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sandysmith's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.0
I'm gradually adding books I've read in 2021 to give a true reflection of the books I've read since keeping records. This was the first book I read in 2021, and is what kick started my reading journey having put reading on the back burner whilst bringing up the children, previously being an avid reader. A great read. I really loved 13 year old Duchess Radley, such an amazing character and her relationship with her brother Robin was wonderfully written. It's a thriller who dunit which I loved. Murder, redemption, life long friendships, relationship and forgiveness. Intertwined stories, a murder that Vincent King is in prison for. Star is Robin and Duchess's mum and the sister of the victim. It does show how crime affects families. A super read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcohol, Addiction, Murder, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
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".
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
katwicklund's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Addiction, Death, and Death of parent
sfbookgirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I went into this one with really high expectations after bookstgram raved about it last year. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it, but I can see how other readers found it memorable. The novel revolves around three central characters: Duchess Day Radley - a 13-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw, Walk - a police chief in a small California coastal town, and Vincent King - a friend of Walk’s who was recently released from prison. These three characters are intertwined in a complicated web of events that lead them to make difficult decisions. Please note that this novel includes some dark themes that may not work for all readers.
It’s been a while since I’ve read this one and I think I avoided writing a review for it just because I didn’t especially enjoy the novel. I didn’t love the characters and I felt like the plot went in circles. I felt pretty meh about the whole thing, but I would be interested in seeing the plot in television form as Disney snagged the rights to it last year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Abortion
Minor: Emotional abuse and Child 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.
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.mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gun violence, Grief, Suicide, Murder, and Blood
jess_d84's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Cursing, Death of parent, Murder, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Suicide, Addiction, and Death
Minor: Terminal illness
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Title: We Begin at the End
Author: Chris Whitaker
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: January 1 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Devastating • Gritty • Compulsive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After being convicted in a fatal hit-and-run, which killed the sister of his then girlfriend Starr Radley, Vincent King has spent the past 30 years in prison. He is now being released and returning home to his small California town. Walk, now the town's sheriff, was responsible for Vincent's conviction, yet promised him he'd look out for Star while he was in prison. However, Star's life is a mess. Her two children, Duchess and Robin, are forced to grow up all too quickly. An act of revenge will change all of their lives forever. We Begin at the End explores themes of love, loss, sacrifice and of course, family.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When I saw the absolutely stunning cover of this book, I instantly added it to my TBR. It started out quite slow, and I considered DNFing around the 30% mark. However, I persisted, deciding to seek out the audio in order to tandem read, which ended up helping some. I cannot say I loved or hated this book.
Let me start out by saying the writing is absolutely beautiful! The descriptive scenery felt in line with the cover, and the author uses his way with words in a way that works. The plot didn't instantly suck me in, and I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters and their stories. Oddly enough, Duchess is such a fierce, brave, and vulnerable character I couldn't help to root for, and yet I am not sure I will remember her. Her relationship with, her love for, and her protective nature of her younger brother is my favourite thing about this book. In fact, it is what kept me reading. While Duchess and Walk are great characters, there was definitely something missing for me with the rest of the cast. The themes of family - both born and chosen family - and the resilient nature of the human spirit ended up making this book worth reading, despite it not completely working for me.
We Begin at the End is a unique and powerful story, however, taken as a whole I was left underwhelmed. It felt like a modern Western, which would be one of the reason it didn't feel like the right fit for me.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Western fans
• lovers of small town crime fiction
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"None of us are any one thing. We’re just a collection of the best and worst things we’ve done."
Author: Chris Whitaker
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: January 1 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Devastating • Gritty • Compulsive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
After being convicted in a fatal hit-and-run, which killed the sister of his then girlfriend Starr Radley, Vincent King has spent the past 30 years in prison. He is now being released and returning home to his small California town. Walk, now the town's sheriff, was responsible for Vincent's conviction, yet promised him he'd look out for Star while he was in prison. However, Star's life is a mess. Her two children, Duchess and Robin, are forced to grow up all too quickly. An act of revenge will change all of their lives forever. We Begin at the End explores themes of love, loss, sacrifice and of course, family.
💭 T H O U G H T S
When I saw the absolutely stunning cover of this book, I instantly added it to my TBR. It started out quite slow, and I considered DNFing around the 30% mark. However, I persisted, deciding to seek out the audio in order to tandem read, which ended up helping some. I cannot say I loved or hated this book.
Let me start out by saying the writing is absolutely beautiful! The descriptive scenery felt in line with the cover, and the author uses his way with words in a way that works. The plot didn't instantly suck me in, and I didn't feel a strong connection to the characters and their stories. Oddly enough, Duchess is such a fierce, brave, and vulnerable character I couldn't help to root for, and yet I am not sure I will remember her. Her relationship with, her love for, and her protective nature of her younger brother is my favourite thing about this book. In fact, it is what kept me reading. While Duchess and Walk are great characters, there was definitely something missing for me with the rest of the cast. The themes of family - both born and chosen family - and the resilient nature of the human spirit ended up making this book worth reading, despite it not completely working for me.
We Begin at the End is a unique and powerful story, however, taken as a whole I was left underwhelmed. It felt like a modern Western, which would be one of the reason it didn't feel like the right fit for me.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Western fans
• lovers of small town crime fiction
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"None of us are any one thing. We’re just a collection of the best and worst things we’ve done."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Addiction
Minor: Abortion and Car accident
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...
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...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Rape, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Sexual harassment
jamielit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have to be dragged into domestic dramas that are going to rip my heart apart, but the positive reviews left me hopeful that it would be worth it. While it was a bit hard to get into for me, in part due to the writing style, the plot drove me forward, the characters drew me in, and indeed, and finished the last few pages in tears. I cried for Duchess and Robin, for Walk and Martha May, for Vincent, and even for Darke. This is not a light story, but it is a gripping one. So much happens. And in the end, I think these characters will stay with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Addiction, Suicide, and Child death