Best First Lines

[Katie]

Based on America Book Review's "100 Best First Lines From Novels" (http://americanbookreview.org/100Best...) I thought it would be fun to do the same with YA novels. However, I need to think before coming up with my favorite first lines, so I will let someone else start. :)

[[deleted user]]

Definitely, I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. - I Capture the Castle

[Katie]

one of mine has to be, "To: Headmaster Richmond and the Board of Directors, 
Alabaster Preparatory Academy

I, Frankie Landau-Banks, hereby confess that I was the sole mastermind behind the mal-doings of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds." THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS.

[[deleted user]]

I like the classic lines from A Wrinkle in Time

It was a dark and stormy night.

...and from A Wind in the Door

"There are dragons in the twins' vegetable garden."

[vicki_girl]

The Graveyard Book has a really good opening line:
"There was a hand in the darkness and it held a knife."

I haven't read it myself, but my son got as a gift Alcatraz versus The Evil Librarians: "So there I was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil librarians."

[Misty]

Hayes wrote: "I like the classic lines from A Wrinkle in Time

It was a dark and stormy night."

That line actually comes from Paul Clifford by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and is one of the most copied lines ever.
And I LOVE that Graveyard Book line. I bought it on that and the accompanying image alone.

[Malcolm]

My all time favourite is: "On my naming day when I come 12 I gone front spear and kilt a wyld boar he parbly ben the las wyld pig on the Bundel Downs any how there hadnt ben none for a long time befor him nor I aint looking to see none agen."

[Misty]

What is that from, Malcolm?

[Malcolm]

Oh, whoops, sorry. The phone rang and when I came back I just posted it. It's from Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. It's not YA but the main protagonist is only 12. I think I've read the book about 9 times now (maybe I should read it 12 times) and still always find new mysteries in it.

[Malcolm]

I parbly shuld add that best 1st lines are a lot to do with how I views the whoal novel.

[Scott]

Two more...

"First the colors." - Zusak, The Book Thief...

"It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened." - Lowry, The Giver

[Malcolm]

Yes, The Book Thief was one I was toying with. Good one!

[Katie]

yeah, good one, scott! :)

[[deleted user]]

vicki_girl wrote: "So there I was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil librarians...."

I think I might have to read that one!!

[[deleted user]]

Misty wrote: "Hayes wrote: "I like the classic lines from A Wrinkle in Time

It was a dark and stormy night."

That line actually comes from Paul Clifford by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and ..."

I din't know that... ya learn something new... and all that!! (I remember snoopy and woodstock using it, however.)

[Malcolm]

Yep ... and as Misty said, it's got to be one of the most parodied lines ever.

[vicki_girl]

Hayes wrote: "vicki_girl wrote: "So there I was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil librarians...."

I think I might have to read that one!!"

I keep meaning to borrow it from my son and find out if the rest is just as good. But so many books, so little time...

[Kandice]

From The Gunslinger by Stephen King:

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.

[Misty]

Kandice wrote: "From The Gunslinger by Stephen King:

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

Absolutely. And it means so much more when you finish the series (even if it pisses you off)

[Tahleen]

Hayes wrote: "Misty wrote: "Hayes wrote: "I like the classic lines from A Wrinkle in Time

It was a dark and stormy night."

That line actually comes from Paul Clifford by Edward Bulwe..."

As I recall, Snoopy's next line was "A shot rang out!" and what follows are exciting and random occurrences that have not much to do with each other and it ends about one page later haha.

[Kandice]

Misty wrote: "Kandice wrote: "From The Gunslinger by Stephen King:

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

Absolutely. And it means so much more when you finish th..."

I LOVE that you've read that series! I wasn't even thinking about it not being YA, just that it's my favorite opening line.

[Becky]

I agree. That is THE best first line. It really has so much POTENTIAL in it.

This series is due for a re-read REALLY soon. I miss it. *sigh*

[Sara ♥]

I just went and scoured my bookshelves...
Here are two I really liked:

"Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you're dead."
— A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

"Before anyone reading this thinks to call me a slut—or even just imagines I'm incredibly popular—let me point out that this list includes absolutely every single boy I have ever had the slightest little any-kind-of-anything with."
— The Boyfriend List: 15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs, and me, Ruby Oliver by E. Lockhart

[Misty]

The whole opening of Certain Slant was great, wasn't it, Sara?

[Sara ♥]

Yes, yes it was. I love that book!

[Someoneyouknow]

My favorite first line is definitely :

"What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?"

Love story by Segal

[Kelstar]

It's sort of an obvious choice I guess, but one of my favorite opening lines is from a A Tale of Two Cities.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us . . ."

[Kelstar]

I haven't heard of it, but I'll have to check it out.

[Julie]

"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day." Jane Eyre

[Esther]

Hayes wrote: "vicki_girl wrote: "So there I was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil librarians...."

I think I might have to read that..."

I second that! And as a librarian I may print it out and post it as a warning to misbehaving library visitors :0)

[Esther]

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Pride and Prejudice
A classic!

[Esther]

"My father had a face that could stop a clock." The Eyre Affair

[Madeline]

I love both those from Pride and Prejudice and The Eyre Affair! I'm going to have to think about this thread and come back prepared!

[Everly]

Thanks Katie for posting this. It's so cool.

[Krista]

"I’d never given much thought to how I would die - though I’d had reason enough in the last few months - but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.”

From the preface for Twilight