From 10/5/13 - Where It Began
This week I finished Where it Began by Anne Redische Stampler. For the month of October, my high school/teen book club is reading this book that the media specialist won multiple copies of. I purchased an ebook version of this book to support the author who sent us free copies.
I consider myself a pretty faster reader, but I spent about 4 days reading this book. I wanted to make sure since I will be having a book discussion later on this month that I had the facts straight.
!!! The below written content contains SPOILERS !!!
The novel is about a teen name Gabby who has just woken up from a severe car accident and is trying to puzzle together in her mind what happened despite forgetting the fact that she acute memory loss.
We learn quickly that Gabby is in lust with her boyfriend Billy and is eager to get back to them pleasing each other physically. We learn that Billy is a bad boy who was already on probation and now cannot see Gabby because it would break his probation. Gabby and Billy secretly talk online and on the phone.
Gabby wants to be a good and understanding girlfriend when her boyfriend tells her not to talk to any of her old friends and tells her that they cannot be together or be seen together at school.
Slowly as Gabby starts to come to terms on her new reality when she sees something happen at school that does not add up. At this point in the story, I found out what really happened and who is responsible.
!!! The above written content contains SPOILERS !!!
My thoughts: This is a realistic fiction book and I felt the author did an excellent job getting into the head of Gabby; however, I felt that she made Gabby much more naive than she needed to be. The story reminded me of a side plot in the movie Mean Girls - except, Gabby.. doesn't remember being a Mean Girl or a Stupid Girl - she just remembers she loves Billy.
I feel teen girls will enjoy this book a little bit more than boys. Since the entire book is focused on Billy, it is difficult for the other characters to have really some substance. I did not feel Gabby develop enough for me to like her. I give the author a lot of credit in writing a novel about drunk driving, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if Gabby and her peers were not rich and just average kids. It is hard to focus on that when her mother is pushing for her daughter to have a boyfriend, pretty hair and cool friends. In fact at one point while Gabby is still in the hospital, her mother forbids Gabby from talking to childhood friends (they are not cool) and will let her talk to a “newer” friend.
LTM Revised: 10/29/13
