Where It Began

by Ann Redisch Stampler
Published: Simon Pulse, 2012
pages: 369

When Gabby wakes up next to her boyfriend, Billy Nash's, totaled BMW, she has no knowledge of how she got there, what happened or even her own name.  She is fine to keep everything as it was before the crash, the girlfriend of the most popular guy in school. Gabby has to start finding out the truth but is it really what she wants to hear?  It takes her best friends to show her what's really going on.

I was not immediately enthralled with this book mostly because the Gabby was so blindly ignoring the obvious.  Her character is so infuriating, it's no wonder I wasn't apart of this crowd in high school.  Although, I have to think if I had been apart of this crowd in high school, I may done some of the same things Gabby did.  Despite all this, Ann Redisch Stampler gets into the mind of Gabby extremely well.  I actually believe a teenaged girl is telling me her thoughts.

The humor throughout this book is chuckle worthy.  The SAT words springing up every once in a while and the sarcastic remarks about colleges made me laugh on more than one occasion.  The wit that Ann Redisch Stampler writes with is amusing and wonderful.  I really enjoyed the sarcastic side of Gabby.

Although the book started a little slow, I was quickly sucked into the world of Gabby and her new popular friends.  I found that I couldn't put this book down.  I had to see if Gabby would continue to stay in her own little world, or if she would find out what happened the night of the car crash. 

Stars: 2/5

Praise:

"A terrific read!  Ann Redisch Stampler puts you in Gabby's head and keeps you there until the griping conclusion.  A writer to watch!"
                - Alex Flinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beastly

"Unputdownable!"
                - Jenny Han, bestselling author of the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy