassidy is a debate star with secrets and a brokenness of her own that she tries to hide.  The two fall into a romance they did not expect to find.

Schneider’s portrayal of a golden boy who fell from grace seems inaccurate to me.  People love
to read about boys finding themselves and learning from bad experiences though, so I suppose
Schneider’s novel will please most readers.  I did not particularly like Schneider’s writing style; it seemed posed and fake.  Overall, the plot was interesting, and the characters were unique.  The Beginning of Everything was not my cup of tea, but other readers may find the book uplifting and different from other coming of age novels.

2.5 stars

"Reviewed by Chelsea"

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This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

8 comments:

  1. Chelsea B. said...:

    I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the novel-- though I appreciate the honest review!

  1. Unknown said...:

    Hmm this one seemed promising... I can understand how the writing style put you off though.

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Only 2 and a half stars? It sounds so good. I've been wanting to read this one for awhile now. And now I'm disappointed. :(

    Hope the other fabulous sounding books doesn't disappoint.

  1. I've seen this book, but never took the time to read the summary... It sounds fairly decent, but I guess you can't judge the writing style by the summary or cover, huh?
    Sorry it wasn't so great, although I do wonder about it now. I'll try to get it from the library or something. Thanks for the review!

  1. Unknown said...:

    This book is on my TBR pile because I thought it was really interesting. Too bad you didn't like it. I will still give it a chance :)

    Joana @ Joana In The Sky With Books

  1. Susan T. said...:

    I'm surprised that you didn't like it! I've read so many glowing reviews from people who loved it. I guess everyone has different tastes!

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Oh, Boo!! Sounds like a good read! I would still try to give it a go though, every has different "translations" to books, so who knows. Maybe it will be good for someone else, but from the sounds of it.. it seems the writing style might be hard to overcome.. hmm.. now I am debating. Thanks for posting your review about it!

  1. Berenice said...:

    I love the cover for this book! I have this one on my 'to-read' list and this is actually the first review I've read on it. Sorry to hear you didn't really like. I might give it a go later on. Thanks for the review =).