Where It Began by Anne Stampler

Name:  Hannah C.
Grade: 10
Title & Author :   Where It Began by Anne Stampler
Impression:  Okay
Recommend: No

Favorite part:  I can't say I have a favorite part because the book just couldn't capture my attention enough for me to want to finish reading it. I only read to maybe a quarter of the way through before it started to bore me.

Favorite character: I don't have a favorite character but I suppose the one I liked the best was Gabby's old friends, especially the guy who liked art and (I think) photography.
Gabby struck me as a stereotypical naive, insecure, rich girl whose only goal in life seems to be getting a boyfriend. Her thoughts were hackneyed and dry, the typical cliche of countless others before her. Her mother simply angered me with her shallow vanities. And though I did not read much about Billy, what little tidbits I got practically screamed that this was yet another manipulative, abusive 'bad boy' who was not to be trusted.

Summary: As far as I can tell, a shallow, spoiled, rich girl named Gabby becomes involved in a car accident which leaves her unable to recall anything about events before the crash. The entire book then revolves around her struggle to overcome this amnesia and, far more importantly, become bad boy Billy's girlfriend again.
Feedback: Though it was intriguing to start the story with a car crash, the book quickly fell into the unfortunate pit fall of the predictability that always comes from spoiled, whiny characters possessing shallow desires. I don't recommend reading it.

Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

Name:  Naorin H.
Grade:  12
Title & Author : Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

Impression: Okay
Recommend: No
Favorite Part:  My favorite part was when Huey finally revealed the pictures from that night to Gabby.
Favorite character:  My favorite character was Huey because he was the first one to lose it on Gabby and show her how stupid she was being.
Summary: Gabby gets into a car accident (from drunk driving) and loses her memory of what happened that night. She is convinced that she doesn't have a drinking problem and doesn't believe she needs help. Her rich and popular boyfriend Billy convinces her to play along and pretend she realizes she does have a drinking problem with the help of doctors to get out of trouble. However, he can not be seen with her due to his probation. Her life has changed for the worse and she tries to do whatever it takes to get things back to the way they used to be, before her face was totaled by the crash.
Feedback: I really didn't like Gabby and not in the way that you don't like a villain but actually love them because the story wouldn't be right without them. That was probably why I didn't enjoy the book as much as I might have.

Where It Began - Guest Post

Guest Post - Lanora Melillo, Youth Services Librarian

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