Member Reviews
This was a decent, mystery, culty, brainwashing book. I did get a little bored of all the twin references but maybe if i was a twin it would be cooler lol Over all this was a pretty good read and would recommend it to some of my friends who i know like this genre
This makes you consider what you would do if your childhood was traumatic and you had the opportunity to change it for your sibling and give them a different memory. It also begs the question can you really change your past? It seems that no matter what you think your past is you will always tend to revert to who you were.
This is a great tale of suspense that takes you back and forth into he past and into the present to learn as Kat learns about her past and struggles to figure out who to trust along the way. Is her sister lying to her? If so why would she do that? Who are these other people who claim to be her friends?
Great narration and interesting dark and twisty story line. The story is not told in a normal way but It fit with the story.
Dark. Twisty. A little disturbing. Not one I'd read again but the writing was good. I've always been fascinated with twins. My own twin daughters are not identical and aren't particularly close or at all alike.
This is only the second book I've listened to that made me speed it up so that I could get to the end faster, not out of excitement, but out of dwindling interest. It was that or give up entirely.
The premise is interesting, though I really don't like the amnesia angle that is quite rare in reality but frequently used as a plot point. Too many thriller authors use it as a crutch to do a slow reveal and it's tiresome. I was fascinated by the twins relationship, one uncovering the other's lies, interfering and betraying, and this cult in their past. Their mother was a piece of work and I really wanted her to suffer, though I don't think her capable of feeling remorse. There is closure at the end, but it's too long and too slow getting there, the reveal way too protracted.
Where You End was a tale of twins, one severely injured in a car accident and the other left to pick up the pieces. With your entire memory erased, who would you go to to fill in the blanks? The other half of you is the person that makes sense. But what if there is nobody else? And does your past experience define your present and your future? The narrator was fantastic and really brought the characters to life. A must read or listen!
Thank you Abbott Kahler, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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.
The narration was good.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for a free copy of #WhereYouEnd by Abbott Kahler. All opinions are my own.
This audiobook was not for me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even finish it. The story was odd and the way it was told is weird. I also didn’t love the narrations. I do see some good reviews thought so it’s partly just a me thing 😊 I will say that I do love the cover.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio 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 & MacMillan Audio for an audio 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.
The twin trope is hit or miss for me, same with dual POVS and dual timelines. HOWEVER, THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! I finished it in one sitting. I was invested in both timelines and both POVs. I listened at 2.5x comfortably and enjoyed both narrators
What an interesting read! I've been really excited for this one, and while it didn't quite live up to the hype I've seen for it, I still enjoyed it. This book is less of a psychological thriller and more of a drama. I liked not knowing who I could trust throughout the story. I liked getting to know the main characters as well even if they felt a little too juvenile at times. I definitely recommend this one for fans of family drama and cults.
Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Usually this is my cup of tea: twin sister secrets, cults, twisty unreliable characters. But this one missed for me. The cover is gorgeous, but the plot could have been stronger. So many secrets and lies, so little real unraveling of all of that. At least to my satisfaction.
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 Macmillan Audio fort his adudio e-arc.*
I shouldn’t even be able to count this. I technically DNF’d but since it was gifted by NetGalley, I tried to get through it. The first 50% I was trying to keep track of the storyline and the characters. But it was just so boring and flat for me that after the first half, i would listen to the audiobook the help me sleep at night. I have no idea how the book ends and I don’t care to find out that’s how unimpressed and disinterested I was.
What a great debut for her first first fiction novel. I found this very refreshing, great angle, interesting story. Fun twists, enjoyed moving through this gripping tale, trying to untangle all the lies throughout and uncovering the past and all that it holds. This one deserves more hype.
This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Twins who run away from home to join a cult. This story glasses from past to present day slowly unfolding the truth. To one twin who has lost her memory from an accident. And to others involved. This book has so many twists and turns it had me guessing until the end. Amazing writing. Would highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this arc
The cover is gorgeous
I initially enjoyed the book but the back and forth timelines got old fast then just confusing and I got bored but I did like the ending
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC audio!
WOW! This book was gripping and so creeping in the best way!! The narrator did such a great job on this book. I couldn’t stop listening to it!
I really liked this book at first. Midway through I couldn't handle the going back and forth in time anymore. Can't stand books like that.
Thank you MacMillan Audio and Henry Holt for review copies! This is a creepy and atmospheric book, nicely narrated (audio) and written in a way that does give a solid sense of unease. The cover alone brings you into a world that feels uncertain, filled with missing information, and being upside down.
Abbott Kahler definitely weaves an interesting tale of mirror twins, one twin in an accident that leaves her with amnesia and the other twin perhaps telling a less than truthful version of their childhood (is she lying? deceiving? something else?). A lot of the themes in this book worked for me in general and the writing is effective, the plot unique. Alas for me a lot of the book is also more confusing than engaging, keeping me from really feeling drawn into the story and invested in figuring out just what is/did happen to Jude and Kat. The narration as noted was excellent, the writing strong, it was just a story that became lost in the details and moodiness, not enough clarity and underdeveloped pacing that left me unsure about the overall book.