I like doing these opening lines posts. I never remember what the opening lines of books are, so it’s always interesting to go back and see them. Also interesting to see the variety they have. I tend to choose books pretty randomly and just see what I get, so these aren’t the ones I think are good or bad or anything, they just are. (Though I do like to choose a favorite, because why not?)
As I always say, I truly do not believe the first line is the most important thing about a book. I, for one, give books more than one sentence to grab my attention. Sometimes the first line is just a setup for the second line to really bring it home. But alas, this is not about second lines. Or third or fourth or any other. It’s about firsts, and it’s just a fun thing to look at!
I grabbed these lines from the Amazon samples, since I borrow or get review copies of a lot of the books I read. Sorry if any are incorrect.
Also I may come back and add links to my reviews/Goodreads/Amazon when I get a chance, but for now, here is my affiliate link to Amazon you can use if you’re interested in buying one of these. It would help me out, at no extra cost to you!
Once Upon a Haunted Moor by Harper Fox
[ My Review ]
That sound — you feel it before you hear it, a kind of low vibration in your bones.
The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
[ My Review ]
Anguished sobs echoed down the winding stairwell, bouncing off the walls like the cries of strange birds.
The Modern Mythos Anomaly by Juniper Lake Fitzgerald
[ My Review ]
“Shit, shit, shit, shit!”
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
[ My Review ]
When Gwen woke up, she knew she’d had the dream again—and that she’d been loud.
The Boy With a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund
[ My Review ]
A java sparrow lives inside of Owen’s chest.
Both Sides of the Moon by Fell A. Marsh
Roa did not expect to see—framed in the bare, purple dawn light filtering into his family’s shed, laying curled with the sheep—one of the most strange and beautiful people he had ever laid eyes on.
Fiorenzo by Sebastian Nothwell
[ My Review ]
Crowds flooded the streets and canals surrounding the dry-docked ship.
Shadow Fall by Audrey Grey
[ My Review ]
The asteroid that will destroy the earth is named Pandora.
The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu
[ My Review ]
One muggy August Sunday of 2047, the Elsinore Labs Operating System—though he prefers Horatio—clicks on with very little fanfare for what has just occurred within his walls.
Prelude for Lost Souls by Helene Dunbar
[ My Review ]
Everyone in St. Hilaire talked to the dead.
Ok, some thoughts. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” is entertaining, you don’t usually see books start like that. I’ve noticed a sort of opening line genre that I’m sure was always there just not noticed by me before, which is starting off a book with an intriguing statement, like the java sparrow in someone’s chest, an asteroid that’s going to destroy the world, or people talking to the dead. I feel like the first two really set a tone right from the start (neither book is super dark, both have sweetness, but the first does have some weird paranormal stuff, and the second does have some death and darkness). Gwen & Art and Both Sides of the Moon start by introducing you to one of the main characters right away, maybe giving you a little sense of them. Fiorenzo starts with the setting, which makes sense because the setting gives that book a lot of its vibes.
But I think, based on first line alone (because I have already read all of these), The Death I Gave Him might be the one I find most intriguing. It gives you a lot of interesting little tidbits in one sentence and immediately gives this AI operating system a bit of personality.
More Opening Lines Posts
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (2)
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (3)
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (4)
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (5)
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (6) – The Quiz Version!
Bookish Musings: Opening Lines (7)
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I do think it’s fun to look at opening sentences, especially as I usually don’t pay them a lot of attention and they just become part of the first chapters instead of standing out. Seeing them in isolation like this is interesting and how they each have an unique vibe and still tell me something about the books.
The “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” one definitely stood out to me as I don’t think I’ve seen a book stat like that often and it makes me curious what’s going wrong. A lot of the other ones are great too, like the one with the Asteroid’s name immediately setting the stage for the book. I agree the one for The Death I Gave Him is really intriguing too. Or The Prelude for Lost Souls with that statement that everyone there talks to the dead, immediately showing how normal it is there.
Heck, I don’t even remember first chapters half the time once I finish a book, haha. But yeah, it’s cool to see first lines in isolation. Also interesting to see how those statement kinda lines really stand out to a lot of people.
The Modern Mythos Anomaly is…interesting 😂.
The last three are probably my favourite. I mean, the one about the bird and the chest (???!!!) is anticipated by the title…
Lol yeah that one does deliver on the title.
These are so fun and some are hilarious! I do love a zinger of a first line though I also read a little further into a book before deciding whether to continue so the first line isn’t all or nothing for me
Yeah, I definitely reader further, but a good first line can be fun.
I like that shit, shit, shit, shit lol
It’s fun lol.
I hadn’t heard of any of these.. but like the sound of many. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you like some 🙂
Always love those!!
Lots of great ones this time, though I like the harper fox one.
That one is so ominous, which is fitting cuz a lot of ominous stuff happens in those books!