Terrific, heart-breaking, riveting! I can't say enough good things about this book. At the center of it is a thirteen-year-old girl named Duchess Day Radley who likes to call herself 'the outlaw,' a real badass who doesn't tolerate much guff from anybody as she tries to protect her brother Robin who's six, and deal with her beautiful but broken mother, Star.

The lynchpin of the story though is Vincent King, who has been in prison for thirty years for a crime he committed when he was 15 and is about to return home to their town of Cape Haven, California. Nothing will ever be the same once he arrives.

I won't mention all the other wonderful characters by name but one way or another, Duchess Day Radley affects all their lives by her actions. This is a coming-of-age story for our times: shocking, tender, tragic, yet strangely uplifting because of basic human goodness. This may end up being my favorite book of the year! Highly recommend!

I received an arc of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks.

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker is part mystery, part character-driven novel about Duchess, her brother Robin, the Chief of Police Walk, and Vincent King. Walk is there for his friend Vincent when he is released from prison after thirty years. But the coastal California town where they grew up and still live is still recovering from the terrible accident that put Vincent in prison. Duchess may only be thirteen years old, but she takes care of her younger brother and her mother, and she will do anything for them. This story is difficult, yet full of hope and humor. I highly recommend this inspiring story. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a much deeper book than I expected it to be, and it was kind of rambly and hard to follow in some places. No cliffhanger; the end ties everything up pretty nicely, although I would like to know what happens to certain characters in the long run. I loved Duchess Ray Radley, Outlaw though. She is my kind of character. I also really liked Hal and was disappointed with his ending. 3.5 stars.

We Begin at the End is exquisite in every possible way - any words I write hear cannot begin to convey the impact and punch of this beautifully written, heart-wrenching novel. Add it to your TBR pile NOW, you won't want to miss out on this read! If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.

Chief of Police Walker (Walk) learns that Vince King, imprisoned at age 15 for the death of 7 year-old Sissy Radley, is being released after 30 years and returning to their hometown Cove Haven, CA. Unfortunately, it was Walk's testimony that sent his best friend to prison and he has carried the burden of it ever since. He visited Vince regularly through the years, and routinely looks out for Star Radley (Sissy's sister) and her children Duchess 13, and Robin 5. He is an honest man, one who takes his responsibilities seriously, and one who cares deeply. Now he looks forward to helping Vince re-enter the world again.

Star has struggled through the years. She has been felled by grief over her sister's death, heartache caused by men who used her and abused her, and has danced too long and too closely with alcohol and drugs. She wants nothing more than to be a good mother to her children, but she is incapable of it.

Duchess Day Radley, a self-declared outlaw, never had the chance to be a child. She learned early to count on no one but herself, and after her brother Robin was born, she assumed the role of his primary caregiver as well. She also has had to take care of her mother more times than she can count. She is hard, cynical, fearless, selfless, strong, and brave beyond measure. She does what it takes to take care of her family, and loves Robin more than anything else. Unfortunately, in protecting her family, she does something drastic that leads to yet another tragedy.

It is the characters (those mentioned above and several others) that give this book heart. Their relationships, their frailties, their hopes, their dashed dreams and disappoinments are what make this such an absorbing read. They are alive and truly memorable. Duchess in particular is a shining star.

This is a book about people who have been dealt rotten cards in life; how they cope, how they rise and fall, and continue on. It is about family - the family you are born into, and the family you make for yourself. It is about grief, regrets, remorse, hope, forgiveness, and love. A mesmerizing and memorable read!

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for allowing me to read a copy of this book prior to its scheduled publication date of 3/2/21. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Self-proclaimed Outlaw, Duchess Radley is thirteen-year-old girl who must care for her five-year-old brother, Robin. She should be enjoying her childhood, going to school, hanging out with friends, and having fun. Unfortunately, she is a parentified child who must look out for her five-year-old brother. She makes his lunch, has arranged care for him at school, and has had to resort to stealing to provide food for him. She goes without food so that he can eat. She remembers his birthday when their Mother, Star, does not. She is the one who calls 911 when there is trouble. Her mother does not look out for her, she looks out for her mother. She is the one who stands up for them both when others make fun of them. They are talked about and judged. Their mother and her life choice are the source of the town’s gossip.

Walk, the town sheriff looks out for Duchess, Robin and Star when he can. He has a lot on his plate and his own personal issues. He grew up with Star and still feels the guilt and heartache over providing the testimony that sent his friend, and Star’s fifteen-year-old boyfriend, Vincent King to prison. Vincent going to prison impacted their lives in various ways. Walk, Vincent and Star have never truly recovered. How could they? Walk and Star seem to both be on a collision course of self-destruction. Thirty years have now passed, and Vincent is being released. What will the future hold? How will this further change their lives?

Talk about being dealt a rough hand in life. All these characters should have had bright futures but life, as they say, got in the way. Devastating loss, hardships, life changing and altering events, heartbreak, grief, guilt, burdens, secrets, pain, sacrifice, love, friendship, revenge and family are all throw into the mix in a harrowing way.

This book is gritty, gripping and heartbreaking. Talk about packing a punch. I could not help but root for tough as nails, Duchess. A brave outlaw who does not always make the right choices but is fiercely loyal to her brother and tries to make things better. She has a tough exterior to hide the fact that she is a young girl trying her best to survive. The children pulled on my heartstrings and had me engrossed in their plight. The adults in this story will evoke strong emotion from readers as well.

There will be some twists and turns and a reveal that I did not see coming. The plot was riveting, and I could feel the characters desperation, heartache and pain. This is a story that I will be thinking about for days to come.

Beautifully written and perfectly paced. This was my first book by Whitaker, and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A brilliant crime novel, but also so much more than that. This is about love and family, the one you are born into and the one you choose. It is about truth and forgiveness, not only for others, but also for ourselves. My words cannot do this book justice. So many beautiful sections I want to share!⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥.”⁣
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I can’t move on. I’m not ready. I want to stay with the characters, remain in their orbit and follow their story forever. Whitaker writes with exquisite prose, pouring you into the world of Duchess and Walk and all the other characters until you feel completely immersed in the story. This is an intensely emotional and character driven story, perfectly paced that has left me unable to say goodbye. Definitely pick this one up! ⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴. 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺.”⁣
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Many thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for gifting me a digital ARC of this amazing novel by Chris Whitaker. 5 glowing stars - this book will take every part of you and leave you with characters you won't soon forget.

Duchess Day Radley is a 13-year-old who has been forced to be the adult at home, taking care of her younger brother, Robin, because mom, Star, is an alcoholic. Duchess is a self-proclaimed outlaw and woe be it to those to bully Robin or comment about her family. Walk grew up in small coastal Cape Haven, CA, was in a tight group with Star growing up, and is now the Chief of Police. Dealing with his own health issues, Walk is also living with regret because he testified at the trial of his best friend, Vincent King, decades ago upon the death of Star's sister, and sealed his fate in prison. Walk has made it a mission to look after Star and her family and is the only adult that Duchess has some faith in. Everything changes for all of them when Vincent is released from prison.

This is a beautifully written book that will totally grip you. All of the characters are so fleshed out that you can see them and feel their emotions. I'm not sure you will find a character like Duchess anywhere and you feel every ounce of her pain, strength, reliance and righteousness. Besides the main characters, you will also fall in love with Hal Dolly and Thomas, and experience the atmospheric beauty of the settings. The mystery part of the story will keep you twisting until the ending. While it's a very emotional story, there is much hope and redemption in these characters.

Highly recommended - do not miss this one!

Just brilliant. It gets better with every page and the ending is totally surprising -so don't jump to the back of the book. Friends you make when you are young will always be the best.

A five star read beautifully written full of emotions.Thebook drew me in from the first pages the characters are so well written theyy come alive.I was drawn in from the first pages a bookI will be recommending,#netgalkey#henryhokt

This was an extraordinary tale of the human spirit. The book is beautifully written with well developed, complex characters. I loved Duchess and wanted to hug her. She has a hard time in life for one so young but she is willing to make the best of it. And she has Walk. The author is truly a word artist and had me captivated with this story.
Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Excellent read by Chris Whitaker. A moving story of years-long friendship, loyalty and tragedy. Deserving of five stars and more.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Loved everything about this! It's a bit dark and gritty, there's suspense and a crime to solve, there's parts that break your heart, and parts that piss you off. Most of all there's a child narrator that's like a dog hit by a car...growling and snapping, and even though you are pretty sure you're going to get bit, you want to wrap your arms around her and never let go. I should share, I almost put this aside, because I read some advance praise that called this narrator a 21st c. Scout. I usually hate books that try to be something they are not by emulating something popular (e.g. "If you loved Girl on a Train!", "If you loved Big Little Lies!"). But TKAM? No one should even try. So, if you are like me, I'm happy to say, I didn't see it. This is no Scout. She is all her own. Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for providing a digital ARC for review. This is on shelves 3/2/21. I'm just sorry you have to wait that long :)

Blown away, simply blown away. This book is not my normal genre to read. I decided to branch out and try something different. All I can say is the story of Walk, Dutchess, and Robin are simply destroying me. I am sitting here having just finished this book trying to fully state my experience with these characters.

I am haunted by all the twists and turns. Nothing about this story was predictable. Every time I thought I had figured out what the truth was another twist was thrown my way. Life was never fair for these characters but they truly made their own way with the hand they were dealt.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars!

While this may have started out a bit slow for me, I was absolutely taken with the characters, all whom are memorable, though not all for entirely good reasons.  The story gripped my emotions.   It is a powerful story about enduring love, the strength of family and the lengths that one would willingly go through for it. 

There’s Duchess Day Radley. She is fierce and mesmerizing, filled with so much anger having been dealt a life too young to handle. Then there is Walk, Chief of Police and riddled with guilt over his part in sending his best friend, Vincent King, to prison. In addition, there is an entire side cast of characters that come in and out of the story that make indelible marks on them and each other.

The mystery is heartbreaking and intense. Just as I was beginning to believe something good was going to happen the rug got pulled out right from under me. Yet even in the tragedy there was humor. I couldn’t help but laugh a few times.

In the end this was a story that did more than hold my interest. It was compelling and heart wrenching and everything in between.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, but unfortunately it fell short for me. I found the writing too simplistic and the characters didn't seem real to me.

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

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! This is a hard book, but it delivers in every possible way.

Walk still lives in the town where he grew up and his life is dominated by the memories of the year he was 15, when his, and his friend's, life changed forever. Now, 30 years later, his friend Vincent King is finally being released from prison after being convicted of murder for what was actually a tragic accident. That one incident changed so many lives and still lives on in this little town.

Vincent's return sets off a series of events that no one could have foreseen, but they all should have. His old high school girlfriend, Star Radley, now lives in the old family place with her two young children. She is considered by most to be the lowest of the low, no one knowing who the fathers of her children might be, seemingly, not even Star. It was her sister Sissy whose death Vincent was convicted of causing. Her two children run wild, as she is usually drunk or otherwise in no shape to care for them, so her 13-year old, Duchess, takes care of her 6-year old brother.. And Walk, now the county Sheriff, watches over them all.

This is a modern-day tragedy, as everyone has their ghosts and their secrets.

We Begin at the End is one of those rare books that stirred every emotion in me until its final page. Chris Whitaker's writing is so clean and crisp that he created a story that captivated me and characters that I found engaging. By the time I finished the last page I knew this was a book that I will recommend and remember this year and in years to come.

A small town on the California coast hides mystery and heartbreak. Years ago, a young girl is accidently killed by a teen-aged boy. There begins a tragic story of one man’s need to atone for the deed, and another man’s need to help his friend who was found guilty. When Sheriff Walk learns that Vincent will be getting out of jail after a prolonged sentence, he wants to ensure that Vincent will be able to find some kind of peace. But life has moved on from that day so long ago….or has it?

The town has changed, and people have grown up. Star, Vincent’s former girlfriend and the sister of the girl he killed, is now a mother, frequent drinker and bar singer. Once beautiful, Star can still evoke strong emotions in men. But Star cannot help herself or her children – Duchess (a young teen) and Robin, a six-year-old boy. Duchess is the one who takes over the mothering both to her mother and young brother. She has steeled herself to navigate adult waters by styling herself as Duchess Radley – an outlaw and descendent of outlaws. She takes nothing from no one in an attempt to keep her family safe.

When further tragedy strikes, it is Duchess who focuses on revenge. She sees no allies and tries to alienate all those who may help her. One of those is the ailing Sheriff Walk. He believes that Duchess will not find peace or safety until he can unravel the current tragedy and better understand what happened so many years ago. These two main characters evoked memories of True Grit and To Kill a Mockingbird. These are two protagonists that will linger in memory.

Book clubs get ready with your handkerchiefs……much to consider and discuss. Highly recommended….a perfect read! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this title to review.

There are those rare books that as you’re going through it you desperately want to keep reading to find out what is coming next while at the same time you force yourself to slow down because to finish means the experience is over and you’ll never discover these characters, this story the first time again. John Irving’s, “A Prayer for Owen Meany” was that book for me. And now this one is as well.

I hate book hype, and I think it’s rampant on this platform. There have been so many titles that publishers have pushed through influential accounts that I’ve thought were at best a three star read and more often than not beach fodder. This is bound to get that hype, and for once I’ll say this absolutely deserves it. I’d classify it as a literary thriller, but it feels reductive, frankly because it’s at heart a beautiful character study dropped into a carefully crafted story that guts you with its revelations but leaves you hopeful by the last page.

Thirteen year old Duchess Radley will go down this year as one of the most if not the most memorable character you’ll come across-A foul mouthed tough talking Scout Finch, caring for her younger brother Robin, because their Mother, Star is just a train wreck and mostly incapable of doing her motherly duties. Their lives are upended in unimaginable ways with the arrival of Vincent King, the ex boyfriend of Star, and the killer of her sister thirty years prior whose just been released from prison. I’ll stop my oversell now lest I be accused of hype 🤣, and simply say I absolutely loved this book. I think you will too.
Thanks to @henryholt and @netgalley for the advance copy.

A sheriiff with a conscience and a secret, a woman spiraling down through drugs and alcohol, an ex-con with scores to settle---these are some of the characters featured, but none are more compelling than thirteen year old Duchess Day Radley, self proclaimed outlaw. Although the characters are the meat of this novel, the writing is beautiful and the plot complex and perfectly rendered. The reader will go on an emotional roller coaster. This is highly recommended.