Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening. Feel free to grab the banner and play along.
My opener this week comes from What Remains of Me by A L Gaylin which was published on 1 December 2016 by Random House UK
Blurb
People don’t need to know you’re a murderer.
They just have to think you could be…
June 1980: 17-year-old Kelly Lund is jailed for killing Hollywood film director, John McFadden
Thirty years later, Kelly is a free woman. Yet speculation still swirls over what really happened that night.
And when her father-in law, and close friend of McFadden is found dead – shot through the head at point-blank range – there can only be one suspect.
But this time Kelly has some high-profile friends who believe she’s innocent of both crimes.
But is she?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
First Chapter ~ First Paragraph ~ Intro
Chapter 1
FEBRUARY 11, 1980
It was when Kelly Lund’s science teacher, Mr. Hanen, asked her the third question in a row that she wasn’t able to answer the one about mitochondria – that Bellamy Marshall passed her a note. Kelly said “um” and swallowed hard to get her dry mouth working when she felt the balled-up paper hit her in the leg. She didn’t think note at first though. She thought spitball.
Kelly got spitballed a lot. So often, in fact, that she’d once told her mom about it. “They throw spitballs at me,” she’d said. “They laugh at my clothes because they are so cheap.”
“Cheap?” Mom had said. “Your clothes cover you where you should be covered, which is more than I can say about those other girls you go to school with. If you want to talk about cheap, Kelly. Those girls are what I call cheap.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
How many times did you have some similar rejoinder from your mother to some complaint? My favourite was always when I said ‘everyone was doing…’ If I heard ‘If everyone was jumping off a cliff would you do that too?’ once – I heard it a thousand times!
So… would you keep reading? Please leave your thoughts in the comments box below.
I would keep reading although I’m not sure if because of the intro or the blurb. Intriguing.
LikeLike
I do like the tone of the opening, I’m hoping for a great read!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would and I did. Just for recently finished and I enjoyed it – keeps you guessing.
LikeLike
Good to know Jill – I’m looking forward to it even more now. I had your blog up on my laptop and my daughter said ‘that’s not your bookshelf’ so I pointed out it said Jill’s Book Café and she said ‘ was confused as she has lots of the same books!’ 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great minds …
LikeLiked by 1 person
The blurb does sound really interesting and so does the intro. I would definitely keep reading. I will look out for your review!
LikeLike
Thank you Diana – I like the sound of it very much indeed!
LikeLike
Science teacher and mitochondria in first few lines … works for me … and the writing … yes what more could you want from an intro … (still doggedly reading ‘The Chemist’ by the way … oh for less words!)
LikeLike
I’m sorry about The Chemist – my son-in-law is still ploughing through too!
LikeLike
I think I must have had this exact conversation with my mother, like many of us 🙂 I enjoyed the intro so I’d surely keep reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha I think it was in the training manual for parents 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think the summary called to me more than opener — sounds like it could be good. And, yeah, I heard the “jump off a bridge/cliff” comment more than once!
LikeLike
Thanks for visiting – I’m hoping for good things 🙂
LikeLike
The dialogue in the little snippet you shared is pitch-perfect, Cleo. And now I really am interested in what happened with both murders. I’d want to read on…
LikeLike
I liked the dialogue too Margot and in many ways this aspect can make or break a novel – I’m keen to find out more, past and present too.
LikeLike
I’d keep reading based more on the blurb than the intro. Looking forward to your review of this one!
LikeLike
Thank you Renee – I’m keen to get stuck into this one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does sound good, I was left wondering if she did it, I think that means I need to add it to my towering TBR:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that mother’s comment, too…but, of course, it doesn’t really help the girl in her situation. This sounds like another one I would enjoy. Thanks for sharing…and for visiting my blog.
LikeLike
Yes those types of remarks are rarely helpful….
LikeLike
My dad was big about the cliff comment too. LOL I like the opening you shared and am intrigued by the blurb on this one. Definitely one worth following up on. I hope you have a great rest of the week!
LikeLike
Haha I think it was something every parent on the planet said! Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy the rest of your week too.
LikeLike
The synopsis intrigues me, and the opening makes me curious about Kelly. I’d keep reading to find out more about this character and how her childhood affected her later in life.
My Tuesday post features a middle grade novel: TOO BIG.
LikeLike
Thank you for visiting and leaving your link Sandra 🙂
LikeLike
The blurb would make me keep reading. The first two lines are intriguing!
LikeLike
Aren’t they? It makes me wonder what is going to happen in this one..
LikeLiked by 1 person
your mum sounds like mine!
LikeLike
Haha – I think the baby books at that time said here’s how to feed a baby and then really tick them off when they reach their teenage years!!
LikeLike
Ohhh, yes! This is right up my suspenseful alley!
https://girlof1000wonders.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/first-chapter-first-paragraph-tuesday-intros-wish-upon-a-bear/
LikeLike
Excellent news 🙂
LikeLike
Oh dear! I’m very tempted – I like the writing style! I’ll wait for your review… will it be the first of 2017 you’ll force into my basket? Side note – John McFadden was my grandfather’s name… 🙂
LikeLike
It does sound good and if it has your grandfather’s name in it as long as it’s good… I might start the year off with a win haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve actually read this one and enjoyed it for the most part. The writing is great but I have to admit I found it a little slow and it didn’t really hook me. Although I’m pretty sure when I was reading it I had a lot going on and wasn’t fully concentrating.
Hopefully you’ll get on better.
LikeLike
I like the blurb and would keep reading.
LikeLike
Interesting beginning! I would have thought the book was about bullying or something more YA if I hadn’t read the summary first. Both would be fine, but I’m curious for sure!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
LikeLike
This is partly why I’m wary of genres there is such a lot of crossover but the marketing is quite different – I’m interested to see what happens in this one both in the past and the present.
LikeLike
Like the blurb, like the intro so would definitely keep reading. Enjoy.
LikeLike
That intro has me curious, I’m wondering what this is all about. I’d like to know more.
LikeLike