Beginning of Everything

Robyn Schneider'sThe Beginning of Everythingis a witty and heart-wrenching teen novel that will appeal to fans of books by John Green and Ned Vizzini, novels such asThe Perks of Being a Wallflower, and classics likeThe Great GatsbyandThe Catcher in the Rye.Varsity tennis captain Ezra Faulkner was supposed to be homecoming king, but that was beforebefore his girlfriend cheated on him, before a car accident shattered his leg, and before he fell in love with unpredictable new girl Cassidy Thorpe.AsKirkussaid in a starred review, 'Schneider takes familiar stereotypes and infuses them with plenty of depth. Here are teens who could easily trade barbs and double entendres with the characters that fill John Green's novels.'Funny, smart, and including everything from flash mobs to blanket forts to a poodle who just might be the reincarnation of Jay Gatsby,The Beginning of Everythingis a refreshing contemporary twist on the classic coming-of-age novela heart-wrenching story about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.