[Tracer_Brendan Posts: 20 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Hi All,

I'm looking for MG book recommendations for stories where the inciting incident (or a catalyst) occurs before the story starts. I'm trying to find story structures to reference for my current WIP. I'm thinking of things like "A Monster Calls" (his mom is already sick) and "A Wrinkle in Time" (her fathers disappearance), or "The Honest Truth" (the story begins with the MC leaving home). Basically, novels where the ordinary world is already a little out of sync for the MC when we begin page 1.  Thanks!

 

[David Wright Posts: 1,013 Status: Offline Tell me that again.]

Hi

I didn't answer before, because I didn't want to reference older books and nothing I was reading fit the criteria. I just got back from the book store and saw some books that fit your examples

The Ethan I was Before (Stanfish) has an accident before the story starts

Denis Ever After (T.Abbott) and The Land of Yesterday (K.A. Reynolds) both have a (sibling?) death before the story starts. [Actually, it seems to be common right now -- although other books had a prologue explaining the loss, which isn't what you wanted]

Call of the Wraith (Kevin Sands) has a shipwreck before the story starts--although the MC remembers nothing about it or himself.

Note: I may have gotten some of the stories confused, but I think they're correct. They are easy to find. You can usually tell by the jacket flap and the first few lines if a story fits.

[Tracer_Brendan Posts: 20 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Thanks David. I've had The Ethan I was Before and Land of Yesterday on my list for quite a while.

I thought of another one after I posted. Pax, by Sarah Pennypacker. The story starts right in the inciting incident.