Life: The time it takes for a booknerd to pick up another book.
So, I just finished reading The Start of Me and You, by Emery Lord literally a few minutes ago. And while it doesn’t compare to the sensation of finishing the Lumatere Chronicles. No, I’ll never get over that one. No 5 steps of denial there. Just one long anguish.
But, let’s not get sidetracked. The Start of Me and You.
While it doesn’t compare to that certain sensation, it was an incredible book and very moving in its own right. Simple, but with the most basic elements of human life. Very relatable. I… don’t know what to do! I know I’ll start looking for something else to read as soon as I finish writing this post, I’ll probably be reading it by the time this is published, but it doesn’t make it any less excruciating!
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The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord Published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA ISBN: 9781619633605
on March 31st 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Love & Romance, Social Issues
Pages: 336
My rating:
Check it out in Goodreads
Synopsis
Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it's never too late for second chances.
It's been a year since it happened-when Paige Hancock's first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school. . .and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her-the perfect way to convince everyone she's back to normal. Next: Join a club-simple, it's high school after all. But when Ryan's sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?
The Start of Me and You was a great contemporary read, mainly due to all the inner conflict that doesn’t equal petty drama going on with Paige, the MC. I particularly loved it because of how the author did an excellent job of showing a teenager with dreams, troubles, who depends heavily on her friends to pick her up when she’s sad, that is immature, and crushes on a boy who is obviously not interested… Without overstepping and being melodramatic. I think it was a pretty spot on portrayal. And the difference between this one and other reads claiming to know how teenagers speak and think is laughable.
There is just no comparison.
Family and friendship play major roles in the Paige’s development and it was beautiful to see how involved these two factors were.
Bonus points for friends not being total bitches to make Paige look better in contrast.
Also, the nerdiness in Max’s and Paige’s personality didn’t come only from books, like in other stories. We have a wide range of nerdiness here! AIRPLANES, SCI-FI MOVIES, QUIZ BOWL… Take your pick!
Each time there was something I could relate too (very often), I became even more invested in the story. Like that moment when you finally get to seat close to the boy you like and all seems good in the world, because you will be able to – CRAP. TEACHER MANDATORY CHANGE OF SEATS.
XD
I’ll definitely be reading more of Emery Lord in the future!
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Oh man! I know what you mean!
I finished this book one day when I was substitute teaching, and I knew immediately that it would be a book hangover for me. I wanted to talk to so many people after I read this one, but I had an ARC so there weren’t that many people to talk to.
It was just one of those books that made me think, and it made me feel so good! I loved the slow simmering romance and the self discovery, and basically everything. Emery is a queen.
Erin @ The Hardcover Lover recently posted this awesome thing…Book Review: The Princess, The Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy
Contemporaries like this are the reason I keep coming back to them even though I prefer fantasy. Emery Lord is def an author whose works I’ll keep tabs on!