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thebristolreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
wordsofclover's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Aoileann is a solitary figure - ignored and shunned by the other inhabitants of the Irish island she lives on, she spends her days in a dark, lonely house with her grandmother - the two of them looking after the 'bed thing' that is Aoileann's mother. When a young mother arrives to the island, Aoileann develops a scary obsession with the woman and a growing resentment towards the child.
This book is fantastic in creepy setting and horrific situations, that are desperately sad and brutal all at the same time. The isolated island life, especially experienced through someone even further ostracised, was done so well and there were times I didn't know whether to hate the islanders for their ways or pity them.
Aoileann was honestly a scary character - she had been through so much, clearly she was deficient on the social front and had no idea how to interact with others or form normal attachment, and then she also had been the victim of assault from the island men. And then to live in a house that is more or less a prison on top of all of that. It's no wonder the beauty, simplicity and charm of Rachel obsessed her to the point of dangerous behaviour.
I do think this book may be a hard read for people who are family carers, and therefore I wouldn't recommend it to these people. There are some moments in this that made me so uncomfortable due to the way Aoileann and her grandmother treated her mother - they kept her as comfortable as possible, and cared for her in the way they knew how but there were moments that made you truly wonder if she was trapped in a terrible silent prison of her own self. And as Aoileann's obsession deepens, her behaviour towards her mother becomes more resentful and cruel.
I can't say I loved this novel as there were times I felt I had to look away due to those uncomfortable moments and the creepy feeling while reading the book as Aoileann became further out of reach from normality. But in terms of atmosphere it was top notch and for people who like literary horror, books with chilling senstions, this could be perfect.
This book is fantastic in creepy setting and horrific situations, that are desperately sad and brutal all at the same time. The isolated island life, especially experienced through someone even further ostracised, was done so well and there were times I didn't know whether to hate the islanders for their ways or pity them.
Aoileann was honestly a scary character - she had been through so much, clearly she was deficient on the social front and had no idea how to interact with others or form normal attachment, and then she also had been the victim of assault from the island men. And then to live in a house that is more or less a prison on top of all of that. It's no wonder the beauty, simplicity and charm of Rachel obsessed her to the point of dangerous behaviour.
I do think this book may be a hard read for people who are family carers, and therefore I wouldn't recommend it to these people. There are some moments in this that made me so uncomfortable due to the way Aoileann and her grandmother treated her mother - they kept her as comfortable as possible, and cared for her in the way they knew how but there were moments that made you truly wonder if she was trapped in a terrible silent prison of her own self. And as Aoileann's obsession deepens, her behaviour towards her mother becomes more resentful and cruel.
I can't say I loved this novel as there were times I felt I had to look away due to those uncomfortable moments and the creepy feeling while reading the book as Aoileann became further out of reach from normality. But in terms of atmosphere it was top notch and for people who like literary horror, books with chilling senstions, this could be perfect.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Body horror
nplunkie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Excrement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse and Pregnancy
amys_hygge_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I did not enjoy this book, but I did love it. Although saying I love it feels very wrong.. Where I End is Sophie White’s first entry into horror, and it’s honestly the perfect match.
Set in a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, we are introduced to nineteen year old Aoileann and her family. Aoileann did not have a happy and loving upbringing. She remained at home with her paternal grandmother to care for her mother, while her father visited only occasionally. The other islanders are deeply suspicious people, who want nothing to do with the family on the edge of the island. They are separated from the rest of the world, and Aoileann never knows why. However, when an artist, Rachel, moves to the island from the mainland with her newborn baby, Aoileann experiences a connection for perhaps the first time. But how will her upbringing affect this relationship, and the world that she currently knows?
The descriptions of the island set the eerie back drop for an extremely difficult read. Sophie handled complex topics in such a beautiful, creepy and chilling way. Where I End examines the extent of how cruel humanity can be, while balancing the question of are we products of our own environments? I was uncomfortable and repulsed for the majority of this read, but equally could not put it down. Not the lightest note to start of the new year with, but one I would highly recommend.
Honestly, if you are considering reading this book, I would strongly advise you to check in with yourself first. The book comes with so many content warnings. This is not a light read, or one to start if you do not have the head space for.
Set in a fictional island off the coast of Ireland, we are introduced to nineteen year old Aoileann and her family. Aoileann did not have a happy and loving upbringing. She remained at home with her paternal grandmother to care for her mother, while her father visited only occasionally. The other islanders are deeply suspicious people, who want nothing to do with the family on the edge of the island. They are separated from the rest of the world, and Aoileann never knows why. However, when an artist, Rachel, moves to the island from the mainland with her newborn baby, Aoileann experiences a connection for perhaps the first time. But how will her upbringing affect this relationship, and the world that she currently knows?
The descriptions of the island set the eerie back drop for an extremely difficult read. Sophie handled complex topics in such a beautiful, creepy and chilling way. Where I End examines the extent of how cruel humanity can be, while balancing the question of are we products of our own environments? I was uncomfortable and repulsed for the majority of this read, but equally could not put it down. Not the lightest note to start of the new year with, but one I would highly recommend.
Honestly, if you are considering reading this book, I would strongly advise you to check in with yourself first. The book comes with so many content warnings. This is not a light read, or one to start if you do not have the head space for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
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