Member Reviews

Kat is involved in a horrific car accident with a horrible head injury. When she finally wakes up, all she remembers is her "mirror" twin Jude. Kat slowly starts piecing things back together with Jude filling in many of the blanks. What she starts to remember, though, is something Jude has been trying to protect her from. This was a wild ride and very well done. I would definitely read more from this author.

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Did you miss me?

I spent the weekend in Salem, MA to catch the whole “spooky season” vibe and man oh man 10 out 10, recommend you do the same.

My trip was almost as fab as this book right here, Where You End.

I mean hellloooo?!?! Did you see this cover! It’s absolutely stunning and super creepy.

With my book in tow, I found a nice tree to sit under to dig in!

Me oh My! Does this book deliver!!!

Over and Over and Over, again.

This book checks all my boxes and is sure to be a contender for book of the year.

Check out this teaser :

From bestselling nonfiction author Abbott Kahler comes a spellbinding fiction debut: an unusual form of amnesia upends the lives of identical twins, forcing them to face the indelible, dangerous shadow of the past.

When Kat Bird wakes up from a coma, she sees her mirror image: Jude, her twin sister. Jude’s face and name are the only memories Kat has from before her accident. As Kat tries to make sense of things, she believes Jude will provide all the answers to her most pressing questions:

Who am I?
Where am I?
What actually happened?

Amid this tragedy, Jude sees an irresistible opportunity: she can give her sister a brand-new past, one worlds away from the lives they actually led. She spins tales of an idyllic childhood, exotic travels, and a bright future.

But if everything was so perfect, who are the mysterious people following Kat? And what explains her uncontrollable flashes of violent anger, which begin to jeopardize a sweet new romance?

Duped by the one person she trusted, Kat must try to untangle fact from fiction. Yet as she pulls at the threads of Jude’s elaborate tapestry, she has no idea of the catastrophe she’s inviting. At stake is not just the twins’ relationship, but their very survival.

Intensely creepy and beautifully written, Abbott Kahler’s Where You End is an unforgettable tale of intrigue, revenge, and the quest for redemption.

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I wanted to like this book so much more than I did, but ultimately it just didn't work for me. Very twisty and vague in the way that literary fiction tends to be when the story involves a deeply traumatizing experience for the main character. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

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This book was really not for me. The premise was set up well but I did not enjoy the direction of the plots and I had a hard time feeling invested in the characters. Definitely would not recommend unfortunately!

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From bestselling nonfiction author Abbott Kahler comes a spellbinding fiction debut inspired by true events: an unusual form of amnesia upends the lives of identical twins, forcing them to face the indelible, dangerous shadow of the past.

Really interesting ideas but the execution left a little to be desired. Still, I enjoyed it.

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WHERE YOU END by Abbott Kahler was a thrill ride for me. I loved everything about this book.

When Kat Bird comes to after a horrific car accident, the only thing she recognizes is her 22 year old mirror twin sister, Jude. She has no memory of their past, where they lived, what they did, what she thought as an individual, nothing.

When Jude brings her home from the hospital she starts filling in the blanks about so much but also holds so much back. We see glimpses of those parts of their lives that Jude is keeping from her, and I wonder if that wasn’t as bad as the accident. Kat wants to make contact with someone who knew her ‘before’. So Jude hooks her up with Wen who also discreetly fills in some blanks. Or does she?

I really enjoyed this one. The pacing was fast as the clues piled up. I liked the author’s writing style which led to a smooth transfer from past to present and back. I also liked that it was all that ‘jawn’ and the shout out to Philly where I live so I could picture the areas in the book. I do have to admit that I thought ‘the plan’ in Philly was a different group also around during that time which, unfortunately ended in disaster. I did learn a bit about the power of the mind so that’s a good thing. This one kept me riveted. I was surprised learn that it was a debut. A job well done.

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I have to say I’m not sure if I enjoyed this book or not. The idea is fascinating and I really wanted to like it but it was confusing on a lot of parts and that took me out of the story.
If you like twisty, mind bending, culty books where you aren't sure who is telling the truth, this is the book for you.
I would definitely be willing to give this author another try but I’m just not sure about this one.

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"Where You End" is a riveting mystery novel that will keep you reading until the very end. This tale explores the lives of identical twins and the unbreakable bonds they share. Their bond is shattered when one of the twins is involved in a life changing accident that causes her to lose her entire memory, including the memory of their traumatic past, with the other twin trying to pick of the pieces of their past, while at the same time protecting her sister. What unfolds is a distressing narrative, with one twin trying to reclaim her identity and the other trying to protect her from her past.

The author maintains a high level of suspense throughout the story, with twists and turns that are both shocking and scandalous. "Where You End" is a gripping mystery that delves into identity, family secrets, and the consequences of telling lies and keeping secrets from the ones you love.

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Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy of this book. Where You End by Abbott Kahler will be released on January 16th, 2024.

The premise of this book absolutely had me hooked - I was so excited when I was approved for it! But, unfortunately, the book missed the mark. The writing was fine - I would probably pick up another book from this author - but I found my attention wavering throughout a lot of the book. It happens sometimes, it just means it wasn't the book for me. I'm rating it at 3 stars because the book wasn't bad, it just didn't keep me interested.

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Being a twin myself, you’d think I’d read more books about people like myself but I haven’t. I was intrigued by the amnesia trope of it, with Kat only remembering her sister’s face and name. Ultimately, the book fell a bit flat in my opinion. The jumping back and forth between the POV and timelines was too much for me and I was just confused about certain things. I wish they had gone into more detail on the cult the girls were in as well.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

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Thank you netgallery and Abbott Kahler for the ARC review of this book.

4.5/5⭐
Genre: Thriller

Mirror twins; twin pairing in which the twins are matched as if they're looking into a mirror.

Who am I?
Where am I?
What actually happened?

Meet Katherine bird. Woken up from a coma she sees her mirror self, her twin; Judith Bird. Judes face and name is all that Kat knows.

Relearning her self; Kat must trust Jude with her past and present. Jude's tells a tale of two shelter girls who have just come back from a vacation in Europe. With a father who has disappeared and a mother who died in a car accident, these two girls who were well loved and cared for navigate their lives in a mystery of who is Kat? ... and what did the Bird sisters do?

--
I had a ride with this one. Kat and Jude bird were very mysterious people. As Kat was learning herself, I felt as if I was Kat the whole time. I trusted all the information that was given to me.

The story goes back and forth from present to past. Insight on their lives as children, before he accident and current time. Everything that came.otnof Jude's mouth I believed. I was that trusting and again felt like I was Kat.

Around the 200 page mark is when the book really hit me and I started questioning things. Everything I question. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. I took notes reading this book, trying to guess information and it wasn't until around 270 pages that it finally fit together and I was wrong the whole time.

Thrillers stories are stories that are a huge hit or miss for me. Most being very predictable. If your looking for a story to keep you on your toes, you come to the right book.

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Thank you Henry holt and company and net galley for the e arc. Where You End tells the story of two young twins finding themselves in a situation where a bad car accident leaves one of them comatose and having lost a majority of her memories. As Kat attempts to re piece the fragments of her life and who she is, she starts to uncover disturbing details that hint to her that she is being lied to by the one person she trusts, her twin Jude. This novel is told in dual timelines, one being them as children in the 70s and them in their early twenties after the accident in the 80s. I thought this novel was just okay. It gets pretty dark at times as this book does contain content about cults, pedophilia, and child abuse. I love dual timelines but I’m not a fan of the cult trope, so I think that’s why I didn’t like it as much. I did enjoy the revenge aspect but I was hoping for a bit more from the ending. Overall a decent thriller/mystery.

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Mirror twins, Katherine and Judith, are as close as siblings can be until a horrendous car accident crushes Kat’s head leaving her with amnesia and no memory of her past, with the exception of her twin sister. At the age of 22, the sisters are living together and working hard to piece back Katherine’s childhood memories. As more things become clear for Kat, even more become fuzzy and confused. Could her sister be lying to her about a mythical past that never happened? If so, what is she hiding, and why?

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Abbott Kahler, and Publisher Henry Holt and Company for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

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Tense chilling full of twists.I was drawn in by the idea of twins with all their se rets.This is so well written kept me reading late into the night.#netgalley #henryholt

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DNF at 22%. I love the premise of the book and there were some striking lines in what I did read, but I can tell the writing style and the book isn't for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. Publishers for giving me an ARC though!

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If you don’t believe in twin connections you will after this book. The thought of losing your memory and only being able to rely on those around you to tell you about your past is frightening. Will they lie to protect you from your past or are they lying to mold you into who they want you to be. This book gets a thumbs up for the creepy factor. Some of the scenes I will be remembering for awhile. Thank you Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for this ARC!

Pub Date: January 16, 2024

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4⭐️

Following an accident Kat Bird wakes up from a coma with no memory of most of her life. The one thing she for sure remembers is her twin sister, Jude. Through her recover, Jude helps Kat remember their childhood. But some of the things Jude tells her doesn't add up to Kat. And after catching her in several lies, Kat begins to fear that maybe their childhood wasn't as lovely as Jude wants her to think it was.

This got a lot darker than I expected it to and I absolutely love that. I didn't expect the cultish tie in and loved that even once Kat finds out the truth, you're still not really sure who was telling more of the truth. Everyone seemed suspicious and I spent a lot of time trying to decide who was actually involved and if they were, how involved. This book was essentially an unreliable narrator all the way around, not just because Kat had amnesia but because Jude tried to control so much of Kat's memories and it really made the story more suspenseful.

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for providing this ARC to me!

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I think my students might like this but I didn't really understand it so I don't see the value of having it in the classroom. It was a bit too out there

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This book had promise, it had a lot of the elements I like and it was well written but overall it was too strange for me, too unclear what the point was, I think others will like it but it wasn't for me

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Mirror twins, cults, memory loss, murder mystery, repressed trauma, galore!

I really appreciated all of the pieces of this book. I did, however, find the pacing a bit slow and I struggled with returning the story. The last 20% of the book picked up pace and became more engaging. I think this author is only going to continue to improve and I’m very eager to continue following her work.



Thank you to Netgalley + Henry Holt & Co for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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