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.
A great first line is 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.' from 'The Hobbit'. For a YA novel, it's very engaging as it creates immediate mystery. Who is this hobbit? Why is he in a hole? It makes the reader want to find out more about this strange little creature and the world he inhabits.
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 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.
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 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.
They often create mystery. Like 'The door was locked, but I knew what was inside.' It makes you wonder what's behind the door. Simple as that. It gives you a question that needs answering, so you keep reading.
One great first line is 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife' from 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen. 'We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold' from 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' by Hunter S. Thompson is very distinct. 'Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy' from 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' by C.S. Lewis is a simple yet effective start.