What are the best opening lines of YA novels?

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.

Often, great opening lines in YA novels introduce a unique concept or situation. Consider 'I'm a walker, a last - chance insurance policy against the monsters that infest our world.' This kind of line not only makes you wonder what a 'walker' is and what these monsters are, but it also gives a sense of the character having a special role or power. It makes the reader eager to explore more about this world and the character's place in it.

Well, 'Divergent' has a great start. 'There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs.' This simple statement creates a sense of mystery about the setting and the world Tris lives in. It makes you wonder why there's only one mirror and what significance it might have.

One more notable opening line could be 'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.' from 'The Great Gatsby'. This line makes the reader curious about what that advice was and why it has been on the narrator's mind for so long. It gives a sense of a story that has been brewing in the narrator's head for a while.

One of the best 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, dystopian mood.

A great opening line is 'All children, except one, grow up.' from J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan'. This line is simple yet very effective. It makes the reader wonder about that one special child and why they don't grow up like the others. It also gives a sense of mystery and the promise of an adventure.

Some of the top opening lines include 'Call me Ishmael.' from 'Moby - Dick' by Herman Melville. This simple yet powerful line immediately draws the reader in, making them curious about who Ishmael is. Also, 'All children, except one, grow up.' from 'Peter Pan' by J.M. Barrie is quite memorable. It sets the stage for the story of the boy who never grows up. And then there's 'A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...' from the 'Star Wars' novelizations, which is iconic and gives a sense of vastness and mystery.

One of the best opening lines is from 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...'. This line immediately sets a tone of contrast and complexity, making the reader wonder about the two different states of the times.

The opening line of 'A Game of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin, 'We should start back,' Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them. This line sets a mood of unease and danger right from the start. It makes the reader curious about who Gared is, why they are in the woods, and what the impending darkness might bring.

A really good one is from 'A Little Life' by Hanya Yanagihara. 'When the call came through on his private line, Jude was in conference with the litigators from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.' This opening line drops the reader right into a scene. It makes you wonder who Jude is and what kind of work he's involved in with these litigators.