Review ~ The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Synopsis:

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.

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Review:

The Beginning of Everything is a story to be slowly enjoyed over a relaxing afternoon with a cup of coffee, or when you just want a change of pace on your action/thriller genre. 

I didn't realize how much I needed to slowdown, having read too many heart-stopping, mind gripping novels lately until I read this book. Some would get bored from the slow start, but I assure you it is quite worth it to finish until the end. Because that is how the story will progress: slow but steady.

Ezra is a guy that is easy to like. A regular, popular guy who has everything set for him. Prom king, ace tennis player, the most popular girl in school as his girl. What could go wrong? 

Plenty, as it is. Robyn Schneider set it that a great tragedy will occur in this poor, young man' (in Ezra's perspective that is) life. A tragedy that changes everything. He sees how it is with his fickle life, his fickle friends and his even more fickler girlfriend. He realizes that when a tragedy occurs to person, a lot of people will either jump ship or pretend everything has never change but you will get your eyes forcefully opened. 

And he hated that. He started to close off himself, to resign to himself to life. But along comes Cassidy, weird, crazy, smart, beautiful Cassidy, who made him realize maybe there's something out more out there. 

This is not a book about love, nor is it a book about a a young man trying to heroically piece himself back together. This is a book about real life. About how even if everything suddenly changes, life goes on. The clock still runs, you'll meet new people or re-meet old friends.

Schneider's characters have depth, from our young, likable protagonist, to the perfect best friend Toby, and even Luke (with which the image of Draco Malfoy will stay forever). They feel real. That what has kept me going, until the end.

I would have loved it even more if the author added more dialogues, and not just stayed stuck on Ezra's head. Quips between Ezra and Co. would be really appreciated and would have made the story more colorfully entertaining. 

Would I recommend this book? Definitely. Would I read another of Robyn Schneider's work? Absolutely. Would I still love it? I would only wait and see.

~ Djan