Where it all begins....

Robyn Schneider's THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING really hits close to home.  Ezra begins his story by saying that he believes everyone has or will have his/her own tragedy in his/her life--and then proceeds to tell/share his own personal tragedy.  His story, of course, interacts with others so it is not exclusive just to Ezra's own personal tragedy.  This book is powerful, yet achingly sweet and in some ways, quite smarmy simply because of the sappy "Romeo and Juliet" tragic love story.  It is one of those books where the beginning tells you everything you need to know, so if you think you're going to have a "happily ever after," you didn't read read carefully enough.

I like the book, but at the same time, I thought that some of the elements Robyn Schneider includes in the story are forced in order to get the end result she desires.  That doesn't take away from the enjoyment of reading the book; it's simply that you KNOW that something important is going to happen as a direct result of the coyotes.  I didn't expect to happen what actually happens, but it was not a surprise that something tragic happens when a coyote shows up in the yard at the end of the story.

I do highly recommend Schneider's novel.  Just know going into it that it's a tragedy, not a sweet, romantic love story that ends with "happily ever after."