Sometimes the end is just the beginning.
Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. But when she started her senior yea...
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reviews
Oct 26, 2011
Abby
rated it: 
Okay, I love Jessica Martinez! Not only has she written the most amazing book in the world, "Virtuosity", but she lends me stacks of the most amazing books!!! I love her!!! Thank you!!! I hope I love it!!!!! (Of course I will. JESSICA MARTINEZ lent me this!)
........ A day later ........
THANK YOU JESSICA MARTINEZ!!!!! I loved this book, and I know everyone else reading will too! But I must say, be prepared to not want to stop. Because you won't. You'll love it that m More...
........ A day later ........
THANK YOU JESSICA MARTINEZ!!!!! I loved this book, and I know everyone else reading will too! But I must say, be prepared to not want to stop. Because you won't. You'll love it that m More...
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Feb 10, 2012
Nancy
rated it: 
The book starts out really strong. Gabby wakes up in a hospital with a closed brain injury. First of all, she doesn't know who she is, second of all, she has absolutely no clue what happened. All she knows is that she wants Billy. Billy is her boyfriend. His car was decimated around a tree with Gabby lying on the road nearby, holding the keys. She spends the first part of the book regaining memories and having Mommy run interference with the police. But the honest to goodness truth is that she d
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Jan 23, 2012
Bailey (IB Book Blogging)
rated it:
The premise for WHERE IT BEGAN hooked me from the second I saw it. I am always looking for a good contemporary novel so I couldn't wait to try this one out. While I loved Gabby's voice, I did feel a bit underwhelmed with a few things in the novel. I will give Stampler props on not revealing what really happened to Gabby in the first place. It kept me guessing and I couldn't wait to find out the truth. If you are a fan of contemporary, I would recommend giving WHERE IT BEGAN a shot.
Ga More...
Ga More...
Nov 05, 2011
Krystal
rated it: 
How far would you go to cover for a friend? Would you allow your reputation to be torn to tatters? Gabby is the main character of this book. She doesn’t make the best choices, she is a fairly good student, and she has a boyfriend and friends. Overall, Gabby is a normal, everyday teenage girl. One wouldn’t think that underage drinking, suspensions from school, therapy sessions, etc… could happen to a normal, everyday girl.
One bad decision can lead to a lifetime of regret. For More...
One bad decision can lead to a lifetime of regret. For More...
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Jan 31, 2012
Justin
rated it:
Where It Began has been a book I have been extremely excited to read, but I honestly feel extremely disappointed by it. As a whole, it's a great book.. I just has a lot of issues with it, which I will talk about below. It's just one of those books that I wanted so badly to be amazing, and it just really fell short for me.
Ann's writing is fantastic, that was probably my favorite thing about the book. I love how she kept everything a mystery as far as what happened, and did a great job a More...
Ann's writing is fantastic, that was probably my favorite thing about the book. I love how she kept everything a mystery as far as what happened, and did a great job a More...
Feb 17, 2012
Isamlq
rated it: 
It started interestingly enough with a sense of confusion and not knowing that was conveyed quite effectively. Except the trip down memory lane was not a pleasant one because in the end all I felt was sorry for this girl who's a bit too used to describing herself as “sub regular.” And lost memory or not, her story was funny~ just not in a funny ha ha way. Her running commentary on being sub-regular and being the moon to Billy’s earth was in simple terms: off putting and quite disappointing. Yet,
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Dec 06, 2011
Annabell
rated it:
I think I felt every emotion possible while reading this book! In the end though, I was more shocked and angry than anything. The author did such a great job at making these characters real, and it was many of the characters that made me so angry and upset. These characters could be my circle of friends! I am a very trusting person, and it would very much sadden me if I had to go through what Gabby went through.
Gabby was in a terrible car accident that landed her in the hospital. More...
Gabby was in a terrible car accident that landed her in the hospital. More...
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Feb 12, 2012
Amanda
rated it:
See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy.com...
First Impressions: The book synopsis really had my interest with this one. I was in the mood for a good contemporary when I dug this one out of my TBR pile. Before I even started to read, I had an idea of where this book was going to go, how everything was going to play out. That is the downside of reading so much: everything that could be done, has been done, so everything seems so predictable. Regardless, this sounde More...
First Impressions: The book synopsis really had my interest with this one. I was in the mood for a good contemporary when I dug this one out of my TBR pile. Before I even started to read, I had an idea of where this book was going to go, how everything was going to play out. That is the downside of reading so much: everything that could be done, has been done, so everything seems so predictable. Regardless, this sounde More...
Jan 31, 2012
Alison (AlisonCanRead)
rated it:
Have you ever read a book where you wanted to slap the main character? I spent most of Where It Began not only wanting to slap Gabby and then scream at her, but simultaneously to hug her and help her.
Gabby has no memory of crashing her boyfriend's car when she was falling down drunk at a party. No one - her parents, her doctors, the police, her boyfriend, her friends - can pull the events of that evening out of her mind. Which is fine with Gabby. She wants to go back to normal. And More...
Gabby has no memory of crashing her boyfriend's car when she was falling down drunk at a party. No one - her parents, her doctors, the police, her boyfriend, her friends - can pull the events of that evening out of her mind. Which is fine with Gabby. She wants to go back to normal. And More...
Feb 15, 2012
Nikki
rated it:
FIRST POSTED ON www.fiction-freak.blogspot.com
So because I'm new to the whole blogging/book reviewing business, I don't receive ARC's. I just have to deal with whatever books I buy from Amazon or Barnes and Nobles, or library books. But, thanks to a certain giveaway on Goodreads, I finally managed to get my hands on Where it Began, which comes out in March. You have NO idea how much I was screaming when I found out
Yeah, basically. Anyways...this book is More...
So because I'm new to the whole blogging/book reviewing business, I don't receive ARC's. I just have to deal with whatever books I buy from Amazon or Barnes and Nobles, or library books. But, thanks to a certain giveaway on Goodreads, I finally managed to get my hands on Where it Began, which comes out in March. You have NO idea how much I was screaming when I found out
Yeah, basically. Anyways...this book is More...
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Feb 09, 2012
Evie
rated it:
*** Originally posted to: Bookish
SIDE NOTE: I'm currently hosting a giveaway for a gorgeous SIGNED finished copy of this book! Enter here: Guest Post + Giveaway with Ann Stampler (US/Canada, ends:MARCH 15th
Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler is one gorgeous and unforgettable book! Laced with humor, exceptional wit and powerful insight, this book gets you hooked right off from the start. It's intense, funny, heartbreaking, taut, mysterious and - most of all - so d More...
SIDE NOTE: I'm currently hosting a giveaway for a gorgeous SIGNED finished copy of this book! Enter here: Guest Post + Giveaway with Ann Stampler (US/Canada, ends:MARCH 15th
Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler is one gorgeous and unforgettable book! Laced with humor, exceptional wit and powerful insight, this book gets you hooked right off from the start. It's intense, funny, heartbreaking, taut, mysterious and - most of all - so d More...
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Dec 01, 2011
Kristi-The Book Faery
rated it:
THE FAERYS VIEW
Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler does a great job describing exactly why nobody should ever drive drunk but also about high school dynamics, a young girls loyalty and what happens when that loyalty is taken advantage of.
Gabby thinks this year is going to be the best, she has a popular good-looking boyfriend and her status is now elevated in the schools hierarchy. Then she wakes up in the hospital, told that her boyfriend’s car has crashed and he is no More...
Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler does a great job describing exactly why nobody should ever drive drunk but also about high school dynamics, a young girls loyalty and what happens when that loyalty is taken advantage of.
Gabby thinks this year is going to be the best, she has a popular good-looking boyfriend and her status is now elevated in the schools hierarchy. Then she wakes up in the hospital, told that her boyfriend’s car has crashed and he is no More...
Feb 10, 2012
Emily
rated it:
I gave this 3.8 stars out of 5.
I've always believed that the ending of a book is the deciding factor as to whether it's a meh book or a good book. This book was gearing up to be a meh book, but then ther was the ending. And it completely changed my mind.
This was a good idea from the start, and while the writing wasn't the best I've ever seen, it was still a pretty good book. It had a really, really good story line and the staging was amazing. And the ending. Wow. Do More...
I've always believed that the ending of a book is the deciding factor as to whether it's a meh book or a good book. This book was gearing up to be a meh book, but then ther was the ending. And it completely changed my mind.
This was a good idea from the start, and while the writing wasn't the best I've ever seen, it was still a pretty good book. It had a really, really good story line and the staging was amazing. And the ending. Wow. Do More...
Dec 30, 2011
Skye
rated it:
This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.
Gabby wakes up in hospital with no memory of the night that put her there, but what happened was obvious. With the blood alcohol concentration of a keg and in her hand the keys to her boyfriend's car wrapped around a tree beside her, her future looks to be a blur of DUI charges, jail time, and perhaps the most daunting in her mother's eyes, a face mangled by the crash. In the aftermath, she'll question if the events of that nig More...
Gabby wakes up in hospital with no memory of the night that put her there, but what happened was obvious. With the blood alcohol concentration of a keg and in her hand the keys to her boyfriend's car wrapped around a tree beside her, her future looks to be a blur of DUI charges, jail time, and perhaps the most daunting in her mother's eyes, a face mangled by the crash. In the aftermath, she'll question if the events of that nig More...
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Feb 11, 2012
Lori (Pure Imagination)
rated it:
I’m not big on reading book summaries. I skim them when I first discover the book to decide whether or not I want to read it then I promptly forget it. So when I opened the pages of Where It Began I was very quickly intrigued. It definitely starts off with a bang and doesn’t let up. The author knows how to hook a reader. I had lots of different emotions while reading, but I never once wanted to put it down.
Gabby isn’t exactly the most likeable girl. She’s pretty self centered and sup More...
Gabby isn’t exactly the most likeable girl. She’s pretty self centered and sup More...
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Oct 17, 2011
Sarah
rated it: 
Awful. The writing itself needs a lot of work. It was trying to be something like Courtney Summers' Cracked Up To Be but came off as whiny, over privileged and utterly unlikeable. DNF. Made it to page 164 before I quit. I don't give up on books easily let me just say but this... horrid.
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Jul 07, 2011
cover looks a lot like ---> 
Description is intriguing.
Description is intriguing.
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Dec 19, 2011
This was a did-not-finish for me, although I may pick it up again later and give it another chance.
I had a lot of trouble connecting with Gabby, she just seemed like a completely pathetic and weak character. Her mom was annoying (and not in a good mom way), and her so-called friends and boyfriend also seemed like total jerks.
The writing was also really hard to get into. The sentences felt very convoluted and flowery, like the author was trying to evoke a certain style but More...
I had a lot of trouble connecting with Gabby, she just seemed like a completely pathetic and weak character. Her mom was annoying (and not in a good mom way), and her so-called friends and boyfriend also seemed like total jerks.
The writing was also really hard to get into. The sentences felt very convoluted and flowery, like the author was trying to evoke a certain style but More...
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Nov 25, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
Wow! I was hooked on the first page and had a hard time putting this book down. Ann can really write and it shows. This is the first time she has written for young adults and she gets right up inside of the protagonist's mind. I don't want to say more but go out and get this book. It's a quick read and a very creative plot.
Oct 30, 2011
Heather
rated it:
This book requires extra thought for me to give it a decent review. There are things I loved about it and things I hated about it!
More to come ...
More to come ...
Sep 12, 2011
Joan
rated it:
This is a terrific debut novel from a very talented new author! Keep an eye on Ann...she's going to be a bestselling author very soon!
Jul 07, 2011
Mix one part Before I Fall (cover?) with Forget You and shake well. Results ... I am hopeful they are good!
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Feb 09, 2012
Mindy
rated it:
Cynical look at identity. Reminded me a bit of Jennifer Egan's Look at Me, but for teens.
Jul 07, 2011
Cover= Before I Fall long lost twin?! But this sounds good... can't wait. :)
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Feb 21, 2012
The cover is similar to Summer and it really got my attention. Not that I have anything against it. The cover girl looks like Silver from 90210 too. :3
Dec 30, 2011
Ashlyn Rae
rated it:
Stampler's debut is amazing! The last few chapters changed EVERYTHING. Review to come!
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