This is a solid 4.5 stars, but rounding up. Thank you to NetGalley, Page Street Publishing and Page Street YA for the ARC!

This was, first and foremost, a story about grief. In modern-day Portland, Bastian is grieving the loss of his mother and processing the trauma of a car accident that should have killed him, too. Zan is bound to the Ferryman for 500 years of servitude and must deliver Bastian's soul to him. Overall, the book was emotionally difficult - it was tough to watch Bastian's depressive cycle and there were some scenes that just emotionally wrecked me.

The use of mythology and the world building was so unique (I mean, the love story takes place in frozen, stolen memories of the dead - will never be over that); Bastian and Zan were loveable as they learned to fall back in love with living together; and while the focus of the story was definitely on Bastian's journey with grief, the secondary characters felt like they belonged in the story, not just to support Bastian or the plot. Overall, this story will stick with me for a long time.

The ending gutted me - I am desperate for more and I know that that's the intention. I will say that while this book is emotionally devastating at times, Kulwicki pulled her punches and deliver a nuanced ending to the story that felt right. (That's not to say that it didn't wreck me.)

I didn’t expect to feel so many emotions when I started reading At the End of the River Styx. Michelle Kulwicki has crafted a magical—and more importantly for me—honest story about grief, love, and healing that left me with tears in my eyes. In a good way. That is where the honest part of my previous statement comes from and I truly respect Kulwicki and her story for it. At the End of the River Styx is a wonderful debut by Michelle Kulwicki and I really recommend it to anyone who wants a story that will both catch them by surprise and exceed their expectations.

It was a pleasant read that went on for far too long. If this book was shorter and concentrated on the romance a bit more, I would have rated it higher. The book had such an interesting premise. It was a promising read. However, it fell flat in world building, character development, and overall length. I felt the book focused so much on Bastian that I lost touch with Zan. The character of Zan held so much potential. If the book would stick with its current length, I wished I got to read more about Zan and his history and his ancestry. He was basically lukewarm water by the end of it all. Bastian held depth but his story felt repetitive. It was like reading the same old pattern again and again. Bastian improved at some point and I'm glad he did. However, it was far too late to salvage what was done. All in all, a very promising book but I don't think I was the proper audience for it.

what a gloomy, grief filled but beautiful book

“i will be your traveler, and you will always, always be my star.”

a story of sacrifice, love, healing, grief, selflessness, adventure and anger. the ending, even though it hurt me in my bones, was perfect for at the end of the river styx. fitting prose with a plotline that will have readers “in their feels”. ateotrs is fantasy, but the authenticity of the story sucks you in and makes it all feel terribly real. a very high and set 4 stars.

thank you michelle kulwicki & netgalley for the ARC

I had so much fun reading this book! A refreshingly well done Greek mythology based story. Will be adding to our store in September:)

This was incredibly profound in a way I wasn't expecting. This made me SOB. Like I had to call my mom so she could calm me down and I'm 30 years old for fucks sake.

If I could rate this more than five stars, I would. I will be screaming this book at everyone who even looks at me for my entire life.

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

<i>Zan sounded like Bastian felt on the heels of a panic attack. Scared and anxious, like he couldn’t catch a breath.</i>

Bastian is lost since his mom died in a car incident. The car incident HE caused. His identical twin brother, Dorian, escaped physically unscathed, but Bastian still experiences the consequences, and his guild works overtime. Zan is lost, too. 499 years ago, he saved his mom by giving his soul to the Ferryman. Just one more year until he’s free. Until then he has to guide people who are stuck between life and death so the Ferryman can eat their souls. People like Bastian, who meets Zan in his dreams.

Michelle Kulwicki delivered a beautiful and honest take on grief and healing through love. I wanted to hug Bastian and Zan so many times. The sadness from both boys penetrated the pages from the first sentences, but I also felt Dorian's powerlessness in my bones, the ever-outstretched hand to grieve together instead of alone. The twin, who is not in the blurb but is such an essential part of Bastian's story. I also loved, loved the side characters, Riley jumped off the page, and Mathais was such a sweet jock. And when I was done hugging Bastian and Zan virtually, I wrapped my arms around Dorian for a long, long time.

Don't worry if you're not much of a fantasy reader. At the End of the River Styx is, far and foremost, a contemporary novel, vividly written and so easy to read. Be prepared for lumps in your throat and watery eyes, though. This story is a sad one, but in the end imbued with hope.

I ended the story with a smile on my face, but when I read the acknowledgments, tears crept up behind my eyes again because of that last sentence. A sentence with probably a world behind it and probably the reason you wrote this book, Michelle.

Loved this book. I thought In the first place I could like it less than I really liked. But no. I was wrong. Such a good read. The characters are amazing and so well built.