Wicked Review: The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Published: August 27, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Acquired: Borrowed Paperback

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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?

I'd like to thank my brother for lending me his copy. He's awesome all around.

So, when I finished the book, I didn't feel anything. I mean the book was good. The way it was written was amazing. The characters and their feelings were so real. But, I felt sort of meh afterwards. I don't know why.

And then, someone said let there be light. Kidding!

Here I am writing this review and all the feels are coming back. It hit me like a freight train and now I'm lying on the ground in a puddle of my own feels.

Ezra used to have everything. He was famous. He was good at tennis. He had a girlfriend. he was destined to be homecoming king. But when he crashed his car, everything fell apart. What I love about him is his typical nature yet he's different. Just like every teenager, he wanted to belong. He wanted things to be the same before he crashed his car. He wanted to play tennis again because he was good at it. He was just an honest to goodness character. He's quick witted and smart and funny. You cannot not fall in love with him. His voice in the novel is strong, the kind that will resonate through your soul.

Then there's Cassidy Thorpe. She was the very definition of an enigma at the start of the book. Out of nowhere, she just pops in. New girl and different, she came from a boarding school and was master debater. She's eloquent, fierce, sarcastic, and smart. She gave me a strong Margo Roth Spiegelman vibe minus the disappearing act. She was so fascinating. You can't really categorize her because she's so different. I am shaking my head at how she blew me away.

Robyn Schneider did a great job with Severed Heads and Broken Hearts, because really this is the legit title of this book. She created an honest to goodness storyline and real characters. This novel had everything in it yet I think readers can find something different in it. If I had more hands, I'd give this so many thumbs up and the stars that I can collect because it is that good.

Robyn Schneider is a writer, actor, and online personality who misspent her youth in a town coincidentally similar to Eastwood. Robyn is a graduate of Columbia University, where she studied creative writing, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where she studied medical ethics. She is also the author of the middle grade Knightley Academy books, written as Violet Haberdasher. She lives in Los Angeles, California, but also on the internet.

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