Paperback: 208 pages
Release date: July 1st, 2011
Goodreads Summary: My Beginning is told through the eyes of Ivory, a 16-year-old girl who has lived her entire life within the walls of an institution. The institution is one of many supposedly set up to protect those within from a worldwide plague. She and all of the other surviving children live a strict, mundane life full of tasks and responsibilities--forbidden to go outside, congregate or even look at the opposite sex. Despite the uncompromising atmosphere, Ivory manages to pique the interest of the only boy who did not grow up in the institution, creating a love affair neither of them expected. Multiple secret meetings take a turn for the worse when they are caught and severely punished, but through unexpected circumstances they find themselves on the outside. There is a lot more to the world than they could have ever imagined when they learn of a war and lifelike machines that threaten humankind. Ivory faces many unexpected challenges, and, ultimately, it is up to her to save Aidan and the world she has grown to love. (YA Fiction: science fiction, for ages 15 and up)
"My Beginning offers up familiar subject matter yet refreshingly showcases it from a seldom seen perspective. By setting the angst and torture of a teenage coming of age story against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic plague-ravaged society the reader gets to experience a world they've become accustomed to through the astonished eyes of Ivory, the story's protagonist. When you take Ivory's strong yet vulnerable character, throw in a shadowy corporatist boogey-man and his army of 'the machines' you end up with Cinderella meets Blade Runner. Kline's descriptive and lush writing style, reminiscent of Richard Matheson and early Stephen King paints a visually rich world with vibrant characters that keeps you turning pages till there's no more left to turn." - Sean Bishop, Dreamworks feature Animation
Children are sealed in an institution after a devastating plague. Ivory, dreams of the outside world and will risk everything for it. When she found her love interest, Aidan, they fought together to leave behind the institution and find the real truth about their world.
My Beginning is a story full of twists and revelation. I never thought that a book with only 201 pages will leave me pine for another one. Ivory was a swayable, serene and self-effacing person. She dreams of the outside world inside the cold, hard walls of the institution and just kept it as it is, because she knows that no one will get out in the life of being locked in the institutions. But when Aidan, a boy who did not grow up on the same institution, comes to their institution a love affair begins. The two of them decided to get out from the institution after their affair was found out. Their escape is quick and uncomplicated; it was smooth all the way until they faced the real world. I love how Aidan and Ivory keep their meetings secret from the Mother Nurse. After the two of them come across other people who survived in the plague, they found asylum in a little community and soon found friends. Living on their new life was not that easy, as they discover the truth of what happened after the plague. I’ve read this book just a couple of hours and don’t want to leave it anymore. Its twist was shocking, because I’ve been carried away by the adventures of Aidan and Ivory I never thought that that “twist” would happen. The second characters were endearing too-Hydra, Rowen, Akela and the others.
All in all it was an easy and fast-paced story; I love how readers could easily get the main notion of the story without having any difficulties. I just hoped that the love story of Aidan and Ivory would be more detailed. With the dystopian being a mainstream, Kline never gets me bore with her book. Love, understanding, struggles and genuineness are the things you will bump into the story. I’m looking forward for the next book I’ll definitely be one of the first readers if there is a sequel.;)
My Beginning is a story full of twists and revelation. I never thought that a book with only 201 pages will leave me pine for another one. Ivory was a swayable, serene and self-effacing person. She dreams of the outside world inside the cold, hard walls of the institution and just kept it as it is, because she knows that no one will get out in the life of being locked in the institutions. But when Aidan, a boy who did not grow up on the same institution, comes to their institution a love affair begins. The two of them decided to get out from the institution after their affair was found out. Their escape is quick and uncomplicated; it was smooth all the way until they faced the real world. I love how Aidan and Ivory keep their meetings secret from the Mother Nurse. After the two of them come across other people who survived in the plague, they found asylum in a little community and soon found friends. Living on their new life was not that easy, as they discover the truth of what happened after the plague. I’ve read this book just a couple of hours and don’t want to leave it anymore. Its twist was shocking, because I’ve been carried away by the adventures of Aidan and Ivory I never thought that that “twist” would happen. The second characters were endearing too-Hydra, Rowen, Akela and the others.
All in all it was an easy and fast-paced story; I love how readers could easily get the main notion of the story without having any difficulties. I just hoped that the love story of Aidan and Ivory would be more detailed. With the dystopian being a mainstream, Kline never gets me bore with her book. Love, understanding, struggles and genuineness are the things you will bump into the story. I’m looking forward for the next book I’ll definitely be one of the first readers if there is a sequel.;)
