A book I severely regret purchasing

                                                          From the Start by Molly Doyle



Let me get this out: I had somewhat high expectations for this book, especially after reading the reviews on Amazon, those four, five star reviews that she had. Let me tell you, they must have been teenage girls. Now I'm also seventeen - soon to be eighteen, and I'm not an amazing writer, far from it, but she took the story to the next level. Not only were her characters unbelievable, they were also slightly annoying. I found myself wondering, when the characters would finally have redeeming qualities, towards the end they got halfway there, but not quite all the way.

Then there is the fact that it seems desperately similar to A Walk To Remember. In fact in A Walk To Remember In both the book and movie Jamie specifically says: "Promise that you won't fall in love with me." And in From the Start, Alex specifically says: "But promise that you won't fall in love with me.

On page 665 Rosalie states: "...I give you my destiny, I'm giving you all of me. I know now, for real this time, that you're my only hope."

Does that sound vaguely familiar? Lets go back to Mandy Moore's song "Only Hope" in A Walk To Remember.

Taken from the end of the song Only Hope by Mandy Moore:

I give You my destiny
I'm giving You all of me
I want Your symphony
Singing in all that I am
At the top of my lungs I'm giving it back

So I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope

Eh, sound familiar?

I think that borders on the line of plagiarism.


Now on to other things, not related to A Walk To Remember. Why was this book not properly edited before she published it? What I mean is, why didn't she look through it and at least tried to catch many of the grammar mistakes that plagued her story? I get that she self published this, I really do. I also get that she is a teenager but still, and she couldn't afford it, but towards the beginning there wasn't a chapter that wasnt filled with, spelling mistakes, or capitalization mistakes. I feel like the grammar, also made me not exactly favor this book. But there was also the repetitive words: intense and emotional. Which can basically be found at least five times in every chapter.



I know that it may sound harsh, but this is my opinion and I wish for you to respect it as I will also respect yours. This book just was not for me. Maybe when it is edited, and rid of the 'A Walk to Remember' elements, I would give this book another shot. But for now I give it two thumbs down.