ARC Review: Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler

Where It Began, Ann Redisch Stampler

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Age Group/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Publication: 11/15/2011, Margaret K. McElderry

# of Pages: 384 (Hardcover)

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Source: I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads:  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.

My Review:  Gabby Gardiner has been in a terrible car accident. It has scarred her face and broken her body. Worse than that however is the fact that she can't remember a single thing about the accident or the events leading up to it. Her life seems to be falling apart as she faces potential jail time for driving under the influence, not to mention the loss of her looks, her status, and her boyfriend.

Gabby is a incredible protagonist. She is whip-smart and snarky, lending a humor to an otherwise horrific situation. But she's just like pretty much every other teenage girl in the world. She wants to fit in, and she wants the super cute/popular boy who was her boyfriend before the accident to want to be with her again. In fact, she'll do pretty much anything to ensure he continues to want her.

We've all done it. We've lied and told ourselves whatever we had to in order to pretend things were the way we wanted them to be. We've ignored everything else. Even common sense. But Gabby seems to take this almost to the extreme and I spent a lot of the book wondering when she was going to wise up and face the truth.

Ann Redisch Stampler's writing style is superb. It's fresh, exciting, and takes a story that could have been predictable and turns it into something unique. She perfectly captures the naivety and angst of a teenager who considers herself sub-par and unworthy, living in a world populated by the arrogant and over-privileged.

And in Where It Began she delivers a compelling story and a captivating protagonist. Gabby's story will hook you from page one and will definitely appeal to fans of the contemporary genre.

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