First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.  

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read, The Girl I Used to Be by Mary Torjussen.  The excerpts shared are from a trade paperback version borrowed from the library.

Prologue

Fifteen years ago

Thursday, August 15

When I think of that night now, I remember the heat, clammy and intense on my skin, and the sense of feverish excitement in the air.  I think of the taxi ride to the party with my friend Lauren, her body soft and scented against mine as we sat crushed into the backseat with her boyfriend, Tom.  The radio was on, the windows were wide open, and "London Calling" started to play.  I remember the surge of happiness I felt then; I'd just been accepted by London University and would be there within a month.  Whenever I hear that song now, it takes me straight back there, to that taxi ride to Alex's house.  It's as though I am that girl, the girl I used to be.

But I'm not.

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Part One

One 

Present day

Friday, June 16

When I saw him for the first time, I didn't t think he'd be trouble.  He was tall and broad, built like a rugby player, nice enough, I suppose, but not the kind of man you'd necessarily look twice at in the street.  At first glance he looked harmless enough. That's how men like him operate, I suppose.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

The author creates an ominous feeling of suspense in both the prologue and the first chapter.  As the reader, I can sense that something dangerous is about to happen, and am urgently drawn toward these characters and their unfolding story.

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing of this original post on Google+ are appreciated.