Review: The Beginning of Everything

Title: The Beginning of Everything 
Author: Robyn Schneider 
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins 
Pub Date: August 27, 2013
Genre: YA 
Rec. Age Level: 13+ 
More by author: The Social Climber's Guide to High School

 

   
Ezra Faulkner had it all: gorgeous girlfriend, popularity, and athleticism and skill that held the promise of a full-ride to university. He had these things, but, after a fatal night where he first lost his girlfriend and then quickly lost everything else, Ezra's present and future are forever altered. Enter Ezra's one-time best friend (of roller coaster decapitation fame) and a mysterious new girl with a smile full of secrets and Ezra's life is suddenly taking off into unforeseen directions. Maybe what seemed like the end, is really the beginning of everything.

The most common statement I've heard in reference to Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything is that it is perfect for John Green fans. This is absolutely true, but I also have to point out that Green's books, while they are very good reads with fantastic characters and plots, all feel very similar to me. Robyn Schneider, on the other hand, brings many things that I love about Green's books - male POV, sarcastic wit, nerdy romance, etc - while injecting her own voice and magic to the premise. So, yes, Green fans will enjoy The Beginning of Everything as it shares the same spirit as books like Looking for Alaska, but it is distinctly different in terms of premise than anything I've read from Green.

Notable Quotes:

“Life is the tragedy," she said bitterly. "You know how they categorize Shakespeare's plays, right? If it ends with a wedding, it's a comedy. And if it ends with a funeral, it's a tragedy. So we're all living tragedies, because we all end the same way, and it isn't with a goddamn wedding.”

 “Words could betray you if you chose the wrong ones, or mean less if you used too many. Jokes could be grandly miscalculated, or stories deemed boring, and I'd learned early on that my sense of humor and ideas about what sorts of things were fascinating didn't exactly overlap with my friends.”

 “You have this maddening little smile sometimes, like you've just thought of something incredibly witty but are afraid to say it in case no one gets the joke.”

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Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

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Post-apocalyptic novels are usually populated with badass characters, but, even so, Lynn from Mindy McGinnis' Not a Drop to Drink, stands out. Raised by her mother to survive, she's more likely to shoot first and ask questions later and quickly learns to trust no one except herself. When Lynn's mother dies in a horrible accident, leaving Lynn completely alone, she can only rely on the lessons her mother taught her and her wits to survive. But Lynn isn't her mother and she sees shades of gray where her mother only saw black and white. Suddenly, the  lessons she thought she could rely on to guide her actions don't seem to apply and Lynn is a facing a whole different kind of danger: friendship, love, and duty. Lynn develops relationships that introduce her to new found emotions and an unfamiliar sense of connectedness... and, suddenly, her survival might not be the most important goal.

I immediately felt a connection with Lynn. I think I was especially drawn to her no nonsense attitude and the practical skills she's been taught by her mother, things I feel the women in my own family also inherit from generation to generation. She's a strong, resourceful, intelligent individual who thrives in the barren life she's been given. She has no experience with other people, apart from her mother, yet she has an innate sense of compassion, seemingly at odds with the bleak, solitary lifestyle she's necessarily adopted. This coupling of hardness and almost maternal softness make for a compelling mix.

Though the description of Not a Drop to Drink mentions the romantic elements of the novel, I must caution that the romance is definitely not the focus of the story. While I did enjoy this aspect of the plot, it was, overall, a side story. I have to say that I actually preferred it this way. Having Lynn fall head over heels and lose herself in her feelings for a boy wouldn't have felt genuine. Lynn is not the type of girl to completely lose her head, in any situation. Instead, the romance functions as a way to show another side of Lynn - a side she herself didn't even realize existed - and offers comfort and connection in a harsh, sharp-edged landscape.

While most of Not a Drop to Drink takes place in the empty wilderness, there is mention of more populated cities where things are much different than the world Lynn knows. A world where technology still exists and, at least for the wealthy, some luxuries. I'm curious to see what else we'll learn in subsequent novels, as well as what will become of Lynn and her new family, as Not a Drop to Drink ended with some intense, game changing events. 

Mindy McGinnis has wowed me with her debut. Not a Drop to Drink introduces readers to an intense, unforgettable world and an incredibly strong main character sure to win readers' hearts with her courage and compassion.

Review: Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

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When people ask me why I loved Wild Awake, I have a difficult time putting my reasons into words. This book is very different than any other contemporary YA book I've read, in a good, but indescribable way. For me, the most notable aspect of Hilary T. Smith's debut was how incredibly real it felt... so real, that, during the most intense passages when Kiri is in the depths of a mental breakdown, I had to take a deep breath, calm myself and steady my shaking hands.

Wild Awake tells the story of Kiri, a budding classical pianist who also plays keyboard in the band she belongs to with her best friend, Lukas. Years prior, Kiri's sister, Sukey, the black sheep of the family and Kiri's hero, died in an accident. Kiri knows little about the event, only remembering her sister through girlhood memories, because Sukey is a taboo subject in the eyes of Kiri's parents and older brother. When Kiri's parents leave her home alone while on vacation, she thinks she'll accomplish all sorts of things in her time alone: she'll take her relationship with Lukas from friends to more than friends, she'll perfect the piece she must learn on piano, and she'll rock Battle of the Bands with Lukas. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when Kiri receives a call from a man claiming to be a one-time neighbor of Sukey... a man who says he has her "stuff." Though Kiri tries to write off the call, she's drawn to the things her sister has left behind. In no time at all, she's discovered that there's more to Sukey's story than anyone admits... and more to her own as well.

I've attempted to find other books to compare to Wild Awake to better explain the tone and style of the novel, but the only acceptable comparison I came up with was the film Juno. Still, Juno is different in that it has laugh-out-loud moments. Wild Awake has a humor of sorts, but I never laughed aloud... But, as I read, I did picture scenes from the novel in the same sort of style as Diablo Cody's film. It tells the same sort of truths.

The romance in Wild Awake felt different than anything else I've ever read as well. Again, real. The boy Kiri eventually falls for is far from perfect. To me, it didn't even feel like Smith romanticized anything. The romance, like the entire novel, just was. Kiri's experience like something that could happen to me, my best friend, or any other girl. 

I feel like I've completely failed at explaining how worthwhile of a read Wild Awake is, but, like I mentioned before, it's a book that truly defies simple explanations... which I suppose could quite possibly be reason enough to read it.



Katherine Tegen Books, May 2013, Hardcover, ISBN:9780062184689, 375 pgs.

Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered. 

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf. 

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control. 

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk. 

Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

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I usually avoid werewolf books, so it says something that I was intrigued enough by the premise of Hemlock to pick it up. Though, I admit, the title might have been one of my deciding factors. And that the cover model is wearing a purple dress. I do have a penchant for purple...


Luckily, I ended up enjoying the werewolf aspects of this novel quite a lot... perhaps more than any other werewolf novel I've read. Definitely enough that I'm excited to continue with the next installment and maybe enough that I'll give some other werewolf books a chance. 


In Hemlock, werewolves are public knowledge... and most of the public isn't a fan. The disease that afflicts those who shift into wolves is known as lupine syndrome and is remarkably easy to spread. In a supposed effort to slow and eliminate the spread of the disease, those infected are sent to camps reminiscent of internment camps. The public, and the reader, are only given a vague impression of what goes on in these camps, but I'm hoping that this idea will be further explored in the second book.


The novel centers on Mackenzie, a girl dealing with her best friend's murder by a werewolf. Amy's death was one of four among a series of attacks and the person, or wolf, behind the gruesome murders is still free. Mac can't stop dreaming about Amy and believes the only way to stop her from haunting her sleep is to find out what happened the night her boyfriend found her torn apart in an alley. It doesn't take long for Mac to discover that people - and werewolves - are not at all what they seem... 


Add to the mix that Amy is the daughter of a Senator. Making what might have been a small story into a media frenzy... especially when the Senator, a previous supporter of werewolf rights, completely reverses his stance, going so far as to invite an extremist group known as Trackers into the small town of Hemlock. The Trackers are there under the guise of looking into Amy's death... and crack down on local werewolves. The law stands aside as the Trackers overwhelm Hemlock, recruiting local teens and going to whatever means necessary to root out those hiding their abilities. It doesn't take long for Jason, one of Mac's best friends, Amy's boyfriend - and the one that found her dead - is lured in by the extremist group by the idea of violent retribution.


Though I thoroughly enjoyed the paranormal parts of this novel, there were some other aspects that seemed forced to me. As much as it pains me to say it, I wasn't invested in Hemlock's romantic plot lines. The love interests were all right, but neither really popped for me. I really liked them as characters and can't wait to see how they develop in subsequent novels, but I couldn't bring myself to care who Mac ended up. I'm very hopeful that I'll see some kind of spark or more chemistry in the next book, but, as of right now, I was a bit bored every time there was a romance related scene. I just wanted to learn more about the werewolves and the murders and skip the love scenes.


Despite the fact that the romance missed the mark for me, I really did enjoy Hemlock. The mystery was intense, the paranormal aspects well developed, and discussion of how the public was handling (or not handling) the spread of lupine syndrome was extremely interesting. It appears there will be a change of scenery for book two, and, I won't lie, I wish I had it in my hands right now!

HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books, May 2012, Hardcover, ISBN: 9780062048653, 400 pages.

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Waiting on Wednesday (39)

WoW is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!

Divergent by Veronica Roth
HarperTeen (Katherine Tegen Books)/5.2011
Description (from GoodReads):
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris, and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together, they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes-fascinating, sometimes-exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen.

But Tris also has a secret: one she’s kept hidden from everyone, because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.

I think Roth's debut has the potential to be fantastically epic. It's set in Chicago!  I wasn't sure if I liked the cover at first, but, the more I look at it, the more it grows on me. I'm really loving the skyline and I'm hoping the symbol and flames will be embossed...