What are the best first lines of YA novels and why?

In 'Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief', the line 'Look, I didn't want to be a half - blood.' is a great opener. It's very direct and makes the reader curious about what a half - blood is. It also gives a bit of Percy's attitude, as if he's reluctant to be whatever this half - blood thing is, which makes us want to find out more.

One of the best first lines could be 'There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs.' This immediately creates a sense of mystery. It makes the reader wonder why there's only one mirror and why it's hidden. It hooks the reader right from the start, making them want to find out more about the house and the character's situation.

One great opening line is from 'The Hunger Games' - 'When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.' It immediately sets a mood of unease and draws you into Katniss's world. It makes you wonder why the bed is cold and what's going to happen next.

In 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins, the line 'When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.' is great. It's simple yet it creates a sense of unease and makes you wonder about the character's situation and the world they live in. It draws you in right away as you start to question why the bed is cold and what might be wrong.

They create mystery. For example, like the first line in 'The Hunger Games'. A cold bed makes you wonder what happened, and this mystery makes you keep reading to find out. Simple as that.

The first lines are very important. They are like a hook that grabs the reader's attention. If the first line is boring, the reader might not continue. For example, if the first line is just 'I got up in the morning', it doesn't really make the reader curious.

One interesting first line could be 'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single girl in possession of a great Instagram following must be in want of a boyfriend.' This sets a modern, humorous tone and gives a hint about the YA world's focus on social media and relationships.

Often, the best first lines introduce a central theme or idea. Consider 'A screaming comes across the sky.' from 'Gravity's Rainbow'. This line is very vivid and it sets up a sense of unease and something big and perhaps catastrophic about to happen. It also gives a hint at the chaos and unpredictability that will be explored in the novel, which is why it's considered a great first line.

Well, the first line can set the tone. For example, if the first line is something dark like 'The night was cold and the wind howled like a banshee.' it gives a spooky tone right from the start and the reader expects a story filled with mystery or horror. It can also introduce a key concept. Say the line is 'My mother always said I had a special gift.' This makes the reader curious about what that gift is and it will be a central part of the story.

One of the best first lines is 'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.' from George Orwell's '1984'. It immediately sets an off - kilter mood. The idea of the clocks striking thirteen in a world where we expect twelve strikes creates a sense of unease and signals that this is a world that doesn't follow the normal rules we are used to.