This is for the weird girls!! And I loved it.

We follow Kat and Jude, mirror twins, after an accident that leaves Kat without any memories at all. It is up to Jude to fill in the blanks about their past, but is Jude being truthful?

This has a distinct literary flavor. It leans more toward the literary fiction genre than thriller, both in tone and pacing. This is not action packed or really even suspenseful. It is just an unwinding of the twins’ pasts and how it led them to where they are now. The initial set up drew me in immediately and the slow reveals took a dark turn that kept me hooked. I thought the whole story was really well done and personally didn’t feel the same as some other reviewers saying they were a little lost in the middle.

I will definitely pick up anything the author puts out in the future!

Wow! This is the amazing story about twin sisters, one who lost all her memories after a car accident of who she was and all that has happened to her. She relies on her twin to fill in the gaps, but not all is as it seems. This is a very dark tale set in the 1970s and 80s. An eccentric mother, a genius father, and a group of individuals who pledge your mind can do magic. This story made me feel sad, angry, and disgusted of childhoods lost by many. I would absolutely recommend this book, however, check your trigger warnings.

An extremely enjoyable, unique, quirky, and at times devastating story about "mirror twins" - twins that are mirror images of eachother, and even closer in the womb than regular identical twins. Kat and Jude are the mirror twins and at times it's hard to tell which one is the "evil" twin, though Jude lays claim to the title. In the beginning of the story, Kat loses her memory in a devastating accident, and it is up to her twin Jude to help her rebuild their shared memories. But is Jude being truthful with Kat? Or is she reconstructing fictional memories for her own reasons?

This story is fascinating and basically has everything: Murder! Mayhem! Twin switches and antics! Amnesia! A cult! Even more importantly than its unique plot though, is that this book is beautifully written. i found myself marvelling more than once over the magical way this author can turn a phrase. Abbott Kahler is one to watch for sure. This book was devastating, striking, wild, beautiful and twisty -- everything I look for in a thriller. The audiobook narrator also did an excellent job with the voice acting.

Abbott Kahler is a talented and unique author and from now on I will always reserve room for her on my bookshelf

Where You End by Abbott Kahler was a book I was really looking forward to. Billed as a psychological thriller about identical "mirror" twins Kat and Jude, the story follows the twins as they grapple with Kat's amnesia which renders her only able to remember Jude and nothing else. As time passes, Kat pieces together her past and questions the stories that Jude tells her.

Ultimately, this story fell flat for me. It was overwritten and drawn out. I was looking forward to the cult aspect of the story but it was one dimensional and not quite as thrilling as I anticipated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

An unusual literary thriller about remaking the ugly past. Kat and Jude are mirror twins who were raised first by their mother who has mental health issues and then in a cult. Now, Kat's been in an accident and has amnesia, allowing Jude to built out her life before. Kat, however, puts herself out there a bit when she meets a man who takes her to a poker game. It might seem slow and a tad confusing at first but keep in mind throughout that these women are in their early 20s, they did not attend school, and that the conditions, the games, their lives before will not be revealed for a while. Kahler does a good job with, for want of a better word, world building. She also building the horror and the tension, with the reveals sliding up on you. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Hard to review without spoilers but know that nothing and no one is what it or they seem.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Where You End is a story about twins (Jude and Kat) that grow up in a cult, escape, and later get in an accident that results in one of them (Kat) losing their memory. Jude chooses to keep their past hidden from Kat and Kat goes looking for the truth.

I was shocked to realize how much of a slow burn this was. The description made it seem like it was going to be a fast-paced thriller and the premise was so interesting that I expected to read it in 1 to 2 days. Well, several weeks later, I'm finally done after sitting down and making myself focus solely on this book (crediting my new Kindle for this win). The last 10-15% of the book picked up and was a breeze to get through which is always a plus but it was odd after slogging through such a slow 85%ish of the book, the ending was so rushed. The author sped through the most exciting part. I wish she had removed some of the back/side story to give more time to the main plot.

A lot is going on in this book and most of it feels underdeveloped. Sab as a character is unnecessary and promotes physical and emotional emotion in relationships. The parents... omg the parents are actually heinous and deserve prison (if not the chair). And the twins... they make one bad move after another and somehow manage to make it work, it is peak book magic. I'm also sad to say the twist at the end lacked luster and could be seen a mile away, but I will concede that it went half a step further than expected, depending on what version of events you chose to believe. I'm going with the one that at least got a "well look at that" out of me.

I will say that the duel timeline with dual POV was a really good move on the author. The jumps back and forth really added a level of intrigue and the meeting of the past and the present was well executed. We were experiencing the hardship Jude placed upon herself as Kat was starting to see through Jude's rainbow-colored glasses.

I was pleased with the happy(?) ending.

Thank you, NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co., for my complimentary digital copy for review.

In this novel, we are introduced to Kat, a young woman who has lost her memory due to an accident. Her twin sister, Jude, becomes her sole connection to a forgotten past. However, as Kat begins to uncover the truth, she realizes Jude may not be as forthcoming as she initially believed. What follows is a gripping tale that delves into the depths of a cult and the sinister forces they are desperately trying to escape.

One of the book's strengths is its portrayal of the unique bond between twin sisters. The relationship between Jude and Kat serves as a driving force in unraveling the central mystery. As events unfold, the author expertly peels back layers of the past and present, creating a slow-burn narrative that keeps readers engaged. While the pacing may be slow-burn, the tantalizing glimpses into the answers to the mystery maintain a sense of curiosity and intrigue.

The book is a dark tale exploring the complexities of sisterhood, loyalty, and the lengths individuals will go to attain freedom. The sisters' actions are thought-provoking and chilling, leaving readers pondering the boundaries of love and sacrifice.

Overall, this book is a compelling and atmospheric read that will captivate fans of psychological thrillers and intricate family dynamics.

Abbott Kahler's fiction debut, "Where You End," is a tour de force that seamlessly blends suspense, psychological intrigue, and masterful storytelling. From the moment I delved into the world of identical twins Kat and Jude, I was ensnared by the novel's gripping premise.

The tale unfolds with Kat's awakening from a coma, her only connection to the past being the face and name of her twin sister, Jude. As Kat grapples with profound questions about her identity and the events leading to her accident, Kahler masterfully guides readers through a labyrinth of twists and turns. The author's ability to capture the nuances of Kat's confusion and quest for answers creates an emotional resonance that immerses readers in the narrative.

The enigma of mysterious pursuers and Kat's unexplained flashes of anger inject a thrilling sense of danger into the narrative, making "Where You End" an intense and compelling read.

Kahler's writing is both intensely creepy and beautifully nuanced, creating an atmospheric tension that heightens the intrigue. "Where You End" is not just a tale of amnesia but an exploration of revenge, redemption, and the resilience of the human spirit. The novel's thematic depth and captivating storytelling make it an unforgettable read.

"Where You End" is a phenomenal reading experience that I would recommend you consider picking up upon release.

Where You End, by Abbott Kahler

Short Take: For once, the big twist in a story about identical twins wasn’t the twist that’s ALWAYS in stories about identical twins.

(*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*)

Happy New Year, my beloved Nerdlings! I’ve decided that instead of resolutions this year, I’m going to go with a sort of personal wishlist - learning things I’ve always wanted to learn, finding some small ways to treat my body better, spending more time with friends. Sort of a low calorie version of resolutions, if you will. I want to focus on some small tweaks to the whole mind-body-spirit thing, without setting myself up with big goals that I’ll probably fail.

And of course, to read and review more tasty books. I’ve been failing on the review front for a while - covid brain fog is a nasty lingering thing - but I want to try to get back into sharing my opinions with the six or so people who enjoy them.

So let’s start with Where You End, shall we? I’ll be honest - I thought this book looked pretty good when I saw it on Netgalley & requested it, then, when my request was approved, I asked myself what I was thinking. Books about identical twins (although Kat & Jude are mirror twins, identical but opposite) that promise a big twist always deliver the exact same twist. No, I’m not going to name it here, anyone who’s read more than like 2-3 thrillers about twins already knows it. So I was understandably annoyed with myself & ready to grumble & slog my way through this book to the oh-so-predictable ending.

Sometimes I love being wrong.

When Kat Bird wakes up from a coma with near-total amnesia, the only person she recognizes is her twin sister Jude. As soon as Kat is released from the hospital, Jude takes her in and begins to tell Kat about their shared past, as well as who Kat was as a person. But Jude has plenty of good reasons to lie…

As I said, this book did not go where I was sure it was going to go, and for that reason alone, it’s better than a lot of what’s out there. My big issue with Where You End, however, was the terribly uneven pacing. We flip back and forth between Kat in the present day, trying to remember herself and getting into various difficult situations, and Jude in the past, recounting their childhood and events leading up to the pivotal car accident.

But there are seemingly long stretches of not much happening, lots of extraneous details, vague hints about things actually happening, ruminations, observations, determinations, and then a bunch of stuff happens at once, then back to crawling sloooooooooooooooowly along toward the next event.

I also didn’t entirely buy into the characters. I understand that the ones who shared Jude & Kat’s upbringing would tend to be pretty black & white due to [spoiler], but others just seemed to lack nuance - they are saviors or bad guys.

All that said, I really felt like the story itself had a lot of originality, and the way many of the pieces came together in the end was beyond satisfying.

The Nerd’s Rating: FOUR HAPPY NEURONS (and a pickled human heart… for science.)

Where You End was an interesting read, though not as twisty for me as I had hoped. I liked the element of Kat pushing to find the truth of herself and the suspicious nature of the twins’ lives. Some things, like Kat’s relationship with Sab, felt entirely too convenient and fairly early on was making guesses that proved true for the twists. There is some interesting stuff here though, especially with the relationship of the twins and the cult.
Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest reviews

This book had all the aspects that would typically hook me and not let me stop reading and yet I found myself distracted throughout this book. Overall, an ok revenge tale, but not one that will stay with me.
Thanks to Henry Holt Books and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review. #arc #netgalley

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Henry Holt & Company for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Cults, CSA, CSE, fighting/violence

I would describe this novel as a psychological character study with thriller elements, and would recommend it for readers who enjoy deep character/sibling relationships and converging storylines.

We follow the relationship of two near-identical twins, after a car crash that causes one to have almost complete amnesia (Kat) - with the only thing she remembers being her sister's name (Jude). She must work to piece together both her past and personality - but when Kat investigates, she realizes that there are inconsistencies in her sister’s stories. Meanwhile, we have occasional flashes to the past from the Jude’s POV - and we (as the reader) can piece together the larger story as told between them both.

This story creates more of a personality study between both of the sisters, and tests their trust and belief in one another. Can Kat really trust her sister, who has lied to her the entire time since her accident? Or should Kat trust her estranged family, who finds her after all these years, instead?

Personally, this book worked less for me as I could predict the story from around the 30% mark and was less invested in how the narrative unfolded. However, if you don’t wish for shocking twists of the narrative, then I think this book would work well for you.

I think one of my biggest issues was Kat’s personality. I understand she lost a great deal of herself due to the amnesia, but regardless she makes very questionable choices that I’m still shocked worked out well for her. For instance, Jude tells her not to leave their apartment when she’s gone, or to not leave their small block - both of which I find very reasonable requests when told to someone who has no memory of their life or how the world works. However, Kat makes the decision fairly early on to not only disobey this, but to follow a strange man she just met into the back room of a bar, filled with other men. Nothing happens because this random man is the love interest, but STILL.

I realize it tells us in the synopsis, but I was expecting this to be much more of a thriller with an unreliable narrator who doesn’t know who she can trust. This book tries to be, but with us having flashbacks to Jude’s memories growing up, we (as the reader) have too much information to doubt the sister, even when she is lying to Kat. I think a much more cohesive story might have only been told from Kat’s POV, where we only learn of things at the same time she does - but as it is, when the big twist is finally revealed to Kat, we already know about it, which takes away the impact.

If you like stories that revolve around cults with strong sibling relationships, with only a few thriller elements, then I would suggest this novel. I did not find any of the twists to be surprising, but I don’t think that is necessarily needed if the character building/relationships and interweaving of the past/present is something you enjoy in a story.

This debut fiction is a twisty, suspense novel. I think it's best to go in blind, so I won't elaborate on the plot beyond the synopsis. The alternating timelines and POVs set up a unique structure that feels a little off-kilter and add to the unnerving feel of the story.

I enjoyed the read, but I do think it should have been 20-25% shorter.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HenryHolt for a free copy of #WhereYouEnd by Abbott Kahler. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt Co. for the audio ARC! I initially requested this arc because the synopsis sounded so intriguing (mirror twins, one with amnesia, creepy/sinister vibes) and Megan Tusing is one of my favorite audiobook narrators.

This did not miss! 👏🏻 So fast paced and engaging, I was deeply intrigued and appreciated that everything wasn’t plainly spelled out. My mind was racing with possibilities and I couldn’t stop listening! I finished this in an evening and I don’t regret it. What a unique and captivating thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley, Abbott Kahler & Henry Holt for a digital ARC of Where You End.

This creepy cover instantly caught my attention and definitely sounded like something I needed to read!

Unfortunately, this one fell just a little flat for me and I'd rate it 3.5-Stars, rounded to 4-Stars for social media promotion.

After a horrible vehicle accident, Kat is left with no memories other than that of her mirror image twin sister Jude. She has to rely on Jude for literally everything to piece her life, that she cannot remember, back together. She soon discovers that Jude may be lying to her or at least lying by omission, so Kat sets out to discover the truth about who she is, what her life was like and why Jude is trying to hide it from her.

The cult-like storyline is becoming stale. I think, for me at least, that if the author had went another route as opposed to the cult-like storyline, it would have been much better. I also feel like we didn't dive too deep into either of the MC even though that was primarily the point of the story. The pacing was good & it kept me interested enough to not get bored with it, but big reveal moments just weren't big & not surprising.

I would still definitely pickup another book by this author. I saw potential that appealed to me, it just didn't quit fully develop with this one.

Thank you netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. for allowing me to read this book. This book was very interesting and different.

This was so good for a debut thriller from an author that has written strictly non-fiction as Karen Abbott.
Kat Bird barely survived a car accident a few weeks back, and her memory has been virtually erased. She can form sentences and understand when people talk to her, but the only person she recognizes is her twin sister, Jude. Slowly, Jude brings Kat up to date on the events that helped shape their lives: their' father's disappearance, their mother's date, their post-high school European vacation. But there are nagging inconsistencies in Jude's narrative. As Kat learns more about herself and as bits of memory fall into place, she begins to harbor doubts that Jude is being truthful. Couple this with newfound evidence of her own propensity for (and expertise at) violence, and Kate is shaken to her core. However much Kat thinks she knows, however much she is able to relearn, there is one person who knows her better: Jude.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for this e-arc.*

This psychological thriller includes two twin sisters, Kat and Jude. Kat wakes up from a coma and does not remember anything or anyone except her sister, Jude. It's quickly suspected that Jude is hiding something from her while she is trying to uncover her memory of her past.
This story is very dark and intense once the past starts to unravel and things start to come to light. It was a bit confusing at some points, but definitely a unique story line.

3.25 Stars

This was different than what I thought it’d be going into it, but I still enjoyed it.

Kat wakes up from a coma with no knowledge of her past or who she is. The only thing she remembers is her twin, Jude, who is sitting beside her. As Jude helps Kat fill in the blanks of her past, things begin not to add up and Kat questions what is real.

Jude and her sister escaped from a cult and while she has to relive that trauma, she does what she can to prevent Kat from having to. Jude’s chapters are told about the past, and as the disturbing details come to light, you can see why she wanted to keep it from Kat. However, since we get the present (1983) told from Kat’s point of view, as a reader you will also begin to question what is the truth. There are times the author played into the “twins are creepy” stereotype and I’m left unsure if it was effective or unnecessary.

I think the setting was perfect for this book: 1970-1983 Pennsylvania. The era lends authenticity to the story and makes what happened believable for that time.

At the end, everything comes to a head, and we are left with the truth about Kat and Jude’s world and who they are. There were definitely things I didn’t see coming, but I was also left with questions.

I always find books like this one very hard to rate. Luckily, it looks like most people are having the same issue! How do you rate a book that is unique and interesting, but also confusing and campy?

Kat and Jude are set of strange identical twins; they are identical, but in mirror image (think dimples on different cheeks and hair parted differently). The book starts with Kat in a coma after a car accident. When she wakes up, she sees Jude and immediately recognizes her, but that’s about the only thing she remembers.

Now, it’s up to Jude to fill in the blanks for Kat. Who are their parents? What kind of childhoood did they have? Kat doesn’t even remember foods - what does she like to eat? To drink? Was she an athlete, a book nerd, a goth kid? She has nobody to tell her, except for Jude. Problem is, Jude is painting a rosy picture that has very little to do with the truth…

This bordered on having a YA feel, and I think that’s another reason why I think this one wasn’t for me. The plot was original, as were the characters, but overall there was just something missing. I know some twins have their own language, but theirs was annoying and childish. I do think this grew on me as it went along, but the beginning and end were the best parts - the middle was where it got a bit muddy. Still, this wasn’t a bad fiction debut. Three stars.

(Thank you to Henry Holt & Co., Abbott Kahler and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 16, 2024.)