Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

9 reviews

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

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.

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." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Addiction

Minor: Abortion and Car accident

wistfulspirit's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

nadjaschmidt's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, and Violence

thespinystacks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

It’s hard to say you love a book that starts sad and ends sad, but I did. I wasn’t sure that I would be a fan of this book at the beginning, there seemed to be so many names to learn but it all started to fall into place. 

Duchess is a wonderfully complex character. My heart was breaking for her and Robin through the story. Children shouldn’t have to endure so much heartache, yet they do.

Walk is also terribly complex. He is your challenge of doing what’s “right” or “wrong”. The story is interwoven with choices being made under impossible circumstances, showing you that life is so often not black or white, and you have to make choices with the limited information you’ve got.

You hope throughout this story, and just when you think you’re all out of hope - you find enough to hope for the best even after it is done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Physical abuse, Gun violence, and Car accident

Minor: Addiction, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Emotional abuse

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

kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Car accident

rachelreadthese's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Child death, and Car accident

Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Abortion