This book was really difficult to get into. Most of the time I could not keep up with what was going on with the characters or the storyline, perhaps it was me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This haunting debut novel—perfect for fans of Iain Reid, Jeff VanderMeer, and Julia Armfield—is a “wild genre-and-mind-bending ride” (Laura Sims, author of Looker) about a loyal employee at a collapsing theme park questioning the recent death of a celebrity visitor, the arrival of strange new guests, her boyfriend’s erratic behavior, and ultimately her own sanity.

This book sounded so great - something creepy about closing an amusement park. I just could never really figure it out. I felt lost. But maybe that's just me and the book wasn't for me. I finished it but I didn't feel fulfilled. I would read it if you're interested. Maybe it was just over my head. The book isn't bad, I just didn't get it


Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for letting me review and give an honest opinion.

I struggled with the writing and the slowness of the book. This book was work for me, I don't mind when I am not sure about what is going on, but there is not knowing what is going on and then there is being confused. I was confused. This book wasn't for me but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be for someone else. I will just tell people to give it a try and see what they think.


Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I had such high hopes for this book, especially with the theme park setting. What a unique plot location. However, this book just wasn't it for me. I don't know why necessarily and it is hard to compare to anything else. It just didn't end up being one that I felt was right for me.

I had high hopes for this one because of the amusement park setting, however it didn't live up to my expectations. I was intrigued by Delphi's relationship to her step father and what happened to her hands, but otherwise I couldn't connect with them. Delphi as a character felt a little flat and under developed. I wasn't particularly interested in finding out why the park was closing or any of that storyline.
However I did really enjoy the letters between the siblings. I felt that part of the book was very well done and the siblings both had a lot of personality come through the letters to each other.
Overall, it had a lot of potential, but felt unfinished and a bit confusing.

This was such a unique book for me.
Delphi has been working at a popular but collapsing theme park, and when a Hollywood personality dies in a disturbing way, she is given the task of closing the park. As she learns more about what happens when the park closes at night, we're taken on a mind and genre bending tale that twists and turns as much as the rollercoaster on the cover!

This is a supremely unique story that is hard to compare directly to anything else. But if you like having your mind twisted in new ways with a side of suspense, you should check this one out.

If you love theme parks, like Disney, and always wondered about the behind the scenes and what it would be like to work there. If you love weird stories, that push your brain and understanding of the story more each chapter - this is definitely the one for you.

I was confused almost this whole book. I liked the start, a horrific thing has happened at the theme park and slowly, it is laying off the cast, characters and crew. Only a select few are left behind and they are slowly shutting the park down.

I liked the intro of the main character and Brandon. I loved the banter and a lot of their small moments. The letters about odd things happening kept me engaged too. But pretty soon, things went off the rails and I definitely started to lose the plot. It's a little slow and as it slowed, my interest was definitely waning too. The end was definitely confusing and I'm still not 100% sure I know the hows and whys but I did like the ending and how it all wrapped up.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

At the End of Every Day is an ambitious debut novel that would work well for the right reader. Unfortunately, I am not that reader. It started off strong, but the middle dragged so much I almost DNF'ed. The descriptions of the park and its various rides and areas were far too detailed and confusing. I am not a huge theme park fan, so perhaps those sections would've worked better for someone who is.

I'm glad I decided to push through, though, since the last 50 or so pages really picked up and bumped my rating from 2 to 3 stars. I enjoyed the ending and the way the threads connected.

Overall, this was just okay for me. I would pick up another book by this author, though, since she is clearly talented!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

This genre-bending book bent my brain…and not in a good way.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy the narrative style of this book and the POV shifts. I just felt like it tried to pack a ton of things in that didn’t quite work together? The book starts off quite strong and you are immediately intrigued as to what is going on behind the scenes at this theme park, but then it QUITE LITERALLY goes off the rails.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Main Character Delphi works at an amusement park until a famous star dies on the property. Delphi is put in charge of closing down the park.

Let me start by saying that the author's writing style is truly unique... and slightly complex. This writing style won't be for everyone, and that's okay. It will be a huge success with those who do enjoy it.
It did get a tad confusing at times, but once I fully grasped what was happening with the writing style, I did realyl enjoy this book.

Such a good debut!

So far I may be the only reviewer on Goodreads who really liked "At the End of Every Day." It’s Arianna Reiche’s debut novel, a literary psychological horror story set in a twisted Disney-like theme park that's closing its doors after a young Hollywood actress dies near the entrance.

Those who love complex writing and the surreal – like me – will gobble the book up. But those who don't, won't. Reiche has written the story on a rambling, cerebral level, and she spends a lot of time developing the characters, fleshing out back stories, and describing the creepy theme park. You have to like that style of writing to enjoy it.

And the novel is one, too, where it feels like you're wearing blinders the entire time you read it. Delphi, our narrator, is one of the last employees of the park. Her final task is to shut the park down for good, so it’s through her eyes that we see the park’s fun-house illusions and hidden tunnels. But even though we're viewing it firsthand through Delphi, we only see what's right in front of her. We never see a zoomed out, bigger picture of her surroundings. It’s claustrophobic, atmospheric, and fits the vibe of the story so well.

The book does stumble at the end, though. Just when the blinders lift and things start to make sense, Reiche lightens up on the writing. Much of the story's opaqueness falls away, making it almost too easy to follow what is happening. And after the compelling blurriness of everything that came before, I felt cheated by the clarity of the ending. I wanted more uncertainty and greater room to draw my own conclusions.

"At the End of Every Day" is nevertheless a debut I can stand up and applaud. I just hope that the more it's read by others, the louder the applause will echo.


My sincerest appreciation to Arianna Reiche, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

I wanted to really love this book, but unfortunately, the word that comes to mind for me is "confusing". I think the premise was fantastic, and while the writing wasn't awful, it just wasn't for me. I'm sure it'll find its audience, but sadly, I'm absolutely not said audience.

Not my type of read, really. I wish I would have seen more reviews before I requested it. Read if you love the likes of Mona Awad and Ottessa Moshfegh.

A stark exploration of love, need, and loneliness in the face of unforgiving odds, AT THE END OF EVERY DAY is a boldly plotted story that features some of the most gorgeous prose I’ve seen all year. For as heavily shadowed and dire the story becomes, the one thing the reader and protagonist never lose is hope, which is a remarkable feat. I loved this book. It frequently gets compared to the work of Jeff VanderMeer, and while I can certainly see some of that (probably most closely with Hummingbird Salamander), I think what Reiche has crafted here is singularly beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love unreliable narrators, and Delphi was just that. This book was one wild psychological ride that I thought I might get thrown off of! The mystery of the theme park definitely intrigued me, the letters in-between chapters were strange due to the subject matter of cults and AI bots, which seemingly end up coming together.

At the End of Every Day is one heck of a debut! Highly recommend!!

I was excited to read this debut novel because of my love of theme parks. Unfortunately I found it slow and confusing and I just did not connect to the novel. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Well, this one sure is taking a bashing and I'm not sure why.

Then again, I'm not entirely sure what I just finished reading. I know I didn't hate it, like others seem to have. I know it's not my newest favorite, either. I do think it's going to be one of those books my brain will keep coming back to over time. It does that sometimes, and then I usually wind up coming back and nudging my rating higher.

What I can tell from the naysayers is that they appear to be huge Disney-ers. And yes, I get that this is based on Disney-esque lore. I loved it for that, but I'm also not a hardcore, Disney-every-year fanatic (would that I only had that kind of money!). I've been to Disney World twice. I ate in a restaurant on the very outskirts of Disneyland once. I get that it's really hard to mess with somethig as deeply ingrained in the American pop culture as Disney and not face some fallout.

I think Ariana Reiche is fully capable of weathering the negativity of initial reviews. I would like everyone who's written this book off for whatever reason, to remember that this book is a debut, and a very <b>ambitiously talented</b> debut, at that. I think the writing was excellent, even brilliant in places. I think the plot was pretty bold and evasive. I had several alternative theories as to how this would end, and while I was somewhat partially right, I was also very, very off-base. I think I'm a little sad about that, because I really liked my alternate ending and it would've explained some of why Brendan occasionally felt like a Ken doll to me.

I'm not 100% sure of what all went on in that last 15% and the timeline at the end kind of totally blew by me. I think that just means Ariana Reiche is a whole lot smarter than me. I think this was a pretty stellar way of describing the various coping mechanisms people employ to save themselves after trauma and "safe" ways of processing grief.

Probably will wind up pondering on this one.

𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤:
Delphi has spent years working at a vast and iconic theme park in California after fleeing her childhood trauma in her rural hometown. But after the disturbing death of a beloved Hollywood starlet on the park grounds, Delphi is tasked with shuttering The Park for good. Meanwhile, two siblings with ties to The Park exchange letters, trying to understand why people who work there have been disappearing. Before long, they learn that there’s a reason no one is meant to see behind The Park’s curtain. What happens when The Park empties out? And what happens when Delphi, who seems remarkably at one with The Park, is finally forced to leave?

𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
The mention of Iain Reid, Jeff VanderMeer, and Julia Armfield in the blurb combined with weird things happening in a Disney-like theme park was what initially caught my attention with this one. The common theme with all of those authors are confusing weirdness that isn't fully explained, and a sense of dread building up slowly which is something this book definitely delivered on. I thought the slow burn (and it's pretty slow) paid off in the end. While I'm not sure this book will work for everyone, I think careful readers who don't mind ambiguity will enjoy this one.

Unique story set in a fictional amusement park that seem a lot like Disney, the writer had great world building but a story that was convoluted and didn't always make sense. Delphi Baxter is a young woman who works as a ride mechanic at this California park. Delphi hints at a traumatic childhood and always wears gloves. Lots of the book is spent on describing the inside and outside of the rides and this got to be tedious after a point. In addition to Delphi's narration, there are letters from a brother and sister to each other describing the brother's experience as a "bot" designer for the park and the sister' experience with wildfires and a church which is cult like. These letters are interesting but don't have much to do with the over all story besides suggestions that things are not right in the park and the real world. The park is closing after the death of an actress on a ride and Delphi is part of the shut down crew.

Delphi has a boyfriend named Brendan who works as a prince in the park. We are supposed to think the couple are close but every time he is around her she is pushing him away. There is also a strange sex scene that seemed to be trying to say something but I don't know what it is. A lot of information is dumped at the end including a big twist that doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. Delphi never seemed like a real person to me and the book kept hinting at the secret about her injured hands but by the time it was revealed I had long guessed it by the clues left. On top of being convoluted, it was depressing and I just didn't get the author's purpose in writing this story. There are incomplete stories here about natural disasters, killer robots, religious cults, possible sex trafficking and a few other things that are thrown in. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

Was so exited about this one, the synopsis hooked me right away. Felt too confusing for me to enjoy it, there was so much going on, on top of it being pretty weird (which I usually love).