T5W: Favourite First Sentences

This week we’re talking about first sentences. The first sentence of a book can hook you into a book or be something you glaze over. I will always remember one of my English teachers back in secondary school telling us that when we’re writing short stories, the way you open the story is critical. And I’ve come to live by that.

Here are six of my favourite novel openings:

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Noteworthy Mention − White Hot Kiss // Jennifer L. Armentrout

There was a demon in McDonald’s.

I love this first line. I haven’t even read the book but I love it. It’s just such a wonderful idea to imagine. And what makes this even better is that there’s a novel/anime series about a demon lord who is beaten to Earth and assimilates into modern day culture by working at McDonald’s.

He looks like a cinnamon roll but he could kill you in a second if he wanted. Adorable.

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This Savage Song // Victoria Schwab

The night Kate Harker decided to burn down the school chapel, she wasn’t angry or drunk. She was desperate.

What I love about these two sentences is that they illustrate clearly the idea that people are completely unpredictable when their backs are up against a wall.

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Tiny Pretty Things // Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton

It always feels like death. At least at first.

Purely motivational. Everything is hard when you first start out. Keep on going and it will get easier.

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The Hero of Ages // Brandon Sanderson

I am, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages.

This is kind of an inside thing for the Mistborn series, but sometimes being the Chosen One isn’t always as glamourous as it’s made out to be.

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe // Benjamin Alire Saenz

One summer night I fell asleep, hoping the world would be different when I woke.

Ari and Dante’s story is set in the 1980’s but this line still rings true today. Too often we wake up to news of innocent lives being lost. My mom and grandmother loved to tell me things were so much better and easier for this generation. But the truth is the same problems exist, they just present themselves differently.

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The Shock of the Fall // Nathan Filer

I should say that I am not a nice person. Sometimes I try to be, but often I’m not.

This line is one that sits with me because it’s one I’ve thought myself. Almost word for word too. I can’t even begin to count the amount of times I’ve been told to watch what I say or do because it can be interpreted as mean or rude. And I long ago internalised it to mean that I’m not a nice person. Do you know how hard it is to question every word and action before it’s done? More often than not it doesn’t feel worth it.

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