We Begin at the End

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We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
367 pages

What’s it about?
Duchess is a 13 year-old girl just trying to keep her mom (Star) and her brother (Robin) safe. Her only ally is a local sheriff named Walk. Walk grew up with Star and does his best to keep her sober and watch out for her two kids. When Star and Walk’s old friend Vincent is released from prison after 30 years everyone is put on edge. This whole story hinges on one question- is Vincent a good man?

What did it make me think about?
Justice.

Should I read it?
This was a plot driven thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Set in both California and Montana this story has a western feel to it. Occasionally some of the sentences seemed a little stilted, but can you argue with being too poetic? Part hard luck story, part who-dun-it, but always full of heart. I highly recommend this book. One of my favorites this summer.

Quote-
“You’re like a kid. Better and worse. Bad and good. None of us are only one thing. We’re just a collection of the best and worst things we’ve done.”

If you liked this try-
Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson
Idaho by Emily Ruskovich
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

This is a beautifully written, character driven novel. Very thought provoking.

This book will resonate with me for a very long time. There is so much that takes place and so many twists and turns. Vincent King has been in prison for 30 years for accidentally killing a little girl with his car. I was never sure about Vincent - and wondered if he had killed Star Radley or not. Star’s daughter Duchess is 13 and intensely devoted to her younger brother. Robin.

I couldn’t get into this book at first, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I was drawn to this author after reading “All the colors of the dark” and this book is just as engrossing. There is also a good satisfying ending. I particularly liked the character, Cuddy, a prison guard, who befriended Vincent. People are too quick to judge others, but I learned that’s not all there is to the story. I found some of the characters I thought were evil, were actually selfless and compassionate.

One of my top 5 books in 2021. The final line had be sobbing for all the right reasons! Would 100% recommend.

If you look at reviews of this book, you see words like “gripping” and “powerful” showing up again and again. I’d like to read the book those people were reading. I found this one inconsistent and, honestly, a bit weak. The characters are pretty stereotypical. Most of the real action takes place off-page, in reminiscence, or both. The personal drama is the better part of the book, to be sure, but even that wasn’t consistently compelling. And the central “ticking clock” element—Darke’s pursuit of Duchess, to retrieve the security tape—was comically implausible. Are we really supposed to believe that an insurance company could avoid paying a claim simply because the criminal perpetrator had the presence of mind to remove video evidence of their misconduct? Then too, the twist of Vincent being the kids’ father is also pretty incredible. And unnecessary, frankly. I guess all in all, it was fine to read, but I will utterly forget it within a few months.