The Beginning

Glee #1

by Sophia Lowell

Calling all Gleeks
Get more of your favorite characters in this official Glee prequel
All great performances deserve a warm-up Enroll early at McKinley High--before New Directions was even a glimmer in Mr. Schuester's eye. When did Rachel first decide Finn was more than just a jock? When did Puck and Quinn start their secret romance? And how did the fledgling Glee Club function without a fearless leader? Hint: It wasn't exactly a perfect melody.
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24331...

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Tv, Teen, Romance, Audiobook

216 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

About the author

Sophia Lowell is the pen name for a talented and seasoned YA novelist.

Reviews

[Jolo Manansala · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me first start by saying I am a total Gleek. I am in love with Glee and everything about it. Which is why I feel guilty about this review.

I just felt that was needed before I start writing this.

The book sucked. Why did I even read this in the first place? Oh, it was because my friend got this for me for Christmas and I felt guilty not reading it (it DOES cost a lot here in the Philippines). I knew because of people from Tumblr before hand that it was bad, but I didn't think it would be that suck-ish.

I knew I couldn't expect much of a TV-Movie tie-in. The writers, after all, do need to stay with the plot; but this book didn't do any of that. In fact, the only plot it actually stayed with was the relationship between Puck and Quinn, and even that was written poorly.

This book had a lot of errors considering the storyline of the TV show. First; Sandy Ryerson in the book was never there for practice as the members have said. Sandy was always there; in fact he even "harassing" a male Glee club member. So, that practically removes the plot of Rachel having him fired so that the position of director would be open for Will.

Second; Mercedes really only like Kurt when the Cheerios pushed her to go for Kurt, and that didn't go well.

Third; Why are Tina and Artie being more sweet here than in the show? It seems as though they were already a couple even though that only seemed to happen during Episode 9- "Wheels".

Fourth; Same goes with Rachel and Finn. Rachel said herself that she really only admired Finn when she heard him sing during Glee club practice, and that was when Will was in charge.

Fifth; Um, the most ridiculous error of this book would be the fact that Will was the one who held auditions for Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, and Tina. Having a Glee club before that just ruins everything.

Oh, and Puck isn't named Puck Puckerman. Okay?! Geez. So, really, these errors just make me hate the book a whole lot. It may seem all rude and bitchy, but this IS my review. If somebody else likes it, then fine.

The whole book was just about Puck and Quinn's affair, Tina decorating the gym and the club redeeming themselves during homecoming. It was written poorly with sentences that look as though they were intended for 6-year olds.

Sure, there are times when I liked it, like during their performance at the Recital where Kurt fell in the orchestra pit. However, it left me feeling, incomplete. As much as I do still want to read the other books, I'll stay with the show for now.

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

So interesting story but the better-watching tv show than read a story.

[Caitlyn G · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is basically published fanfiction, and it's not that good, but I was lowkey invested...

notable (but mainly questionable) quotes:
"Artie had meant to tell Tina he liked her LITTLE MISS GROUCHY T-shirt when he first saw her in the hall that morning, but he was afraid she'd think he was staring at her boobs. Was it too late to tell her now?" p. 33 questionable
"He'd forgotten that dancing made a person feel good--although Terri claimed that dancing would give her lupus, which ran in her family." p. 38 what was the reason
"Which was weird, because Quinn was totally hot, and she had this totally sexy way of talking in this kind of quiet voice that sounded so sweet and girly even when she was bitching at someone." p. 41 odd
"Puck was famous for going through girls like they were Kleenex, and he left each one a little dirtier than he'd found her." p. 105 alright...
"He turned around and grinned at the sight of her standing behind the bench in her Cheerios uniform. In any other context, such a short skirt on a girl would mean she was a slut, but because it was a uniform, it somehow came off as wholesome and old-fashioned. And hot." p.105 huhhh???
"Quinn's hair was pulled back into a ponytail, as it always was for practice, letting her sexy little ears stand out. Puck wished he could put one in his mouth and suck on it like a lollipop." p.157 THIS ONE MADE ME SCREAM, WHO APPROVED THIS


some notes:
-Glad that Mr. Schue was only like in two chapters, a blessing
-I feel like the author really captured Rachel's insanity
-POV would switch so quick within a chapter, I was getting whiplash
-It was weird when random information was shoved into a paragraph and then the story would snap back then there would be no pay off to the information offered up
-Weird how they had to keep pointing out how Santana and Britney were Quinn's way less pretty sidekicks when Miss Naya Rivera was CARRYING
-Where was their teacher the whole time
-I will say that the lines written for Sue Sylvester were pretty funny
-Why did the author keep calling "Puck", "Puck Puckerman." It's Noah Puckerman or just Puck, it's not both, this author is not even a real gleek!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glee: The Beginning is a short, fun read chronicling the events of McKinley High before Mr Schuester takes over Glee Club. The book starts off with Rachel Berry, resident over-achiever and know-it-all, being asked by Kurt to join Glee. After much deliberation, Rachel agrees to join, and the rest of the novel concentrates on the difficulties the members of the Glee Club have trying to avoid humiliation and gain acceptance from their peers and the “popular crowd”. Along the way, slushies are tossed, new relationships are forged, the importance of teamwork is explored and the Glee members even start to realise that maybe Rachel isn’t as annoying as she first comes across.

I really liked Glee: The Beginning because in this book, we get to learn more about our favourite characters from the TV series. Every wondered why Rachel is so determined? How long Kurt and Mercedes have been friends? How Puck really feels about Quinn? All these questions and more are answered in this prequel, and we get to see Glee Club at its first stages; where confidence is practically non-existent and motivation is just a ten letter word. It’s also great to see how the Glee Club start to improve and the members start to believe in themselves, and how Rachel begins to see Finn in a new light. We get to discover more about each main character in the series, helping us to understand why they do the things they do.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something quick and enjoyable, and for all Glee fans, this is a must read!

Special thanks to Bookbabblers and Headline.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Promising premise but the writing style got on my nerves.

DNF at page 55.

[Meggie Moo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The website that I got the book off of didn’t have the full thing(it had most of it but lacked the ending) and tbh I’m not going to do looking for it 🤨

Why, why was it so horny??? 😭😭😭

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basic writing and contained everything I hate about Glee then magnified it - I can't bloody stand Rachel, Quinn, or Finn and yet there they are with the book's focus firmly on them; as usual, the minority characters are more after thoughts - they don't even get to be on the front cover or on any of the giveaway posters! Plus, everything in the book contradicts how the Glee Club actually started as seen in the pilot - and last time I checked, the pilot was still bloody canon. Even the most hardcore Glee fans would do best to read this with lowered expectations. I will certainly not be reading the follow up books to this.

[Olivia Embry]

not good

[Zooey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can be very short about this one: it was awful. It doesn't often happen to me that I feel the urge to get myself a toy gun that looks awfully real and then fly over to the author and threaten her to take her hands off of the computer and keep them where I can see them. But now I really did, while I'm actually very anti-violent!

This book just completely missed its point to me. Obviously a tie-in book does not equal high quality literature, but this...?! I think there might be better fanfiction posted online. This book is very easy on the grammar and the construction of its sentences. It's a book you can finish in an hour and a half, because there's nothing that you need to think about or reread. I guess it's great for primary school children, but for young adults, not so much. At least, not if they expect to find anything good.

I do enjoy the show, but I'm not madly in love with it. Yet, I recognise some inconsistencies in the book which I have not been able to shrug off like with Bones Buried Deep. Anyway, everything just seems to be a bit overdone. Quinn is a lot meaner than she is on the show, Finn is dumber, Mercedes is more clueless... It all just rubbed me the wrong way.

The story of the book is basically how the Glee club came to be the Glee club before the show started. The Glee kids are living towards a homecoming dance and are preparing a song, Tina is also preparing decorations, Quinn is torn between her feelings for Finn and Puck... Yeah, that would be about it.

Nothing really surprising happened, which is logical because it could disrupt the link to the tv show if it did. To me, the book was really boring. Also, Glee is just not glee without the music. Songs are mentioned, but the magic just isn't there.

I think that Lowell tried her absolute best to capture the characters, make them funny and sound like teenagers. Sadly, she failed in all these three departments. It was overdone. For her next book, I suggest she tries a little less hard on writing them like monkeys and works on making them more human.

Also, the book itself is just not worth the money. In my copy, there are as many blank pages as there are printed ones! I can't believe this actually got published. Did all the shops suddenly run out of coasters?

~Zooey Iding

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny bought these for the kids series section and I offered to read it to see if it was appropriate for our fifth grade and under collection. I'm pretty iffy on that.

Reading for myself, I was really, really bugged when things didn't match up to the show. How hard would it have been to watch the first two or three episodes before writing this? It's not a huge time drain, okay? Here, the club was Kurt, Mercedes, Artie and Tina until Kurt invited Rachel. But we saw Sandy feeling up the one guy, and Rachel auditioned to get in after Mr Schue took over. Finn dumped Kurt into the dumpster several times, he wouldn't think of him as "the poor kid Puck threw in the dumpsters." I never got the impression that Puck and Quinn had been having a "secret romance" that she didn't pursue because Finn was more appropriate and that she regretted that, but eh, I guess it could work. Mercedes didn't crush on Kurt until the cheerleaders nudged her because she seemed to have a pretty good idea that he was gay, so that subplot here made me roll my eyes a little. But the really big timeline issues were with Rachel and the club itself.

The relationships and history bits were cool. Mercedes and Kurt being best friends for years, and singing a duet at their 8th grade graduation. Meeting Rachel's parents, Hiram and Leroy, as they went out for their 19th anniversary. Artie not being a jerk. Kurt crushing on all the pretty boys. I also loved that Kurt's outfits were lovingly detailed, because they are fun.

Decent enough tie-in, pretty purple writing, annoying continuity errors, not really appropriate for the 10 and under crowd. (Which is pretty unsurprising, I guess. *g*)

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the record, this doesn't suck. As tie-in novels go, it's actually a rather pleasant experience, with a little more heart than usual. You just have to resign yourself to the fact that publishers of tie-in novels are afraid of writers who connect with character emotions like actors instead of script writers. I don't know how well it works as a canon-launching prequel, but if you try to think of it as a typical cotton candy/fluff YA novel, it succeeds in that respect. I am always casting YA novels with Glee characters - here that's done for me.

The worst part is the Puck/Quinn garbage, which I have mostly repressed from memory and which literally turned my stomach so much I had to start skipping passages. None of the love square is particularly appealing, really; Rachel's blind mania is dialed up to 11 and she seems extra cartoonish, which is probably accurate for season 1 but still hard to take at this point in time. And Quinn was still two or three episodes away from being lovable in the pilot; it's fair but not comforting to say she's less dimensional here.

The rest is surprisingly decent. There is freakishly adorable stuff with Kurt and Mercedes (including the beginnings of her crush, aw!), along with some accurate-sounding references to pre-series Burt, and liberal playtime for a shy mutual crush between Tina and Artie that I don't think is unreasonable to believe. The author is dead on in describing Emma (who is way less aggravating on paper), and Mr. Schuester's admittedly cameo appearances are rather nice as well.

[may · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I received this book I wasn't really sure what to expect. I loved the TV series but I've never really been a big fan of tie-in books. This one luckily is a bit different. It's actually an original novel so what happens in it is separate to the content of the television shows. The book also takes place before the Glee series so you really get to know all of the characters well.

There are lots of things I liked about this book but in particular I liked the way Lowell presented the Glee kids we all know and love. They are portrayed in the same way as on the show but in the book they have more depth and I loved reading what they were thinking - something that you cannot do easily on TV. My favourite characters have to be the protagonists Rachel, Finn, Puck and Quinn although I do think they're all very likeable.

Rachel makes me laugh and I like the way Lowell lets her do the morning daily announcements at McKinley High because it really was very funny. She has a lot of courage and although she can be irritating at times she does prove that no one should get you down or tell you you're not good enough - something a lot of us could learn. There is lots of singing, sabotage and the odd slushie and together they have produced a really fun, fast paced story.

[Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having enjoyed watching Glee from the first series I thought I'd give The Beginning a try.

I was left extremely disappointed. The characters retained their flaws but lost all of their redeeming qualities. I find the t.v versions of Rachel, Puck and co. endearing despite their idiosyncratic ways, their book counterparts however were just obnoxious and unlikable.

The book was scattered with references to Puck's dubious pool cleaning business, cougars, M.I.L.Fs and other subjects unsuitable for younger readers.

The writing style left a lot to be desired as did the story.

There were multiple discrepancies from the t.v show, Quinn being depicted as shorter than Rachel on the cover art being a most obvious one.

This book is only really suitable for ages 14+ due to references of a more mature nature that I'd deem unsuitable for younger minds.

I will not be purchasing the next volume in the series and have not given shelf space to The Beginning, having re-homed it to someone who will hopefully get something from it though I fail to see what it has to offer.

[kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but I'm a total Gleek. Not sure how much you'd enjoy it if you aren't a fan of the show. Since I know the characters, I think the author has their voices, mannerisms and personalities down very well.
This is sort of a prequel to teh show. It tells how the various Glee members met up and how Finn's baby came to be, although you have to read between the lines to know what happened. It's g-rated which is nice.
It's not a really compelling read, not a page-turner, but that could be because I already know how it ends or how the series begins, whichever way you want to look at it.
A fun read.

[Kenya Bautista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Franlin McKinley High Schools Glee Club was never really "popular". After Rachel and Finn Hudson join everyone seems to follow into their category. Quinn and Finn are in love but it isn't until Finn find out the secret Quinn and Puck have. Join this showmance and be prepared for some romantic drama.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been rewatching Glee at the gym and thought why not try this book. I should have avoided it. It read like bad fanfiction. Do not recommend.

[Eliška Herůfková · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taková milá zpátečka do začátků Glee, kdy ještě cesty všech byly na úplném začátku😌

[Katie Layton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simultaneously 1 star and 5 stars

[Makayla Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response
Personally, I thought that The Beginning was a pretty good book. I do not think that it was as good as the TV show, but it was still pretty good. I really did not like Quinn because she was cheating on Finn and that is not a good thing to do. I also did not like Sue Sylvester because she was mean to everybody. My favorite character was Mercedes because she was really funny. Overall, this was a pretty good book, but it was not as good as the TV show.

Plot Summary
The Beginning starts off with Rachel Berry telling Principal Figgins that she wants to start reading the morning announcements every day. Principal Figgins lets her, so she starts doing that. Rachel makes the morning announcements more interesting because she sings a song during the announcements. The only bad thing is that everybody hates Rachel Berry. Everyone hates her because she is so full of herself and thinks that she is the best, so nobody listens to her while she is doing the announcements, except Kurt. Kurt thinks that Rachel is a pretty good singer, so he decides to invite her to the Glee club. Rachel shows up at Glee club and immediately starts taking control. She just does everything that she can to make the Glee club better and also make sure that she is the star of the show. Then, everyone in Glee club gets mad at Kurt because they do not like how Rachel is taking control. One day, Rachel is singing in the auditorium and Finn, the star quarterback, hears her. Finn tells Rachel that she is amazing, so now Rachel is super happy because she is madly in love with Finn and he just talked to her. Sadly for Rachel, Finn already has a thing going with Quinn, the head cheerleader. What Finn does not know is that Quinn is kind of cheating on Finn with Puck, even though Finn and Quinn are not actually official. Then, Tina starts helping the Cheerios with decorating for the homecoming dance because homecoming is coming up. the Cheerios do not like that Tina is helping with the decorations, so they give her a fog machine that is broken. They tell her that it would be great for the performance that the Glee club has coming up. The Glee club uses it for their performance and it ruined everything. The whole room gets filled with fog and Rachel gets really mad at Tina. The Cheerios did a terrible job on the decorations for the dance, but Tina fixed it and made everything look pretty. You see, Quinn really wants to win homecoming queen, but she forced people to pay one dollar to vote for homecoming king and queen. Nobody buys any votes, except for the girls that think Quinn is a goddess. Quinn is automatically going to win homecoming queen and sure enough, she does. Quinn and Finn win homecoming king and queen and the Glee club performs at the homecoming dance. Quinn is super mad because she thinks that the Glee club ruined her night because their performance was amazing. Then, the Glee club forgives each other and they all have a great time at the dance.

Recommendation
I would recommend The Beginning to anybody that loves movies or TV shows with singing in it. I would recommend this book to them because this whole book is about singing. I would also recommend this book to people that love to read about drama because The Beginning has a lot of drama in it. Even though Hannah Timm has already read this book, I would still recommend it to her because I know that she loves the TV show. The Beginning is the perfect book for people that love musicals with drama in it.

[hals! · Rating 2 out of 5]

read this for giggles after seeing it at a thrift story, felt like bad fanfic for sure kinda hilarious rlly if you were a gleek

[Fernanda Siufi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt nostalgic

[Adriana (Bailey) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Začiatok Glee trochu inak.
Príjemný doplnok pre fanúšikov seriálu, no príbeh sám o sebe za veľa nestojí.

[Dewi Masna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku yang menarik, menceritakan kisah siswa siswi Mc Kinley High yang penuh warna. Rachel, seorang siswi yang pintar, energik, berbakat menyanyi, dan berpenampilan aneh. Quinn fabray, ketua tim cherio yang sangat cantik dan berambut pirang. Finn Hudson, quaterback tim futbol sekolah yang sangat tampan, dan diprediksi akan menjadi pasangan yang serasi quinn fabray. Di Mc Kinley High School siswa siswinya berkelompok berdasarkan kepopuleran. Anak-anak anggota tim futbol dan chearleader sekolah adalah anak-anak kelas atas dan terpopuler yang bisa melakukan apa saja kepada anak-anak yang tidak populer. Rachel yang terlalu pintar malah dijauhi teman-temannya dan dianggap aneh karena sikapnya yang selalu mau menang sendiri dan terlalu bersemangat.

Rachel yang sering disiram slushie oleh para pemain futbol dan anggota cheerio, ingin pindah ke sekolah seni favorit, agar bakat menyanyinya makin berkembang. Di Mc kinley, dia merasa bakatnya tidak berkembang dan sia-sia. Tapi keputusannya berubah setelah dia mempunyai kesempatan berbincang dengan Finn Hudson, cowok yang bisa menggetarkan hatinya. Atas ajakan Kurt, rachel memutuskan bergabung dengan klub glee, yang beranggotakan empat orang berbakat. Kurt, cowok modis bersuara bagus yang sangat memperhatikan penampilan tapi dianggap aneh oleh anak-anak lain, dan sering dikerjai oleh pemain futbol sekolah. Mercedes, cewek Afrika Amerika yang bersuara emas, menjadi penyanyi utama klub glee. Tina, cewek Asia Amerika yang cantik namun berpenampilan gothic dan bersuara emas serta pintar menggambar. Artie, yang juga bersuara emas tapi harus duduk di atas kursi rodanya. Empat orang yang bersuara emas tapi dikucilkan dari pergaulan dan dianggap aneh. Rachel memutuskan bergabung dengan mereka, dan membuat klub glee bersinar.

Untuk mewujudkan semua keinginan itu, banyak rintangan yang harus dilalui Rachel. Sementara itu, Quinn, yang diprediksi akan menjadi pasangan raja dan ratu homecoming di pesta dansa sekolah bersama finn, malah merasakan ketertarikan tersendiri dengan Puck, teman Finn anggota tim futbol sekolah. Puck berpredikat playboy dan terkenal sebagai siswa yang jahil dan nakal, tapi seksi. Quinn memang menyukai Puck, tapi dia tidak mungkin menjalin hubungan terang-terangan dengannya, karena predikat Puck yang tidak baik, akan merusak citranya sebagai siswa teladan dan menggagalkan impiannya untuk menjadi ratu homecoming. Jadi, Quinn dan Puck, hanya melajukan beberapa kali pertemuan rahasia. Finn Hudson, pacar Quinn Fabray ternyata malah sering mengalami "momen" khusus dengan Rachel. Penampilan klub glee di acara resital sekolah yang sudah dipersiapkan matang malah digagalkan oleh Santana angoota cherio dengan mesin asap tua. Akhirnya anak-anak klub glee membenci ide Rachel yang membuat mereka dipermalukan di depan seluruh sekolah. Tapi Rachel pantang menyerah, dia mempunyai ide untuk tampil di pesta dansa sekolah, dan idenya itu berhasil. Penampilan mereka di pesta dansa sekolah membuat anak-anak klub glee mulai dikenal banyak siswa lain dan mendapatkan dana dari sekolah.

Cerita anak remaja yang menyegarkan, dengan bahasa yang menarik dan mudah dipahami. Pilihan tepat sebagai pengisi waktu luang.

[Lyndsey O'Halloran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a massive fan on Glee since it first started so I was both curious and excited to see how it would be transferred into a book and prequel. There was a lot of good reviews for it on Twitter so I was starting to think that it was done really well. I was unfortunately left not completely loving it though.

Glee: The Beginning really accentuates the personalities of the main characters and because of this, I could imagine them as they are on the TV show. I liked being able to picture each character in my head and after watching them for so long, their antics in the book fit really well with how I would have imagined them to behave. Rachel's quirky personality and eagerness to become a star came across really well and I loved some of the things she did to try and get herself better known in the school. I do wish Sue had made a few more appearances though because she was just as funny and mean in this story and I loved seeing that she has never really changed.

One of the most interesting things about this book for me was learning about certain events that have only been hinted at so far throughout season 1. I finally got to know what Rachel's two Dads are called and the kind of friendship that Mercedes and Kurt had. The best part of Glee: The Beginning was finding out how Quinn and Puck's affair started and when Rachel began to notice Finn. I really saw a different side to all four of these characters because of this and it just made me love Puck even more.

My biggest problem with the plot was that certain things didn't match up with the timeline of the TV series. For instance, Rachel had to audition before Mr Schuster for her place in Glee Club in the pilot episode but in the book, Kurt speaks to her about being in Glee and is already a member by the end. The first thing that really stood out to me though was the use of Usher's recent song OMG. Considering that the book is set before the TV series I would have thought that older songs would have been used to keep the timeframe of the book in line with the TV series. Another thing was their first performance. I loved their first performance of Push It on TV but again, this didn't match up with what was in the book. The inconsistencies aren't all of the way throughout the story but some were big enough for me to take a lot of notice of.

Glee: The Beginning is a fun book and a quick and easy read. No, I didn't love it but there were still some really good things about it. I think I will still read any other Glee books that are brought out just to find out some of the interesting going ons but I doubt I would buy them myself.

[Victoria Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on My Books Are Me ​

As a fan of Glee, I've had this book sitting on my bookshelf for far too long, and I finally got round to picking it up. It's a quick read that's ideal for Glee fans, experiencing these characters through a different medium.

Following the life of our favourite McKinley High students before Glee kicked off, this book follows each of the major characters during the first few weeks of the new school year. Rachel is determined to let her star shine on the unappreciative McKinley, taking over the morning announcements. It's here that Kurt discovers she can sing, and invites her to Glee Club. With the music recital coming up, the Glee kids are hoping to wow the crowd, and maybe gain a few more members. But they butt heads with Rachel's 'help'. Meanwhile, Quinn is torn between Puck and Finn - Finn is safe and the king of school, while Puck is dangerous and makes Quinn want to throw away her celibacy vow. Can she force herself to ignore Puck's advances before anyone notices she's into him? And Mr. Schuster is idly moving through life, board with teaching high school Spanish, but his lost love for Glee Club is about to come back to him.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to be back with these characters (whom I haven't been with for a few years) and get a glimpse of life before the cameras started rolling at McKinley. The overall story wasn't anything new, with the majority of the plot covering things that have been mentioned on the show. That's not to say that there weren't new events to watch unfold, and these made for a fun read.

I did, however, find the writing style to be annoying at times, although I can't really put my finger on the why. Some parts of the story also dragged a bit, with a lot of information dumping taking place. Every detail was something we have learned from watching the show, but a lot of it wasn't necessary to the story. It wasn't until the end that I really felt like something interesting was happening, and I kind of wish that we had more of the events that took place after the final page, because that's when things were interesting.

Overall, if you are a fan of Glee, definitely give this book and series a whirl. It's different from the show and you will find enjoyment and nostalgia from reading the books. If you aren't a fan of the show, I feel like you wouldn't enjoy this book as much. Although for the most part I was a bit iffy about this book, I am going to continue on with the next two books - they are fun and quick reads and I am a major Gleek!

[Hannah Timm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response
I was ecstatic when I found out there was a Glee book series. I was afraid, however, that the book was just going to copy the television series, but it did not. I loved how the author came up with a new story. In a way, it was like another episode of glee. Reliving through the glee club memories with the characters and yet having it be a new story is amazing. I like knowing the character's thoughts on the situations, it’s hard to do that with actors in a television series. The book answered a lot of my questions from season 1 of glee and that is my favorite part about it. I am happy with how the The Beginning played out.

Plot Summary
The Beginning is a prequel to the Glee television series. Rachel Berry wants to be a star. To make her name known at her high school she says the morning announcements and finishes with a song. Nobody in the school likes Rachel Berry. Rachel notices Finn Hudson but she can’t have because he is dating head cheerleader Quinn Fabray. However, unknown to Finn, Quinn is being randevued with by his best friend, Puck. Rachel is eventually recruited to the losers of the school, glee club. She thinks she is better than everyone and the club continues to sprawl downwards. The Spanish teacher at McKinley high notices this and wants to help out and teach glee club and his wife does not like this.
During homecoming, the Cheerios are in charge of getting everything prepped and it’s not working out for them. They are charging for king and queen votes which get boycotted and the dance decorations are terrible. Luckily Tina, a member of glee club, saves the day with her creative decorations. Glee club is finally coming together. They perform at the homecoming dance. Quinn and Finn where voted the cutest couple, even though Puck wanted to go with her. Mercedes Jones has feelings for Kurt Hummel who does not feel the same. Through all the chaos, the Glee club performs a brilliant performance at homecoming and are just starting their adventures as the New Directions.

Recommendation
If you a proud gleek I highly recommend this book. You should at least know what glee is before reading this book. They make references to the television series without overly explaining it so for it to make sense watch glee. If in search a good, fanfiction read, go to this first book of a glee series. I would recommend this book to all those fellow gleeks out there.

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really not expecting great literature when it comes to a novel based on the series Glee, but I at least expect it to fit in with the continuity of the show (although I guess it could be argued that this author is being as wildly inconsistent with plot and characterisation as the screenwriters). What you have here are blatant canonical facts being overlooked here such as Sandy Ryerson running the Glee club before Schue takes over - Ryerson is nowhere to be seen, and therefore the huge plot development where Rachel gets him fired thus opening up the position for Will is totally ignored. Mercedes has a huge crush on Kurt, even though it wasn't until the second or third episode into the series that she even developed feelings for him at the behest of some Cheerio shenanigans. It also seems like Artie and Tina are more of a couple here than they were in the series. For something that is 'the beginning', it sure is playing very loosely with the facts. And let's not overlook the trite tropes used which makes this little more than legal fanfiction - Puck's mouth (and breath) tastes like chocolate, and his body has a smell that is totally undescribable it is so unique and "Puck-like". Wow, I think I've seen that in every fanfic in every fandom.

That's not to say there aren't some funny moments, particularly one where a Cheerio-sabotaged fog machine causes Kurt to go blind and fall into an orchestra pit - if it weren't for the inconsistencies and gag-inducing tropes it would be a pleasant little couple of hours to fill your time with.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a total "Gleek," and I have been in love with the show since the very first episode. I'll spare you the details. But of course, I had to read the Glee book that answers my burning questions about what happened before the t.v. show kicked off, such as what grades the main characters are in, and how did Puck and Quinn wind up in bed together? I have a life, just not on Tuesdays.

Anyways, the book is true to form, right down to Sue Sylvester's hilariously-vile comments, Finn's adorable naivety, Rachel's incredibly self-involved attitude, and Kurt's sense of style. I also appreciated that the book helped me to better appreciate Artie's and Tina's characters, as I got to see how they interacted with each other and the thoughts that went through their heads. Tina apparently has an artistic side that comes out in the novel. I also got to see more of the difficulty that Artie deals with daily using a wheelchair. All of the other familiar characters make appearances, as well, such as Miss Emma Pillsbury, Will Schuester, and even sweaty Jacob.

The only thing I was really missing while reading the novel was the lack of music and singing. The characters did "sing" and "dance" to particular songs, but it helps to take advantage of Youtube if you want to have the full experience.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not a Gleek anymore but I have been for the first 1 1/2 seasons. Ever since the second half of season 2 it slowly but surely turned from love into love hate thanks to screenplays that got worse and worse.
This book is a disaster that shows that overtime money was more important thn a good storyline. Save your money and buy a good book instead! I, for my part, am happy I got it from the public libary and did not buy it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horribly written piece of fan fiction that managed to get published. The book ignores or changes canon, and all the characters are at least slightly OOC; and this is the opinion of someone who only watches Glee every so often.