In last month's post, NOW I Get It, I shared a book with you that had a phenomenal beginning, convincing me that it IS actually possible to predict the quality of a book from just a couple of pages. Sometimes.
I originally included in that post a list of other books with beginnings that impressed me, but the post got waaaay too long, so I decided to split it up.
Here are some samples of books I've read that hooked me with a great beginning (some maybe in a few more than just two pages). To find out if I thought each lived up to its potential, you can click the link to read the review or mini-review in one of my other posts.
by Catherine Austen
The beginning of this book was just too funny. It turned out not to be a humor novel, but I loved the way the author made you see and hear what was happening as if you were there, and she continues that through the whole thing.
Read a preview here.
Read my review here.
by Antonia Michaelis
This is probably the most emotional beginning I have ever read. In fact, it just may be the all-time best beginning I've ever read. Although the rest of the book is not in the same style, the prologue does an amazing job of setting the tone, hinting at the pivotal event that sets the story in motion, and introducing us to one of the two main characters in the story.
Read a preview here.
Read my review here.
by Natalie C. Parker
If you've been following my blog over the past year, you'll know that the originality found in the first chapter of this book really got my attention.
Read a preview here.
Read my (2!) reviews by starting with this link, here.
by Markus Zusak
Once I finally broke down and decided to actually read this book, I could tell in the first two pages that it was unlike any of the other 800 or so books that I've read. And the good stuff keeps going throughout, all the way to the 550th page. I don't know if the style would appeal to everyone, but you should definitely check it out.
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Melissa Marr
The prologue of this book was the perfect combination of creepy and mysterious and absolutely normal. A perfect beginning to a gothic novel!
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Jodi Lynn Anderson
I absolutely loved the one page prologue of this book - it held so much potential! If I were an editor reading it, I would definitely say show me more!
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Kim Liggett
Page one of this book was amazing. Fantastic writing, and as creepy as it gets. Page two seems to have lost something from the writing, but the concept is still there. I can see why one would think that this would make a great book (heck, I thought so myself).
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Stephanie Oakes
In the non-Kindle versions, chapter one of this book is just over a page long. It is fantastic. Chapter two is also just over a page, and the incredible writing continues. If I were an editor, I would have picked this up in a heartbeat.
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Brenna Yovanoff
Once you read the two and a quarter page prologue of this book, you will see why Brenna Yovanoff is hailed as such a superb writer. It's just too bad she only has four novels! (Btw, this book was published in paperback under the title Smoulder.)
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Kali Wallace
If I were an editor and only read the first two pages of the three page first chapter of this book, I would be dying to read more. I might just read an extra page for free, to find out exactly what "two things happened."
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Christy Lenzi
The main character's unique voice already shows in the first two pages of this book. The reader also gets a taste of the author's skillful use of figurative language right from the beginning.
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Sally Green
These first two pages are the kind that have you sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering exactly where this story is going. Because it is totally not clear, but what is clear is that you definitely want to know.
Read a preview here.
Read my review here.
by Tahere Mafi
Just reading the first page of this book had me hooked. Add in the second page, and, not so much. But throw the third page in there and you've got me again. So original. So interesting!
Read a preview here.
Read my review here.
by Teri Terry
The first chapter is almost exactly two pages. And what a couple of pages they are. But I have to say now, since I didn't mention it in my mini-review, that it kind of misrepresents the character. This first chapter does a great job setting the story on track, but the main character sort of veers onto another path before you get very far into the book.
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Kendare Blake
Do you know what I liked best about the first two pages of this book? Whereas some book do a great job of making the reader see things, it does an awesome job of making the reader feel things. All without sounding like she's trying too hard.
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Jenna Black
I really liked the page and a half prologue of this book. I thought it set the creepy vibe nicely, and prepped the reader for the wickedness that was coming.
Read a preview here.
Read my mini-review here.
by Maggie Stiefvater
I am a total sucker for first pages that aren't really part of the story, but hint at some aspect of the story in a deep and/or mysterious way. Page one of the prologue of this book is a perfect example. Page two, not so catchy, until you get down to the bottom and it starts describing the way the father views his son, and then it starts to get interesting again.
Read a preview here.
Read a mini-review here.
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