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asuresh's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, Incest, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Rape, Abandonment, Death, Body horror, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Mental illness, Stalking, Torture, and Violence
woodsybookworm's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
🪢Where I End🪢
"After the freedom of sleep, I am once more confined to my life"
I was warned this would be unsettling, nonetheless I read on.
Where I End follows Aoileann, a young woman who assists her paternal grandmother in caring for Aoileann's invalid mother - whom she has nicknamed the 'bed-thing'. Aoileann has completely disassociated herself from her mother's condition and turned her into an object or as she says, 'a relic of a human', 'a nuisance', 'a chore'.
When a young artist in residence named Rachel arrives with her newborn child, Aoileann finds herself infatuated. Aoileann begins stalking Rachel, sneaking into her house at night, dreaming of a life with her - without the bed-thing and the baby to hold them back. Her desire for human connection, lacking in her own family, has created a monster within herself that even the townspeople fear.
Sophie White made the mundane aspects of everyday life, of caring for a family member who cannot care for themselves, into an absolutely unnerving nightmare.
Even considering all this, the book was a slow read for me and there were a few points I almost DNFed due to boredom and frustration. While I will not be getting the imagery of this book out of my head, I still didn't find it an enjoyable enough read to come back to or possibly even recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Self harm, Chronic illness, Excrement, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Stalking
blurjay's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a brutal and cruel story of love, motherhood, and belonging, but oh so mesmerizing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Self harm, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror
Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Suicide attempt, and Rape
flowingleaves's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
5.0
Jesus fucking christ. Mind the warnings. This book is cruel and it goes places I didn't want it to go. I'm not quite sure if Aoileann is just that much of an unreliable narrator or if every single person in this story apart from Rachel are all just that horrible.
Fantastic story, I loved it, it made me want to throw up.
Fantastic story, I loved it, it made me want to throw up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Stalking, Body horror, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Child death, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Excrement, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
whirl's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Dark, gruesome and extremely sad
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child death, Death, Confinement, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Vomit
wordsofclover's review
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
amys_hygge_reads's review
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: Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Chronic illness, Child death, Death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Grief, Torture, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
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