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The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

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The Beginning of Everything by [Schneider, Robyn]

DATE: Monday, March 2, 2:45 Rm. 351
Moderator: Susan Woodhams


Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything is a witty and heart-wrenching teen novel that will appeal to fans of books by John Green and Ned Vizzini, novels such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and classics like The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye.
Varsity tennis captain Ezra Faulkner was supposed to be homecoming king, but that was before—before his girlfriend cheated on him, before a car accident shattered his leg, and before he fell in love with unpredictable new girl Cassidy Thorpe.
As Kirkus Reviews said 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 Everything is a refreshing contemporary twist on the classic coming-of-age novel—a 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.

Comments

  1. ZachMay 12, 2020 at 9:42 AM

    "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 Everything is a refreshing contemporary twist on the classic coming-of-age novel—a 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."

    In reading that review I found a lot to echo - I think there was so much that our students could relate to in regard to growing up, going through varying degrees of hardship, establishing and then reestablishing a social identity. I see a lot that would entice young readers. The one general complaint that I had with it was that it seemed relatively hollow - while there was a lot to draw young readers, I don't know how much was there to sustain interest. I ended my reading feeling like the end didn't really deliver in a way that I had hoped, I don't know if this story had the heart of others that we've read: 'All The Bright Places' or really anything by John Green. I would find myself recommending those works before recommending this to any students that may ask.

    As far as incorporating this work into my teaching - I think as a Social Studies teacher it would be a challenge, the work strikes me as something that would be suitable for middle school aged readers, and the Social Studies content doesn't necessarily lend itself to a "social-science" tangent lesson. Though I do think it would work well in instructing middle school students in writing/working with troupes - I feel like that's necessary work to do, and this title presents characters that seem quite formulaic (that's reading in a much more critical tone than intended). Overall - I found the book to be very easy to get into, though the culmination was flat.

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