Absolutely beautifully written, cohesive book in regard to the storyline, characters and the flow of the book.
The young female protagonist "Duchess" describes herself as an Outlaw and by gosh she sure is. At her age she has had to witness and endure way too much, I found myself totally rooting for her throughout the book.
This book is a highly recommended keeper!
Thank you to Netgalley, Henry Holt and Company and the Author Chris Whitaker for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book that, while fiction, served as a reminder to me as an educator that our students are dealing with so much more than we know or we think we know. Our students are dealing with real life. Duchess is a student, a sister, a caregiver, and a broken child. I am sure that throughout the course of my teaching career, I will encounter a Duchess. It is my job to be mindful of this and focus on social emotional learning just as much, (if not more) than academics.

As for the story, I was moved. I found myself cheering, crying, hoping, and stunned. This book served as a reminder that no matter how much you think you know someone, there is always a struggle, battle, or story you don't know. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book will be in my Top Ten for 2021.

The third novel from Chris Whitaker is a New York Times bestseller. And deservedly so.

We Begin at the End is a heartbreaking and compelling saga about friends who grew up together in the little town of Haven Cove on the California coast. They were just ordinary kids until one tragic night changed all of their lives. And the repercussions of it are also impacting the next generation -- this children of Star. Thirteen-year-old Duchess has had to grow up too soon in order to take care of her mother, who drinks too much, gets involved with the wrong men, and is unable to competently mother Duchess's little brother, five-year-old Robin. Duchess adores Robin and makes sure he is fed, clothed, and comforted when he is frightened, which is frequently. She walks him to school and intercedes when he is bullied. Neither child has any idea as to the identity of their father.

On that horrific night, Star's sister, seven-year-old Sissy Radley, died, and Vincent went to prison for her death. Vincent and Star were then fifteen years old, and boyfriend and girlfriend. Walker ("Walk") was Vincent's best friend, but his unfailing sense of right and wrong demanded that he take the stand during Vincent's trial and testify truthfully.

As the story opens, Duchess, clutching Robin's hand, finds Walk, who knowingly says, simply, "Your mother." They race to the house where Star is on the couch, an empty pill bottle next to her. At the hospital, Duchess tells Walk that Star wants to die. "I can't decide if suicide is the most selfish or selfless act." Star survives and they return to the house Star rents from Dickie Darke, who owns a bar where the locals hang out. Their next-door neighbor is Brandon Rock, who is employed at Tallow Construction but still works out constantly in his garage, dreaming of recovering from the knee injury that ended his football hopes. He drives his father's classic Mustang and Walk tells the just-returned Vincent, "The hair, the clothes, the guy still lives in '78. You see, he hasn't changed, Vin. None of us have, not really." Milton, the butcher who can never completely shed the smell of blood, lives across the street.

Duchess is deeply angry about the way in which they live and the fact that Star will not tell them anything about their father, but she does love and is protective of Star. And when she believes that Star is being mistreated, she will not tolerate it. She will seek revenge. Her temper has gotten her in trouble all of her life, but this time is different. She inadvertently sets in motion yet another series of tragic events that put her and Robin in danger.

As a result, she and Robin come to know the grandfather they had never previously met -- Star's widowed father who lives on a ranch in Montana. He is a man of quiet strength who lives with the pain of losing his family, and knows exactly how to handle Duchess's anger, gradually breaking down her defenses before catastrophe strikes again. Duchess and Robin are placed in a foster home where they are not permitted to interact as members of the family. The couple who are fostering them only want the money they receive for doing so. Eventually, they find themselves in a children's home and Duchess, whose grief, anger, wisdom far beyond her years, and undiminished determination compel her to make an unspeakable decision about their future.

Whitaker has deftly found Duchess's voice -- her tone and vocabulary are believable, and Whitaker compassionately reveals the internal struggles that fuel her.

Back in Haven Cove, Walk is harboring a secret as he searches for answers. He must solve a crime for which Vincent has been -- Walk is convinced -- wrongly accused and prevent him from returning to prison. But Vincent won't participate in his own defense. And he will only consent to being represented by one attorney: Martha May. She and Walk dated for three months back in high school, but things did not work out between them. Back then, she and Star were best friends. Unlike so many of their classmates, Martha left town and never looked back. Now she has a successful career as a family law attorney, focusing her practice on women who have been abused. She's not a criminal attorney, which is what Vincent needs in order to avoid the death penalty. Eventually, Walk wears her down and she agrees to help. As Walk continues investigating, he and Martha have a chance to finally talk about what happened when they were teenagers.

Each of Whitaker's characters is fully developed, complex, and compelling. Whitaker demonstrates the myriad ways in which the adults' lives have been entwined since they were children and the ways their relationships have, in most instances, never changed. They've stayed in the same little town where everyone is acquainted and their personalities, formed so many years earlier, have also stayed the same, even though several of them have secrets that the others would never guess.

As the story progresses, Duchess and Robin find their circumstances getting worse and worse, and Whitaker heartbreakingly portrays their reactions to their plight. Robin, so young, naive, and hopeful, clings to and relies on Duchess for all of his needs, but wants and still believes that it is possible for them to find a loving, forever home and family. He has nightmares, though, and cannot recall what happened on one particularly horrifying night. No one is sure what, if anything, he witnessed because he cannot remember any of the details. Duchess, hardened by what she has endured, no longer believes in happy endings but will do anything necessary to ensure that Robin has the chance to realize his dream. Even if it is the hardest thing imaginable . . . and breaks her.

Whitaker convincingly illustrates life in a small town and the demons that haunt Walk, a man who is principled, committed to his career in law enforcement and the values undergirding it, but also unyieldingly loyal to his friends, especially Vincent. As boys, they were so close that they were like brothers. And he will work tirelessly, at the risk of his own health and well-being, to prove that he has not misjudged Vincent's character. Even when Vincent, a man has spent the bulk of his life consumed with guilt about the mistake he made thirty years ago, refuses to make any effort to save himself.

We Begin at the End is an utterly consuming, absorbing story that will leave readers heartbroken, but hopeful, and richer for having gotten to know Walk, Duchess, Robin, and Whitaker's whole impressive cast of supporting characters. Aside from being a masterfully constructed character study, We Begin at the End is also an engrossing mystery full of expertly-timed, surprising plot twists. Readers experiencing Whitaker's evocative prose and emotionally resonant dialogue for the first time will want more after finishing the book. And hopefully, Whitaker, an extremely talented writer who resides in England and works in a library part-time, will publish another book for readers to enjoy soon.

A phenomenal book. Beautifully written with passages you will re-read over and over to savor the beauty. If you read one book this year, you should consider this one.

I received this book "We Begin at the End" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. This one took me a little bit to get into, as the writing style was different. Once I got more into the book, I connected with the characters and couldn't wait to read this each day. This book is about love, thinking of others and helping them, but also about evil and what can go wrong. This book is about sad and tragic events so be prepared. The characters struggle and get through what they have to. As I was reading the ending I just kept saying - no no no!

Everyone is LOVING this book! We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker is a must-read for 2021. It’s a beautifully written, deep, sad story about young Duchess Day Radley who takes care of her younger brother and her drug addict mother, Star. The circumstances that surround Duchess and the way she takes care of her brother ripped my heart apart. Then there is Walk, whose friend killed Star’s sister many years ago. He has his own issues.

Its best to go into this story not knowing how it’s going to play out, you need to experience the full range of emotions as you read this book.

Here’s a synopsis:

Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.

Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he’s in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.

Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.

This is out now, go get a copy!

The award winning author Chris Whitaker is out with yet another stellar and beautifully written novel. Set in a small town Cape Haven in America, We Begin At The End is loaded with characters that you are not going to forget for a long time. You are to encounter the fierce yet enchanting 13 year old Duchess Day Radley, the protagonist. This young girl deals with hardships, yet survives by her wits.

The Plot
Duchess Day all of 13 years, is the protector of her five year old brother, Robin. Living in a home with a drunk and drug addict mother, Star, life has never been easy for them. Duchess would forgo food so her brother could eat. She would attend to every need of her brother, by sitting with him at school at lunch, with his teacher, and also get him back home. Much as Duchess would do it all for her brother she would often be ridiculed by the others in school. Her life may be strewn with miseries but her grit to give Robin all the love in the world is strong, as she doesn’t ever want to be separated from her brother.

The two children have a guardian angel- the Chief of Police- Walk. Thirty years ago, his best friend, Vincent, killed Star’s sister. Walk’s testimony at that time sent fifteen year old Vincent to prison. Vincent and Star loved each other and neither of them have ever gotten over it. Walk’s main goal in life is to protect Duchess and Robin. Now with Vincent out of prison and at home, there is trouble and Walk’s protection isn’t enough for Star, Duchess, and Robin. What happens thereafter forms the crux of the plot.

Quotes from the Book
“Better and worse. Bad and good. None of us are any one thing. We’re just a collection of best and worst things we’ve done.”

The Review
The story is tragic and can jerk up those tears. Be patient with the story initially, as I found it painfully slow. But stay on and the plot thickens and goes much deeper. The narrative is impressive and the characters are beautifully sketched out. They stay with you for long.

The Verdict
Pick it up if you like books with an intricate plot, and characters who have an impact on you emotionally.

The Rating
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. This book makes me want to go back and change all the 5 star ratings I’ve handed out because this book- THIS BOOK IS A TRUE 5 STAR BOOK!!! I’m gonna go ahead and put this in a category with The Goldfinch, All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, hell, East of Eden, even. This was just absolutely 100% the kind of book that reminds you why you love to read.

Duchess Day Radley will go down as one of my all time favorite female protagonists ever. Part Scout Finch, part Beth Dutton, part Ruth Langmore- she is an absolutely beautifully written character who will rip your heart out.

The novel is paced perfectly with some of the most beautiful sentences I’ve read in a long time. The tragedies are realistic without being gimmicky and each character is developed well enough to make you care. The reveals are not predictable and at the core, there is love. Real, tragic, fantastic love that spans decades and obstacles. I just can’t say enough about this. Just read it. If you read nothing else this year, read this book. I don’t even know how to follow it. I can’t imagine another book will top this one this year. Books like this are written once in a decade. I know I’m gushing, but it was such a gift to finally pick up a book and get that giddy feeling that comes when you realize you’re reading something truly amazing. For me, this was that book. All the stars. Every damn star.

Reading connects the soul, body and mind. We cry, get angry, see the injustices of the world and we feel something. I have to admit, I wasn't feeling it when I first dived in but once I was hooked with the characters, the plot became real. The two main characters drove the plot. Duchess a 13 year old rebel that likened herself as an outlaw. She was protective of her small family, her single mother who made a ton of bad decisions and her younger brother who was her prince.

Walk who was on the small town police force. He has a history with his small town. Duchess mother Star, Vincent his best friend that went to prison for the murder of Star's sister. The history is heavy on Walk and Duchess and now that Vincent is released another tragedy emerges. A tragedy that takes Duchess and her brother to their grandfather's house in Montana. A grandfather that they do not know.

The book had me with Duchess. She was a contradiction that you wanted to help, figure out, and understand. She built her walls to keep her toughness. Every word is f**k you which is not my favorite phase but I get it. She was given a f**k up hand in life. The relationship between her grandfather was an experience. She fought his kindness but took every kind thing he did to heart. I loved that she had him. Her brother was her anchor and her light.

With the wisdom of a grandfather, sometimes life begins at the end.

A special thank you to Henry Holt and Company and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This was phenomenal! I loved everything about this novel! The writing is like no other! The characters made you feel thing's! This book is beautifully written and had my heart aching for Duchess and her brother.
I loved Walk always watching out for Star and her kids! Made my heart swell.

I just finished We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. It was fabulous, and brought out so many emotions, surprising, sad,scared, nervous, This was my first book to read by Chris Whitaker, but I will watch for more, many more.
This was a skillfully written story with a young lady named Duchess Day Ridley at the forefront. Dutchess claimed to be an outlaw as well. She and her little brother Robin have had a very hard life, and Duchess is always there for Robin.
This is such a well crafted story that uses many themes, love, friendship, loyalty, greed, evil, and takes place in a small town where everyone keeps their eyes open for everyone else. They see how their town folks, live, what they have and mostly don’t have. Some hold grudges and some do not. There are times that the story is dark, and others where the sun shines.
We Begin at the End is such an enjoyable and unpredictable story that I’m ready to read it again. I can’t leave the characters behind the has been an emotional roller coaster ride and I don’t think I am ready to get off the roller coaster, I want one more turn through the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for making an ARC available to me for an honest review.

See my video review here: https://youtu.be/QV_xNAmrNuA

We are dropped into the town of Cape Haven and introduced to a variety of characters. Duchess Radley is a teenage girl from a broken home. She takes care of her brother Robin while her mother Star is lost in her own world. We also meet Police Officer Walk who feels guilty because as a boy he turned in his best friend Vincent.

This is one of the best books of 2021! It is the new To Kill A Mockingbird. The characters were phenomenally developed, and there was surprise after surprise. The hallmark of a good book involves 2 things: 1) imperfect characters and 2) good story telling. This book had that in spades. 5 Stars all the way.

The audiobook was a rare treat. It was simply perfect!

Trigger warning to anyone with a neuromuscular disorder. As someone who has a severe neuromuscular disorder that shares many of the same characteristics of the one mentioned in this book, I was appalled at how this was treated in this book. If you are diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder, your life is not over. It is not the worst thing possible in life, this cloud hanging over your shoulder. My life is definitely different than how I imagined it would turn out but this life isn't meaningless. Since I was diagnosed, instead of training for a 5K, I ended up doing what I could do - read books. In this short time, I have made a supportive bunch of friends, named as a Booktuber to Watch, and ranked among the top 20% of most helpful book reviewers. In essence, you could say that I began at the end.

Sleepy languid pace to this one only to get gobsmacked worthy a lot of surprises at the end. Way to keep you guessing!!!!

“None of us are any one thing. We’re just a collection of the best and worst things we’ve done.”
In spite of my week having been of the busiest kind, I have read, finished and whole-heartedly loved this novel. I strongly recommend all Jane Harper fans to go buy this book.

It tells the story of small-town cop Walk, who does everything he can to prove his childhood friend is innocent. And (my, oh my!) meet Duchess, the bravest thirteen-year old badass girl “I am the outlaw Duchess Day Radley.” who looks after her little brother, as if she were his Mom. She has to, because their Mom has fallen for alcohol, suffering from an event of her own childhood.

When I thought this would be a typical tough-guy plot set amongst Outlaws, Whitaker surprised me with those emotionally heart-wrenching scenes where Hal (their grandpa) and the children get to know each other.

Thank you so much! to @henryholtbooks for the free e-book. The moment I was a quarter in, I went and ordered a print copy 📖 This one I need on my bookshelves, too!

We Begin At The End
by Chris Whitaker
My Rating: 5 out of 5 🌟
Highly recommended to readers who love stories with full character focus & want to be emotionally touched, torn, sewn up again.

** This review has also been shared on my Instagram/Bookstagram feed. I am very happy to share that it has been liked, read and commented on by many fellow readers & I hope this wonderful novel can soon be found in readers' homes worldwide. **

Wonderful characters and interesting side plots, but that ending still has me over here shaking/scratching my head.

This book follows two folks - Duchess, the tough-as-nails, 13 year old daughter of troubled and loveable Star Radley and the second is Walk, the dependable small town police chief who’s ready to help however he can.

My favorite character was definitely Walk because he was giving me some Hopper from Stranger Things vibes. Oh and don’t even get me started on the relationship between Duchess and her little brother! 😭😭

The storylines are well, a bit extra. You’ve got construction development scandals, 30 year prison sentences, court proceedings, former high school romance, a strip joint, houses falling off of cliffs, ranches in Montana, cowboys, foster homes, high school dances, Parkinson’s disorder, a creepy butcher, and do I need to keep going?

I was definitely feeling a 4-star rating through the first 2/3rds of the book, but the ending just kept going downhill for me after each little chapter.

It’s still a solid book. Just be possibly prepared for a lot of random storylines and an ending that’ll leave you feeling a bit like, huh?

I don't know where to start with my review of We Begin At the End by Chris Whitaker. I will be haunted by Duchess and Robin for a long time. I am unfamiliar with Chris Whitaker's work but the subject matter of this book drew me in. I will definitely be looking for more works by Whitaker in the future.
Duchess Day Radley is an outlaw. She isn't afraid of anyone and she knows she has outlaw blood running through her veins. That makes her one dangerous young girl. Her daddy left years ago, leaving her mamma to raise her and her little brother, Robin. She protects them all because that's what outlaws do. Soon enough, its just Duchess and Robin. Duchess has to protect the only person in her life that matters, Robin. People come and go in this life, who can you trust and who is the wolf in sheep's clothing?
Whitaker writes a moving story about these kids and what life throws at them. This book was a book you can't put down. Always another chapter.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Chris Whitaker, Henry Holt and Company for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 stars for me!!
#WeBeginattheEnd #NetGalley

We Begin At The End is a heartbreaking and emotional story centered around an accidental death that occurred decades before. Three generations of a family and their friends were never the same. Guilt, revenge, drama and suspense are all part of this story. I found the story captivating and ended it feeling quite sad for all the unforgettable characters involved.

Chris Whitaker brings a fresh, unique new voice to the literary world with this masterpiece! We Begin at the End is a beautiful, gritty and poetic read that will stay with me for a long time. This is a tale woven with dark secrets, exquisite prose and deeply relatable characters.
5 stars is simply not enough for this book! This will be one of the best reads of the year.

I received a copy of #WeBeginattheEnd courtesy of #NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Read along with Barnes and noble. Deeply touched. Full review on IInstagram


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50279680

As has often happened recently, I find myself with a minority opinion for a book that has received a lot of hype. We Begin at the End is one of those books. Mainly, this book is a sad, sad story. The main character, Duchess, is a young teen who has had to grow up way too fast, taking care of her little brother since her mother, Star, has descended into addiction/drinking. I found Duchess’s relationship with her brother Robin to be the most affecting part of this story. These two youngsters have been dealt a very bad hand in life. The story is told from Duchess’s point of view, as well as from the point of view of Walker, the long-time police chief of their small coastal California town, who was a good friend of Duchess’ mother and of the man accused of killing Star’s little sister with his car 30 years before. Interlocking relationships abound in this novel and people are not what they seem at first. It was an interesting read but it just didn’t grab me. And I still don’t understand the title of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.