The Beginnning of Everything by Robyn Schneider {Review}

Review by Kit

THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING
By Robyn Schneider
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Goodreads | Amazon

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.

At a Glance: The Beginning of Everything was not a happy-go-lucky, light read, but I'm still extremely glad I read it.  

Cover: I absolutely adore this cover, especially the "Everyone gets a tragedy" quote on the front. However, this is the paperback and unfortunately I have the hardcover, which still has a pretty cool cover, but not this cool.

Review: The Beginning of Everything was not a book I instantly fell in love with, but it was a book I got addicted to. It's kind of like the guy you know is bad for you, and you know if you fall in love with him, it won't end well for you, and yet you do it anyway. And it's amazing, and exciting, but there's always a part of you that's thinking about the inevitable blow up at the end.

And afterwards, when you just feel a little broken, you know it was 100% your fault because you got yourself into this, but at the same time, you wouldn't trade it for the world. That was The Beginning of Everything for me. It was so real.

I felt for the characters, and I believed that everyone gets a tragedy. 

 Something I didn't like: Sometimes I didn't fully understand the emotions of the characters.  I'm not an overly emotional person, so sometimes it was hard for me to relate to them.  There were parts where I felt like all Ezra wanted to do was throw a pity party, and while it was understandable, sometimes I was tired of it..

Would I recommend it? Yes. I definitely think you should read it, just be ready for a bit of an emotional roller coaster.

 

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