Extraordinary Means

Invisible Ghosts

The Other Merlin (Emry Merlin Book 1)

Beastly

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World

Brilliant

Early Departures

Journey to the River Sea

Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything is a witty and heart-wrenching teen novel that will appeal to fans of books by John Green and Ned Vizzini, novels such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and classics like The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye.

Varsity tennis captain Ezra Faulkner was supposed to be homecoming king, but that was before—before his girlfriend cheated on him, before a car accident shattered his leg, and before he fell in love with unpredictable new girl Cassidy Thorpe.

As Kirkus Reviews said in a starred review, "Schneider takes familiar stereotypes and infuses them with plenty of depth. Here are teens who could easily trade barbs and double entendres with the characters that fill John Green's novels."

Funny, smart, and including everything from flash mobs to blanket forts to a poodle who just might be the reincarnation of Jay Gatsby, The Beginning of Everything is a refreshing contemporary twist on the classic coming-of-age novel—a heart-wrenching story about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

Discover Your Child's Next Read

Extraordinary Means

Robyn Schneider, 2015

Invisible Ghosts

Robyn Schneider, 2018

The Other Merlin (Emry Merlin Book 1)

Robyn Schneider, 2021

Beastly

Alex Flinn, 2007

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World

E.L. Konigsburg, 2007

Brilliant

Roddy Doyle, 2014

Early Departures

Justin A. Reynolds, 2020

Journey to the River Sea

Eva Ibbotson, Kevin Hawkes, 2001