The Best Reader: Where it Began

Review:

Where it Began

When Gabby wakes up in the hospital she is completely confused. The one thing she does know is that she has a boyfriend, Billy, and he is not there with her. She can't figure out why he doesn't visit her. As she heals, pieces of the puzzle come together for her but it is a slow process.

A lot of this book goes through Gabby's memories and the time right after she"changed". She had been an average girl but after her mother forces her to get a makeover, she gets much more popular and that is what originally gets the attention of the popular Billy Nash.

The plot of this book was okay but Gabby really annoyed me. She was very self-centered and a lot of the book just discusses her looks. I got tired of reading about her hair and clothes. I wanted her to focus more on the important things but that never really happened. Parts of the book really lagged for me and it drove me crazy when she kept worrying about Billy. I wanted to feel more attached to the characters but I didn't.

I would still pick up other books by Ann Redisch Stampler because her writing style is enjoyable. This book just fell short for me.
Recommended: Contemporary fans wanting something with a little mystery.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

I am participating in the tour for Where it Began and today author Ann Redisch Stampler is here to share her This or That list with us.
I was lucky enough to get 2 ARCs of Where it Began so be sure to sign up below for the chance to win a copy!
THIS OR THAT

Peanut Butter or Chocolate
Chocolate. Oh my God, chocolate. I just ate leftover chocolate raspberry birthday cake for lunch.
Coffee or Tea
Mostly tea. Irish breakfast and green.
Writing in quiet or Writing with music
Mornings, maybe music. Night, absolute quiet.
Organized or Cluttered
Aspire to organized. Not entirely successful
Spontaneous or Planner
With writing, in the beginning stages, it has to be spontaneous. No outline. Can’t force anything. Then when I have hundreds of pages of disjointed chapters, and vast numbers of disembodied sentences, lots of catch-up planning.
Beach or Mountains
Beach. I grew up in Santa Barbara. Beach!
Comedy or Horror
Comedy. There’s more than enough naturally occurring horror in the world without cultivating it.
Geek or Chic
I am so chic. Don’t laugh. (There are certain articles of clothing Gabby makes fun of in the book that I actually own.)
Adventure seeker or Couch potato
Adventure seeker. Aspirationally. Unfortunately, writing involves a tremendous amount of sitting on a couch. I actually write on a couch.
Early bird or Night owl
Insomniac. I’m just always up.

Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler
Publisher: Simon Pulse (March 6th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 384 pages
Sometimes the end is just the beginning.

Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. But when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were bliss… Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there.

And Billy's nowhere to be found.

All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting her life back isn't difficult, it's impossible. Because nothing is the same, and Gabby's beginning to realize she's missed more than a few danger signs along the way.

It's time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes.

Especially if it means everything changes.