What constitutes a fresh start? Is it moving to a new city? Forming a new habit? Fostering new relationships? While the foundation of a fresh start may seem like simply making an everyday change, it often paves the way to careful introspection and prompts people to face their deepest desires and fears. The novels below probe the inner workings of change and ask us to consider the pitfalls and successes that might accompany an attempt to reset and refresh everyday life.
The Hole is an eerie, surrealist novel about a woman (Asa) whose husband’s job sends them to live in a small town. When a sighting of a mysterious creature prompts her to explore her new home’s natural landscape, she encounters and falls into a hole in the ground that is exactly her size and shape. The unsettling quality of this narrative is intensified by Asa’s strange interactions with her neighbors and in-laws. Hiroko Oyamada’s novella ultimately draws attention to the disorienting nature of moving to a brand new environment.
For a classic take on the new beginnings genre, try picking up The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Chasing the promise of a complete reset after returning from the Vietnam war, Ernt Allbright moves his wife, Cora, and daughter, Leni, to rural Alaska to live off the grid. Leni’s coming-of-age narrative propels the story forward as she witnesses her father’s mental state deteriorate and finds her place in the resilient community that inhabits the Alaskan wild. This tale begs the question: can a fresh start truly change those in need of newfound solace?
Fourth Wing is an intense "romantasy" novel that follows Violet Sorrengail, a general's daughter who is forced to take an unexpected direction with her studies just before she starts her education under the Scribes at Basgiath War College. As a dragon rider trainee, she must subvert the low expectations of her peers to stay alive and establish herself as a competent and competitive member of her class. Her precarious physical condition and nepotistic entry to the school leave her vulnerable to the wrath of her enemies both inside and outside the walls of the academy. Fans of collegiate coming-of-age stories and passionate romances will love reading about the challenges facing a disadvantaged but resilient girl taking a new life direction.
What challenges might an out-of-shape group of adventurers face upon reconnecting 20 years after disbanding? Kings of the Wyld tells a witty, action-packed story of a mercenary band called Saga that reunites when Gabriel (formerly known as “Golden Gabe”) begs his former bandmates to come together and save his endangered daughter. Challenged by old age and the peril of the unknown, the men of Saga look to find hope as they face foes of the past and revisit an old life with new perspective.
T. J. Klune’s novel, The House in the Cerulean Sea, explores the vulnerability and courage that comes with newfound self-growth. Linus Baker is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youths who is suddenly sent on a mysterious mission to the Marsyas Island Orphanage, where supposedly dangerous magical children reside. Through this mission, he must balance his fear of vulnerability and uncertainty with his desire to experience meaningful connections and cultivate a sense of purpose in the face of the unknown.
What’s your favorite fresh start narrative? Comment below!
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