By Madison Creery

Books have countless ways of pulling us in—charismatic characters, lyrical prose, gripping plots. But sometimes, all it takes is a single, unforgettable sentence. An epic opening line can spark curiosity, set the tone for the story to come, and make it impossible to put a book down. While a great first line doesn’t always promise a great novel, it’s an exciting step in the right direction. For book lovers that enjoy a story that starts with a bang, here’s a list of modern books with opening lines you won’t soon forget.

Adult Fiction

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel: “I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions – much good it did me.”

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng: “Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.”

Adult Mystery

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden: “If I leave this house, it will be in handcuffs.”

The Chain by Adrian McKinty: “She’s sitting at the bus stop checking the likes on her Instagram feed and doesn’t even notice the man with the gun until he’s almost next to her.”

Adult Fantasy

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: “Let’s start with the end of the world, why don’t we? Get it over with and move on to more interesting things.”

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson: “Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar, wore white on the day he was to kill a king.”

Adult Science Fiction

All Systems Red by Martha Wells: “I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites.”

The Martian by Andy Weir: “I’m pretty much f*****. That’s my considered opinion. F*****.”

Adult Romance

Collide by Bal Khabra: “She’s holding a gun to my head. Well, figuratively at least.”

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score: “Wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked into Café Rev, but it sure as hell wasn’t a picture of myself behind the register under the cheery headline ‘Do Not Serve.’”

Teen Science Fiction

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao: “For eighteen years, my unibrow has saved me from being sold into a painful, terrifying death. Today is the day I’m releasing it from its gracious service.”

Scythe by Neal Shusterman: “We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill. And as I see it, they’re all innocents. Even the guilty.”