The wonderful Kaitlin has been keeping my shelves stacked with YA recommendations as of late. The last book she let me borrow was Robyn Schneider's THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING, which I read inside of a week. What I found interesting is that this was the second YA book she's recommended that uses the Panopticon as a major theme. Having never learned about that in school it stuck out in my mind.
Here's the basic, bare-bones of the story. Uber popular Ezra Faulkner starts his senior year of high school feeling totally out of place. He was in a car accident at the end of his Junion year that destroyed his knee (knocking him off the star athlete pedestal), his friends never visited him in the hospital, and it's like the veil over his life was lifted and he's not sure he wants to be who he was. So he reconnects with a nerdy childhood friend, starts sitting at the Debate Club's lunch table, and meets a smart girl who challenges everything he thought he knew about himself and his relationships.
Here's what I loved most about this book... I didn't see the ending coming. Often I have a strong feeling of where a book is going, and while that doesn't ruin a story for me, I found it really nice to be knocked flat on my ass by the turn of events. So, well done, Robyn Schneider.
A carton of fries was just dropped on my desk by a coworker so obviously I can't concentrate over the starchy fumes so, that is all for now.
Happy Reading!
Stephanie
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