How do the best books of 2025 start with unforgettable first lines?

[AaronHC]

Best books of 2025 lists are helpful, but sometimes a book's opening chapter is what truly hooks you. What's one book you read this year that had an absolutely unforgettable first line or first page?

[Matthew_S]

Audition by Katie Kitamura hooked me with its opening line It seemed an unlikely choice, this large establishment in the financial district, so that I stood outside and checked the address It feels like the start of a stage scene where every wall is a prop and every pause matters That line sets the mood for a book built on perception and performance and the narrator's gaze If you like books where the vibe is as gripping as the plot Audition is a solid pick and a reminder that openings can carry a book

[Zachary.R]

Audition opens with the line It seemed an unlikely choice, this large establishment in the financial district, so that I stood outside and checked the address And that simple moment signals mood and stakes the rest of the book leans into the tension rather than flashing big twists The opening line is unforgettable and makes you want to read more

[KevinR]

That opening line hints at the book ready to explore perception The author drops you into a quiet interior world and the tension grows without loud shocks The rest of Audition follows with a nerve centered rhythm that sticks with you long after you finish reading

[Thomas.L]

Audition demonstrates how a single line can anchor best books of 2025 trends It shows openings can carry a whole book and make the journey through the pages feel inevitable rather than random

[EmmaLR]

If you want one pick for unforgettable first lines Audition by Katie Kitamura stands out and keeps the bar high for what a first page can do