384 pages
Expected publication: March 31st, 2015
Published by: Bloomsbury
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5
Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.
Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.
It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?
After Paige's boyfriend drowns, nothing is ever the same. Now, a year later, she's ready to take control of her life. She compiles a list of tasks that she must complete in order to start over:
1. Parties/Social events
2. New group
3. Date
4. Travel
5. Swin
But things never go according to plan.
This book is just magical. It made me feel warm and fuzzy and giddy. Since I tend to judge Contemporary novels based on how they make me feel, this baby wins all of the awards. The novel is both adorable and quirky, which is the perfect combination. I must admit that the plot is predictable but what's so wrong with that? Sometimes cuteness is more important. In the book, one of the characters says:
"In books, sometimes the foreshadowing is so obvious that you know what's going to happen. But knowing what happens isn't the same as knowing know it happens. Getting there is the best part."
I couldn't agree more. The journey is worth the price of admission. The novel might lack the element of surprise but it has a lot of heart. It makes you feel all of those adorable things that come with falling in love. I love when novels make me feel something and this one is just right on point throughout.
Let's talk characters for a second, shall we? I really enjoyed reading Paige's perspective. Her development is there, but it takes her a little while to see the light. Even though I liked Paige, I kind of really loved Max. He's such an amazing character. He's so nerdy/cool/nice that you can't help but hate Paige's crush because HE ISN'T MAX. I want Max to have his own book. Is that possible? Should I start a petition or something?
Sometimes you want a book that makes you feel like you're falling in love. The Start of Me and You is that book. I was on the fence about Emery Lord and now...well, I might as well come out and say it: I LOVE HER.
