My Favorite Opening Lines in Books

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I am sharing some of my favorite opening lines from books I’ve read. Well, more like opening paragraphs. Most of the books I’m listing have the first two or so paragraphs. Still, they have the same role.

First lines (and paragraphs) are one of the most important parts of writing a book. They’re the first things readers see and can influence a person’s interest. There are a lot of first lines that I’ve read but these stick out more than the rest. They’re very memorable.

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.
If you’re reading this right now because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.

I mean, come on? I couldn’t not start without this, right? I love how this first line immediately pulls you in. “What’s a half-blood?” Readers ask. “Why didn’t you want to be one?” It hooks the reader and makes them want to keep reading. That’s one of the reasons I always recommend PJO for people who aren’t interested in reading. It keeps then engaged in the story and the action starts right away. The hilarious chapter names also help. The first chapter is literally named, “I Accidentally Vaporize my Pre-Algebra Teacher.” Who wouldn’t want to know what happens?

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan

Yeah, I know. You guys are going to read about how I died in agony and you’re going to be like, “Wow, that sounds cool, Magnus! Can I die in agony too?”
No. Just no.

With a little more context, the first chapter is titled “Good Morning! You’re Going to Die.” But that’s still not a lot of context. But similar to PJO, this opening line is engaging and you immediately know what kind of person Magnus is. He’s funny and well, about to die.

These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1) by Chloe Gong

In glittering Shanghai, a monster awakens.
Its eyes snap open in the belly of the Huangpu River, jaws unhinging at once to taste the foul blood seeping into the waters. Lines of red slither through this ancient city’s modern streets: lines that draw webs in the cobblestones like a network of veins, and drip by drip these veins surge into the waters, pouring the city’s life essence into the mouth of another.

How vivid is that image? Chloe Gong is a true master at worldbuilding and writing vivid imagery. It immediately sets the tone of the story and gives you a sense of the atmosphere: mysterious, dark, foreboding.

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor

On the second Sabbat of Twelfthmoon, in the city of Weep, a girl fell from the sky.
Her skin was blue, her blood was red.
She broke over an iron gate, crimping it on impact, and there she hung, impossibly arched, graceful as a temple dancer swooning on a lover’s arm. One slick finial anchored her in place. Its point, protruding from her sternum, glittered like a brooch. She fluttered briefly as her ghost shook loose, and torch ginger buds rained out of her long hair.

Isn’t that an image to imagine? Like Gong, Laini Taylor’s writing is descriptive without being overly so. I love how this one and Gong’s both set the scene in the story. While Gong’s has a darker undertone, Taylor’s is very lyrical and almost delicate. It also makes the reader question what happened to the girl. They’ll most likely want to read more.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

First the colors.
Then the humans.
That’s usually how I see things.
Or at least, how I try.
* * * HERE IS A SMALL FACT * * *
You are going to die.

I love the opening to The Book Thief because of how unique it is. If you’ve read the story, you know it has an unusual narrator and that’s one of the reasons I love the book. Besides also being a huge fan of historical fiction. For someone reading the book for the first time, they might question who the narrator is. A person would probably not say something like, “then the humans.”

The Missing Piece of Charlie O’Reilly by Rebecca K. Ansari

Charlie O’Reilly was an only child. It therefore made everyone uncomfortable when he talked about his little brother.

I loved this book after I first read it. The first lines immediately make you question what happened and who this little brother is. It opens up with a layer of mystery which instantly sets up for some interesting thing to happen.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

There is blood under my fingertips. I wonder how many of my people I’ve killed this time.
I thrust my hands into the barrel beside the stables. The ice-cold water bites at my skin, but the blood clings. I shouldn’t bother, because it will all be gone in an hour anyway, but I hate this. The blood. The not knowing.

Well, that’s dark. And intriguing. I found this book at my local bookstore and was fascinated by the Beauty and the Beast retelling. The first lines only helped to amplify my curiosity. This also sets some of Rhen’s thoughts and who he is.

Wonder (Wonder #1) by R.J. Palacio

I know I’m not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. I mean, sure, I do ordinary things. I eat ice cream. I ride my bike. I play ball. I have an XBox. Stuff like that makes me ordinary. I guess. And I feel ordinary. Inside. But I know ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. I know ordinary kids don’t get scared at wherever they go.

I realized that this is the one of the only books on here that isn’t fantasy. But nevertheless, this opening paragraph is one that I have part of memorized. Wonder is one of my all-time favorite books, so maybe I’m a bit biased when it comes to its first line, but I still think it’s a great starting line. It gives the reader questions about who this not ordinary ten-year-old kid is.

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Do you like these first lines? What are some of your favorite first lines?