BOOK REVIEW: We Begin At The End – by Chris Whitaker #buddyread

Title: We Begin At The End
Author: Chris Whitaker
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: March 26th 2020
Publisher: Zaffre
Finished reading: October 27th 2020
Pages: 464

“You can’t save someone that doesn’t want to be saved.”

This was an impromptu buddy read pick with Nicki @ Secret Library Book Blog… I’m so glad we decided to read We Begin At The End together, because it turned out to be the perfect buddy read and I think I was able to treasure this story even more by reading it more slowly and being able to discuss it along the way. I definitely understand the love for this story now… It’s been a week and I’m still struggling to get a proper word on paper; such is the power of this book! I confess that I went in blind ~~(something I tend to do to avoid spoilers)~~ and I wasn’t sure what kind of story to expect, but I ended up being completely bowled over by this story. It’s such a raw, emotional and simply heartwrenching read! I’ve decided to keep this review short as I’m not only lost for words to describe my experience with this stunning story properly, but it is also one of those books where it’s best to go in with a blank slate so the experience is even more rewarding.

While it is true that Nicki and I both struggled to get a grip on the story initially, it wasn’t long before Duchess, Robin and the rest of the cast wormed their way into my heart and I started to understand why more than one fellow blogger calls We Begin At The End their book of the year. The story uses a multiple POV structure and switches between past and present, creating a multi-dimentional story with a rich cast of intriguing and well developed characters. As the present storyline started to unfold, the emotions starting to get more intense and my heart went out for poor Duchess and little Robin. Walk is likewise a fascinating character that will win you over quickly, and he makes for the perfect link between past and present.

I love that We Begin At The End doesn’t reveal it all straight away, and that you only slowly learn more about exactly what happened in the past as well as what is happening in the present as the story evolves over time. We had a great time speculating on Twitter what would happen next and if we would be right with our suspicions on certain things that happened… And it is always a bonus when it isn’t easy to guess where the story is going. The plot development in general was excellent, and we most definitely didn’t see those final reveals coming! There was plenty of room for shocking twists that broke my heart a little each time… Heartwrenching and emotional indeed! Trust me, you will need a dose of something sweet long before you reach that final page, as Duchess and Robin’s story will keep smashing your poor heart with a sledgehammer along the way. The journey is absolutely worth it though!

We Begin At The End was the perfect buddy read and an absolutely stunning story that I cannot recommend enough. It is an extraordinary as well as highly emotional journey that will leave you a blubbering mess long before you reach that final page… Make sure to have some tissues and chocolate at hand just in case!