Tawni’s Book Nook: Begin Again by Emma Lord
Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5)
For this installment of Tawni’s Book Nook, I’m sharing my Begin Again Emma Lord review and my honest thoughts on the story.
In this Begin Again Emma Lord review, I break down what the story is about, what confused me, and why the book ultimately earned a 2 star rating from me.
I started this book sometime in mid January thinking it would be a quick read. I expected to finish it by mid February. Instead, it took me until mid March to finally finish it.
And honestly, by the end I was just relieved to close the book.
The premise sounded promising. The story follows Andie Rose, an 18 year old freshman who transfers to Blue Ridge State University after a breakup. She chooses this school specifically because it is where her mom attended college. Her goal is to reconnect with her mother’s past while also starting over and building a new life for herself.
Unfortunately, the story didn’t quite land for me.
If you want to read more about the book itself, you can check it out here.
Begin Again Emma Lord Review: What I Expected vs What I Got
When I bought this book, the description made it sound like a story about starting college with a plan and trying to live up to a parent’s legacy.
While the storyline about Andie discovering more about her mom’s past does exist, the rest of the story felt chaotic and a bit immature.
The main character is only 18, which makes sense for a freshman in college. But the level of naivety made parts of the book frustrating to follow.
Scenes would happen and then suddenly the story would jump to something else entirely. I often felt like there were missing moments in between events.
The Storylines That Confused Me
There were several plot points throughout the book that left me scratching my head.
The Ribbon Tradition
One of the major storylines involves Andie discovering ribbons placed around campus. These ribbons are tied to stories left behind by past students, including her mother.
The idea behind it is emotional and meaningful. It is meant to represent legacy and the memories students leave behind during their time in college.
But personally, the ribbon collecting storyline never fully made sense to me. I kept waiting for a bigger explanation or payoff that would tie everything together.
The Secret Radio Show
Another plotline involves a hidden campus radio show where students anonymously share their stories and feelings.
I understood the intention behind this storyline. It gives students a place to talk openly about their lives.
At the same time, the way it was introduced sometimes felt confusing and disconnected from the rest of the story.
The RA Romance
Andie also develops a romantic interest in her dorm’s resident advisor. Their relationship slowly develops throughout the book, but it often felt awkward and a little strange to me.
There is also a subplot involving Andie struggling academically and needing help with math, which added yet another storyline into the mix.
By the end of the book, I honestly felt like I needed SparkNotes just to fully understand everything that had happened.
Begin Again Emma Lord Review: My Final Thoughts
Even though I struggled through most of this book and probably should have stopped reading earlier, the ending did provide some closure.
By the final chapters, Andie begins to understand herself and her mother in a new way. The ending wraps up the story with a hopeful and surprisingly cute tone.
Still, the journey getting there felt messy and difficult to follow.
Overall, this Begin Again Emma Lord review reflects my honest reading experience, even if the story did not fully work for me.
That is why Begin Again ultimately earns 2 stars from me.
Readers who enjoy chaotic freshman year energy and character driven young adult stories may enjoy this book more than I did.
📝 Have you read Begin Again?
Did you love it? Hate it? Somewhere in between? Drop a comment and let me know. I’d genuinely love to hear your take, especially if the ribbon storyline made more sense to you than it did to me.
And don’t forget to follow along with Tawni’s Book Nook for more honest book reviews, reading recs, and cozy literary chats. ✨📖
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📚 Next up in Tawni’s Book Nook
📚Next up on my reading list is Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover, and I’ve heard this one is an emotional rollercoaster. Colleen Hoover has a reputation for writing stories that absolutely wreck readers in the best way possible, so I’m curious to see how this one hits.
From what I’ve heard, it’s a deeply emotional story about redemption, forgiveness, and rebuilding your life after devastating mistakes. I’m going into this one mostly blind, so I’m both excited and slightly nervous about what’s coming.
Stay tuned for my next Tawni’s Book Nook review once I finish it. 📖✨