Review: The Beginning of Everything - Robyn Schneider

Where I got it: ARC from AmazonVine
Rating: 5 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's fitting, but so very yellow. I guess the color makes it Californian.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Page Count: 335 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Ezra is no longer on top of the school. Since his accident, he's fallen down the social ladder a few rungs, or so he thinks.With his new outlook at his popularity he begins hanging out with an old friend and a band of misfits (drama and debate kids). He's torn between two worlds though when his old friends seem unwilling to let him go. Ezra has to decided what would be his bigger tragedy, his accident or losing his new friends to return to his old ones.

If you start this book and don't instantly want to devour the rest of it...there's no hope converting you to this book. It was such a great read. Ezra wasn't my favorite character in the world, but he wasn't my least favorite. He was a quite self-conceited and wasn't great at looking at the bigger picture. He struggled a lot trying to overcome his tragedy, which while difficult, could have been worse.

Cassidy is a very broken girl, and I can see why Ezra would latch onto her. She's an entirely different breed of girl than Ezra is used to with his old group of friends. She was a very realistic character though. Sometimes we act a certain way and say stupid things, because we have momentary lapses in judgement. It has probably happened to everyone at some point. As a person we often don't know what is best for us, or if we do, don't want to except it.

I found it very believable that his old clique would still want him around. He was on top of the world, and while some people were probably glad to see him fall, it doesn't make them less in love with him. His friends were really his friends, in their own way. On the other side of this, I can see why his new friends are weary of him. He's a foreign intruder into their comfortable space and that is bound to make people defensive. I liked his new group of friends better and I think you're supposed to. They were an interesting bunch though.

I don't think I'm doing a great job at selling this book so I'll stop soon. Just try it. If you like realistic fiction I'm sure you'll adore this one. Be warned that there are some feels in this book though, so be prepared.

First Line:
"Sometimes I think that everyone has a tragedy waiting for them, that the people buying milk in their pajamas or picking their noses at stoplights could be only moments away from disaster."

Favorite Line:
"It was so adorable that I almost threw up all over my adorable pile of fries."