The Beginning of Everything

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 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.

How do you start over when you’ve lost everything you thought you were?

• Witty Banter: Ezra and Cassidy trade barbs and literary references in a romance that’s as smart and funny as it is heart-wrenching.
• High School Coming of Age: When a car accident ends his reign as homecoming king, Ezra Faulkner must trade the tennis court for the debate team and figure out who he is without the popularity.
• An Unforgettable New Girl: Cassidy Thorpe—with her flash mobs, blanket forts, and secrets—upends Ezra’s world and challenges everything he thought he knew about life and love.
• A Story of Resilience: A poignant and honest look at life after tragedy, dealing with a new disability, and the long, difficult road to a new beginning.