Quotes

Naj's all-time favourite book quotes


"The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it’s the small things that count. Everyone’s so busy waiting in the Waiting Place."— Jennifer Niven

Words of wisdom

"A 22-year-old who's obsessed with books. She reads, A LOT, watch movies and tv, and oh she blogs too. Sorry for the hiccups here and there. Hope there are enough bubbles to make it up. "

Monday 6 June 2016

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord // Book Review


Actual rating: 4.5 CUTE STARS

I love the other cover better but y'know, it's known for this one so I settled for this one instead.

Hey look guys, another post, on the same week wow! Don't you have exams tomorrow, Naj? Oh yes I do. But hush, I've been wanting to do this review since I finished reading the book but then I forgot to do so. and then a friend of mine, Malie is reading it and i was like, YES I GOTTA WRITE THAT REVIEW. So here I am.
Enough with the babbling, Naj just get to the point. Well, I'd be glad to.

So The Start of Me and You is a contemporary novel which follows the story about a girl named Paige whose boyfriend died a few years back and she basically shuts the world out since then. She was known in school as "The-Girl-Whose-Boyfriend-Died" and she hated pity from her friends and other people. After two years of shutting the world out, she finally decided to give her life a second chance to be happy. So she has this list of things to do to move on with her life:

1. Parties/social events
2. New group
3. Date (Ryan Chase)
4. Travel
5. Swim

Yeah, some typical to-do-list like any other typical girl would want in her dreams. And she also decided to join into social stuff more like, clubs and societies at school. She decided to join this contest called the QuizBowl which I think is basically kinda like for the geniuses, like mathletes but it's not math? I don't know how to say this but yeah, it's kind of like a competition for the nerds where its like a quiz and you have to answer questions for each categories picked and stuff like that. And for dating, she has liked this guy way back before she dated - Ryan Chase - who is basically the popular guy. Always wants the popular guys. Typical YA. And for swim, she was traumatised after the incident with her boyfriend who died of drowning. She haven't swam since.

I love how nerdy and geeky this book is and it was really really well-written. It was realistic and not realistic at the same time (?) if that makes sense? And it's great. This is my first book by Emery Lord and after reading this, I went to read When We Collided which I also love whole-heartedly. Will review that later. The only reason I didn't rate it a full on 5 stars on Goodreads is because at that time I was still hungover ACOMAF and I think that no other book deserve a solid five stars other than ACOMAF. So I end up giving it a 4 stars. But trust me guys, it deserves a five stars if it wasn't for the fact I was hungover ACOMAF so much. What I love about Emery Lord's writing is the poetic kinda writing, it describes everything just perfectly and somehow like every line or quote is somewhat relatable. I swear I highlighted and bookmarked so much on my ereader and when I'm getting the paperback I will reread it and do the exact same thing.

The main character Paige, reminds me so much of myself back when I was in highschool. I loved joining these kinda geeky stuff bcs well, apparently I'm the nerd in class. She is so relatable and I love how I am somewhat really attached to her. Ryan Chase, charming, but didn't really a big fan of him. Max, LOVED HIM. My new fictional boyfriend guys.

Paige group of friends = SCREAMS GIRL POWER. I love how their bond of friendship is so strong that we rarely see in other books. They have no problems with each other, they don't fight and GAH GOALS OK. Besides, I love Paige's relationship with her family as well, especially her grandma. And her sisters too. GAH I JUST LOVE ALL THINGS IN THIS BOOK.

There are parts that got me into an emotional rollercoaster, I was angry and I cried too. Nearing the end of the book was the worst you'll ever see me. I was an emotional wreck. It was just so sad.

**SPOILER ALERT**

I love how the plotline wasn't expected at all. Like, I was expecting for her to achieve and get the guy of her dreams, Ryan Chase but as the story goes on, and we find out that Paige hangs out more in her QuizBowl club, and practice with Max a lot of times and even asked him to come to her house and she has gone to Max's house as well, I instantly went, "IS SHE GONNA END UP WITH MAX? I'm totally okay with that." Because if she doesn't end up with Max, he's totally mine. I like Max way better than Ryan Chase anyway. I mean, Ryan Chase is okay, he's not too bad, charming and all but I can just feel it, he's not 'The One' yknow?

The romance which sparked between Paige and Max was amazing. I love how Emery Lord took the time to write the development of their friendship and then turning it into a romantic relationship unexpectedly. I love how awkward they were with each other at times and how there are moments where you can feel that they are just really comfortable with each other. Their nerdy banters and geeky shameless flirting with book references = GOALS. They are the definition of relationship goals I tell ya.

When it was nearing the ending where Paige and Max got into a fight because Paige, being the girl with PMS she didn't think straight. Hah nah just kidding. I understood why she did that. It was her first time in two years for getting into the pool again. I know how her trauma feels like because I've been in an experience of drowning and it took me a while to get into the water again. I get her. After being in thoughts, she realized that she has to be determined to break free from whatever past thoughts that comes to mind about her boyfriend whenever her feet touches water. I love that spirit in her. So much. So she and Max got into a heated argument at the pool scene and it was intense. I was on edge and was really mad at the both of them.

I cried so hard when Max didn't wanna talk to her after the incident. My heart breaks and it hurts so much, no kidding. I was a wreck. And then came another bad incident, Paige's grandma died and my heart have not yet healed from the previous heartbreak, another heartbreak shot me. It was just really really sad. I sobbed uncontrollably, I couldn't contain it. I felt for her so much. So so much it's like I am being Paige at the time.



THE ENDING OMFG. With Paige gathering her courage and jumped into the pool, documenting that moment just to show the world- and Max- that she's done it after all these years. And also, at the time when they were anonymously sending messages on the wall and Max's message to her was that he had loved her ever since he first saw her. Bloody cheesy and cliche BUT THE FREAKING FEELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**END OF SPOILER**

There's nothing more to say except, hands down, probably one of my fave contemporaries, ever. The cutestesttest and most heartwarming thing I've read in a long time. Highly recommended guys. I might want to reread it after exams ahahah we'll see.

-naj

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