11 Books that will hook you from the opening line

 
Opening line:
One year after the fire, my doctor removes my mask and tells me to get a life." 

Not only does the opening line hook the reader, the rest of the story about this survivor is hard to put down.

Opening line:

"It was my aunt who decided to give me to the dragon."

We think we know so much about dragons and how they horde gold and treasures. But what about the dragon who hordes shoes? Or poodles? 

 

Opening line:
"Morning light shimmers on the apricot horizon as I stand at the place where my baby boy rests."

Oh, my heart. 

Set in Philadelphia, in the middle of WWI, and right before the Spanish flu epidemic. There is so much beauty and pain in the sentences this masterful storytellers weaves. 
 

Opening line:

"A ten-point buck and a dead body make the same sound when they hit the forest floor."

 What the?? Yup. This is a great young adult whodunit told from the killer's view point and the the AG intern.

Opening line:
"The day I came squealing and squalling into the world was the first time someone tried to kill me."

I call this a Civil War alternate reality, where the soldiers turn into zombies and the slaves learn combat and how to put the dead down. 

(I listened to this on Audible and LOVE the narrator!). 

Opening line:

"The summer is made for stoop-sitting

and since it's the last week before school starts,

Harlem is opening its eyes to September."

I know a lot of people don't like a book in verse BUT guys! This one is amazing! 

  Opening line:
"It was raining the day Suki came to the Palace of the Sun, and it was raining the night that she died."

Shapeshifter, Samurai and demons...what's not to like??

Opening line:

"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die."

Three things I loved about this book:
1. Relationships
2. Jonah Griggs
3. Ending

 

Opening line:

"I did not set out to ruin my sister's debut."

Basically, the main character meets family she's never met, makes friends with people she shouldn't have and finds herself in the middle of a revolution.

Opening line:

"The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit."

Oh man, that is a very visual opening. The whole book is visually written. And sometimes, being pretty isn't what you think it is.

Opening line:

"It took seven years to get the letter right."

My advice on this book: don't try and figure anything out, just read and enjoy. Then maybe reread once you figure everything out.

Do you have any suggestions for more amazing/jaw-dropping/stunning opening lines??

JELLICOE ROAD by Melina Marchetta

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham 17, finally confronts her past. Hannah, the closest adult she has to family, disappears. Jonah Griggs, moody stares and all, is back in town. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

First line:
"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die."

Three things I liked about this book:
1. Relationships
2. Jonah Griggs
3. Ending

Told in two narratives: one earlier, one twenty-two years later,  I was emotionally drawn into the story of five kids tied by tragedy and of Taylor Markham. I was also confused in the beginning trying to figure out where everyone fit in but it worked. I loved it.
First person was a good choice for this story. Taylor had a strong voice and emotions. I loved her tough girl persona and her weaknesses. All the characters were strong and weak. Ben, Raffy, Santangelo, Jessa, they are in our schools and neighborhoods. And best friends. After reading this I wanted a group of best friends, like Tate and Narnie and Jude had. Jude. Love that name and character (Jude Law might be influencing my love of the name). 
Jonah was not the typical boy with a dark past character. He does have a dark past but he is also vulnerable and sweet. I liked the way he took care of Taylor.
So many books feel rushed at the end but this one built up and finished well--all loose ends tied up, almost all the stories were told and finished up.

I have to admit I was moved to tears a couple of times reading this book. This doesn't happen to me often. There were also plenty of times that I giggled.

Rating: PG 16
V: No
L: Swearing
S: Kissing, reference to sex

Liked: 
Generational mystery
Cover significance 
Jonah Griggs
Relationships
Solid ending

Disliked:
Swearing

4 1/2 STARS