A review by selendrea
Where I End by Sophie White

dark mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

Where I End treads the line between beautiful and grotesque. The prose is so impeccably written, easily conjuring up imagery of the forlorn foggy Irish island and getting you in the mindset of Aioleann, our main character.

Do we want to be in her mindset, though? That's the question. She's horrific, uncomfortable, abusive. It's a difficult book to stomach. I read several horror books a month and this may be the most disturbing I've read so far.

And yet, something about this book weaseled into my mind and I can't stop thinking about it. The atmosphere, the isolation, the emotional journey, and the characterization of everyone involved was so incredibly well done. Despite the dread that White gave me with her writing, I didn't want to stop reading.

While the plot was generally fascinating and unexpected, I still felt a bit confused by the end. I don't 100% understand the mother's affliction.
Did she consciously choose to stop speaking and moving? Is the plot suggesting that she had such a mental health break that it immobilized her? Why did she only communicate with the note and writing singular letters? If she could move at night, why couldn't she move any other time to do anything productive?
I had more questions than answers about her physical condition by the end of the novel, but I don't think this takes away from the overall intrigue of the book.

I absolutely loathed the main character, but experiencing her thought process was strangely intoxicating. I additionally loved learning more about Irish folklore throughout this book. If you enjoy weird, uncomfortable, and haunting stories about families, give this one a go, but don't say I didn't warn you!
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