Opening Lines (20)

Opening Lines is a new feature here on Portrait of a Book that showcases the first lines of recent and/or upcoming releases. If you're looking for your next read, let these first lines help you decide!



ARCLIGHT
By: Josin L. McQuein
Published By: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

"Someone's attention shouldn't have physical weight, but it does."


HOW ZOE MADE HER DREAMS (MOSTLY) COME TRUE
By: Sarah Strohmeyer
Published By: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

From Sarah Strohmeyer, author of Smart Girls Get What They Want, comes this romantic comedy about one girl's summer job from hell. Think The Devil Wears Prada set in Disney World.

When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they've hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie-like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want?

Once Zoe arrives, however, she's assigned to serve "The Queen"-Fairyland's boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money.

Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe's job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?

"There was no getting around the fact that Tinker Bell was a little bitch."


THE RULES
By: Stacey Kade
Published By: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

1. Never trust anyone.

2. Remember they are always searching.

3. Don’t get involved.

4. Keep your head down.

5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules…

"I have a dead girl's name."


Manicpixiedreamgirl
By: Tom Leveen
Published By: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

Sometimes the most dramatic scenes in a high school theater club are the ones that happen between the actors and crew off stage.

Seventeen-year-old Tyler Darcy's dream of being a writer is starting to feel very real now that he's sold his first short story to a literary journal. He should be celebrating its publication with his two best friends who've always had his back, but on this night, a steady stream of texts from his girlfriend Sidney keep intruding. So do the memories of his dream girl, Becky, who's been on his mind a little too much since the first day of high school. Before the night is over, Ty might just find the nerve to stop all the obsessing and finally take action.

"This isn't going to end well."



Do any of these opening lines grab your attention? What are your favorite first lines that you've read lately?

Review: Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT
By: Sarah Strohmeyer
Published By: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: June 26, 2013
Series: None
Pages: 348
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA Midwinter
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Gigi, Bea, and Neerja are best friends and total overachievers. Even if they aren't the most popular girls in school, they aren't too worried. They know their real lives will begin once they get to their Ivy League colleges. There will be ivy, and there will be cute guys in the libraries (hopefully with English accents)! But when an unexpected event shows them they're missing out on the full high school experience, it's time to come out of the honors lounge and into the spotlight. They make a pact: They will each take on their greatest challenge--and they will totally rock it.

Gigi decides to run for student rep, but she'll have to get over her fear of public speaking--and go head-to-head with gorgeous California Will. Bea used to be one of the best skiers around, until she was derailed. It could be time for her to take the plunge again. And Neerja loves the drama club but has always stayed behind the scenes--until now.

These friends are determined to show the world that smart girls really can get what they want--but that could mean getting way more attention than they ever bargained for. . . .



Smart Girls Get What They Want is one of those books that I thought looked cute, but then it ended up somewhere in the middle of my to-read stack. However, Anna from Literary Exploration recommended it (see her review here), so I decided to pull it from the stack. Overall I enjoyed the book, though I did have a few issues with it.

Gigi and her best friends Bea and Neerja can't wait to graduate high school and head off to college. They dream of success at Ivy League schools, the guys they will find there, and the way they'll finally come into their own. High school is only a stepping stool, a time to do work and ensure their future. But when they get a wake-up call that high school could be so much more, they decide to make the most of their time. Gigi faces her fear of public speaking and runs for student rep, Bea joins the ski team, and Neerja lands a role in the school play. After all, there's no reason they shouldn't get everything they want. But there's more at stake than just a high school reputation, at least for Gigi - her future reputation, and her heart, might also be on the line. She might be smart, but there's no textbook answer for life...

I'll be honest - the first third of this book was hard for me to get through. This wasn't because of the characters - I actually identified with Gigi right away, since I had her same attitude when I was in high school: almost everything I did was for the purpose of getting into a good college. Because of that, however, when Gigi was accused of cheating, I found the unfairness of the accusation extremely frustrating. In addition, in many ways it seemed borderline unrealistic that the characters had everything going for them, like elite prep school students on TV shows. But because a friend had recommended it, I kept reading, and I'm really glad I didn't put it down.

Gigi has a lot of admirable qualities. She was hardworking and dedicated, loyal to her friends, and willing to face her fears. The way she and her friends were willing to take risks was a good reminder that life is only what you make it (cliche, I know, but true). Bea and Neerja were great friends - friends I would have liked to have had - and I also enjoyed that they had different interests and weren't necessarily always together. However, Mike and Will surprised me the most. I wanted to dislike Mike but never quite could; at the same time, Will was almost too perfect. Aside from the characters, I really enjoyed the trivia sprinkled throughout the book as well as the Boston-suburb setting. Once I got into the heart of the story, the book was a quick read, because I wanted to know if Gigi and her friends accomplished what they set out to do. While I had originally thought the bok would be cute, it turned out to be much more than that.

This was my first book by Sarah Strohmeyer, but I'll certainly look forward to reading more from her in the future. If you like contemporary books that remind you to take risks and go after what you want, you'll definitely want to check this one out!