The Beginning Of Everything (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
hated the story. hated Cassidy. however I loved Ezra, his story and his friends. Cassidy drove me insane since the minute she got there and I don't really care for her tragedy, she thinks everything is about her. For someone who is so about honesty with extra she's not honest in one fucking sentence that comes out of her mouth in the book. Loved the ending , because Ezra stayed friends with them, moved on form Cassidy, and went to college. I specifically loved the part about going back to Disney and those are the only reasons I gave two stars. How do we as individuals define ourselves? Are we defined by our friends? Our family? Our hobbies? All these things help you understand yourself - your opinions, beliefs, judgements, and feelings about who you are as a person. Ezra Faulkner is one of the best athletes whose life took a sudden change after he gets run over by a car and is left with permanent injuries. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider focuses on the changes that occur in his life before and after the hit-and-run accident causing a need to reevaluate himself as he is now feeling out of place with his new self image. Ezra is unable to continue as the leading tennis player at his school, as the boyfriend of the most popular cheerleader, or as the head of the most popular group in school. These social statuses were previously what made Ezra who he was and the accident helps him get away from his old life and start a new better one. Throughout the book, Ezra searches for himself and finds what he needs in the most realistic, though not the easiest way. The development and change in his attitude and self image was because of himself as opposed to being a direct result of the injuries caused by the accident. Essentially, Ezra's battle is more or less a battle within - which is more relatable to young adults - and is something I like. Another positive I found was in the fact that Robyn Schneider writes an extremely believable male point of view which is rare these days in young adult books written by women. Robyn illustrates a very real teenage boy with genuine insecurities and flaws. Although I am not able to speak from experience (I am not a teenage boy), but I found him to be a well written character with lots of depth with a convincing personality. Romance is also another large aspect of this novel and Ezra finds this in an intelligent and confidently quirky character named Cassidy Thorpe. Despite her being full of personality there is something darker hidden beneath her bright surface weighing her down. In some ways, this made her all the more suited to be Ezra's love interest. They bonded with an interesting connection from a shared brokenness, but they both hide it. Life isn't perfect and we don't end up with everything we expected or wanted. Although it was a very good book, there are flaws in "The Beginning of Everything". One of which is the “good” versus “evil” status that exists between the social groups in Ezra’s high school. I know that it is very realistic compared to the way things are amongst teenagers these days, but I don't like the stereotypes very much, but that's just me. Also, Ezra's reaction to Cassidy is a little much. Ezra becomes completely preoccupied with her and I know she is nothing like any other girl he has ever known, but I feel that he starts to become someone he isn't a little bit. We learn very little about her till the end of the novel which keeps readers reading. Even still she plays a large role in bringing about the changes in Ezra. Lastly, The Beginning of Everything was a very good book despite it's flaws. As Ezra grew as a person, I was able to relate a tiny bit and I feel that I gained from reading his journey. It is definitely recommended to readers of teen fiction and to enjoy Ezra’s story. How we grow as individuals is dependent on what we experience and a majority of us live blind to the things we have.
What do You think about The Beginning Of Everything (2013)?
pretty typical. Quick read, not exactly thought provoking, but fun to lose oneself in.
—duk_bokki
it was amazing and other love that fact that I could relate to Toby more than Ezra.
—Brittany
i can't connect with character. Guess this is not my kind of read.
—carley
A fine realistic fiction book that just didn't stand out.
—everythingnohots
