477 reviews for:

Where You End

Abbott Kahler

3.18 AVERAGE

taylorhathcock's profile picture

taylorhathcock's review

3.0

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed reading this one. I wanted like one of those thrillers that has you on the edge of your seat and I don't think this gave me what I wanted. In fact, I am pretty sure I put this one down like four times to read something else. I managed to get through it and it felt like it took forever. Over 90 percent of the book has absolutely nothing of interest happening. We find out that Kat was in an accident and then Jude begins to tell her about their past. You can tell pretty early on that Jude isn't telling the truth completely. 
 Kat ends up in this relationship where she is being violent and this dude is just like oh yeah it's fine. I like how weird you are. I honestly got annoyed with this part because it really took up a lot of the story for no reason. It felt like the story dragged on to be honest. It took Kat a long time to start to suspect Jude might not be telling the truth despite all the evidence that she was clearly lying to her. Eventually when she learns Jude has lied she takes off to uncover the truth for herself; which considering she has absolutely no memory of anything doesn't seem safe. 
 At the same time most of Jude's POV is giving us insight into the past and what happened in the years before the accident. The story of them starts at like eleven and we learn about this enviroment that they are put into that is kind of cultish and which led to some severe psychological trauma for them. Jude's POV eventually ends up in the present and we see her trying to fix things with Kat. Kat learns the truth of what happened to them and the night of her accident. I have to admit that this was supposed to be some big reveal but it honestly it was exactly what you would have suspected. 
 Overall I just felt like the pacing was off in this one. It did pick up speed at the last like 10 percent, but then it rushed the important parts and drug out the one's that weren't as important. I just felt extremely disappointed with this one. It had a lot of potential but it fell flat. It wasn't super engaging and I honestly considered not finishing the story. It also felt kind of light on the psychological thriller part for most of the book. However, it isn't terrible. It was just not something I enjoyed. 
kristy_k's profile picture

kristy_k's review

3.25
adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was different than what I thought it’d be going into it, but I still enjoyed it.

Kat wakes up from a coma with no knowledge of her past or who she is. The only thing she remembers is her twin, Jude, who is sitting beside her. As Jude helps Kat fill in the blanks of her past, things begin not to add up and Kat questions what is real.

Jude and her sister escaped from a cult and while she has to relive that trauma, she does what she can to prevent Kat from having to. Jude’s chapters are told about the past, and as the disturbing details come to light, you can see why she wanted to keep it from Kat. However, since we get the present (1983) told from Kat’s point of view, as a reader you will also begin to question what is the truth. There are times the author played into the “twins are creepy” stereotype and I’m left unsure if it was effective or unnecessary.

I think the setting was perfect for this book: 1970-1983 Pennsylvania. The era lends authenticity to the story and makes what happened believable for that time.

At the end, everything comes to a head, and we are left with the truth about Kat and Jude’s world and who they are. There were definitely things I didn’t see coming, but I was also left with questions.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
peguevara's profile picture

peguevara's review

3.0
dark slow-paced

This is a story about a set of mirror twins that alternates between the present and the past. In the present, Kat, a new of the twins, loses her memory after a car accident. Her sister, Jude, begins to fill in the missing pieces from her life, however, not all is as it seems. 

This book was a bit slower paced than I had hoped. The writing style is also a bit different than I’m used to as well. The premise was intriguing and I was drawn into the story as it unfolded.
zoetic's profile picture

zoetic's review

4.0

Where You End is quite different from my usual reads. My attention was held from start to finish. The author had a way of providing just enough information to keep my want for answers deliberately taunted and fixated. The story is told in dual perspective and broken timeline. The writing style was easy to get into and had an agreeable reading rhythm. The relationship between Jude and Kat felt genuine. The plot of Where You End was steady and unnerving. The conclusion was satisfying.

Some aspects of the story did not work for me due to my own personal tastes and opinions and what I do or do not enjoy in my entertainment.

Overall, Where You End was very well written, and I am satisfied with the time I afforded in reading it. I would recommend Where You End to readers who enjoy adult psychology thrillers about cults and revenge and thrillers featuring siblings and/or twins as the main characters.

Content Guide: Grief, Sexual Content, Violence, Abuse

Potential Spoiler: There are potential triggering events in the story, such as but not excluded to very inappropriate pictures taken of brainwashed and abused minors, which are mass produced and shared amongst horrendous people.

I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy [Uncorrected Proof] through Macmillan Publishing. I give my honest review voluntarily. My review is my own thoughts and opinion; my experience in reading this story.
receptively_reviewed's profile picture

receptively_reviewed's review

4.0

You will doubt all existence when you pick up this psychological thriller. It reminds me of Black Swan. So cunning, beautiful, articulate and fast. I did not want this book to end and before you know it, after goosebumps and a few cold chills, it ended, leaving me wanting more. And that's where it ended.
ali_slavin's profile picture

ali_slavin's review

3.0

Although an intriguing premise, I found that I was confused for much of this story. The beginning definitely grabbed my attention, but the majority of the middle was disjointed and there were a lot of threads that ended up being irrelevant. Normally I am totally game for cults, amnesia, and twin-related thrillers, but this one didn't work for me.
jenn_magoo's profile picture

jenn_magoo's review

2.75
dark emotional tense slow-paced

It took me a bit to get into this, but I went in totally blind and I suggest that you do the same.  It took me awhile to get through this book.  I would consider this more of a literary fiction than a thriller. It sounded very intriguing but could not keep my attention, just a bit slow for my liking.  I would still suggest giving it a try if you like the twin trope, and cultish books.  2.5 stars Thank you to Abbott Kahler, Henry Holt, and NetGalley  for the copy of this e-arc. 
mbt1963's profile picture

mbt1963's review

2.5
dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark mysterious slow-paced

Where You End follows Kat as she wakes from a coma, the only person that knows her mind is her mirror twin sister, Jude. As Kat grapples with her new reality and remaking her memory from amnesia, Jude fills in the blanks. Slowly Kat begins to question the authenticity of Jude’s stories upon learning a large part of their past. 

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book but it was rather dull and slow, I didn’t connect to it. The cult aspect was a little lacking and the twin language just bad, however I liked the eerie atmosphere and the 80s setting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Company for an early copy to review. 
challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This read had so much of everything for me. The amnesia trope is one that I find to be more and more heavily used in mystey/thriller fiction. So much so that it can be hard to write it well, nowadays. But Abbot Kahler managed to do just that. 
Jude and Kat are two very compelling voices within story that is very compelling. Did I find myself thinking about this book while I wasn't reading it? No, I didn't. But I couldn't stop turning page after page while reading. It was riveting, I was deadset on finding out what happened next, what twist, what turn. 
I wouldn't say this book had a huge plot twist, you can really see it coming as the story develops but it's done well. 
Overall a very solid read.