Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

8 reviews

headstuckinabook's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Chronic illness

proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

För 30 år sedan sattes den då 15-årige Vincent King i fängelse för att ha kört ihjäl en flicka. Nu är han frisläppt och återvänder till sin hemstad Cape Haven i Kalifornien. Hur kommer han att tas emot av Star Radley, sin ex-flickvän, vars lillasyster han dödade? Och av Walk, hans bästa vän och numera polischef, men även den som satte dit honom för 30 år sen? Duchess Day Radley, Stars 13-åriga dotter, försöker skydda både sin mamma och sin 5-årige lillebror Robin, men i och med det drar hon igång en kedja av händelser som får ödesdigra konsekvenser. 

Den här boken har jag velat läsa sedan den gavs ut och jag såg författaren på Babel. Nu blev det äntligen av då vi ska diskutera den i min ena bokcirkel. Jag får erkänna att det tog ett tag innan jag fastnade och jag hade även problem med att skilja på vissa karaktärer, men det brukar vara ganska vanligt för mig när jag lyssnar och inte ser namnen i text. Man kan väl säga att det är mer än ett par tragiska liv vi får ta del av i "Slutet blir vår början". Det är lätt att känna med karaktärerna och särskilt Duchess och Vincent hittade en väg till mitt hjärta. 

Vi har inte träffats i bokcirkeln än, men jag tycker nog att den här boken har en bra grund för diskussioner. Till exempel föräldraskap, förlåtelse, fosterhem och hur långt man är beredd att gå för att skydda sin familj. Om man, som jag, gillade "Där kräftorna sjunger" och "Under magnoliaträden" så tror jag att man även kommer att uppskatta "Slutet blir vår början".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Stalking, Suicide, Child death, and Car accident

nadia_luq's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Suicide, Abandonment, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Fire/Fire injury

emmaevns's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Death, Grief, Chronic illness, Suicide, and Gun violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Drug abuse

shanekate's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book redeems the murder mystery genre for me. It was heart wrenching, beautiful, and utterly engrossing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Suicide, Gun violence, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, and Stalking

Moderate: Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Racism, Sexual assault, and Vomit

Not recommended to people who went through trauma related to foster care. Sexual violence is referenced several times but does not occur.

quirkygirlreads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Do you ever get the sense that an author is trying to write this hard-hitting contemporary novel - but they don't seem to have experienced any of the things they are writing about?

Like the story is beautiful and the type of story you want to read, but yet there is something missing?




The Good: The plot of We Begin at the End, was interesting, the mystery was engaging. It was like a deviation from the normal tropes you see in mystery/thrillers, but it wasn't so different that you felt lost.

Someone mentioned a comparison between this novel and Where The Crawdads Sing - I think that is a perfect comparison. Sure, this is a mystery... but there is also a huge emphasis on coming of age and heartbreak and friendship. At times I forgot I was even reading a mystery story, and felt more like I was reading a historical fiction.



The Bad: oh boy... please don't hate me. The characters ages were SO UNBELIEVABLE! Not only did Duchess seem FAR too young for the deep philosophical quotes she was speaking, but you're telling me that Vincent, Walk and Star are in their FORTIES! No way. Also, the names in this book were strange, that is all.

I found Duchess rather annoying, to be perfectly honest. Frankly, her repeating "I'm an outlaw" constantly was the only part of her story that felt like it was told from a 13 year old perspective.

Lastly, normally I love when the title of a book is hidden within its text. Almost like the author is leaving a breadcrumb that pulls it all together. But not only did this novel never really explain what "we begin at the end" meant, it was repeated over and over as an attempt to sound.... deep?



The Consensis: We Begin at the End feels like the last draft of a novel before it gets sent to print. There were just a few tweaks that could have been made to round this read up to 5 stars, but instead it just fell short...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Rape, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Sexual harassment

jennifer_bush_73's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Gun violence

happiestwhenreading's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Unpopular opinion: This book was just fine to me. It didn't blow my socks off, and while I will probably find myself reflecting back on some of the characters, it just didn't dig in and attach to my heart in any way. The best part of the story was definitely the characters, but unfortunately, I got too distracted with all the moving pieces to really care. I can't really say one of the things that made me dislike the book the most without giving some spoilers, but suffice it to say that I liked this book, I liked the writing, and I liked the potential, but it doesn't have enough "oomph" to be memorable for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion, Bullying, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Self harm