WHERE YOU END by Abbott Kahler was a thrill ride for me. I loved everything about this book.

When Kat Bird comes to after a horrific car accident, the only thing she recognizes is her 22 year old mirror twin sister, Jude. She has no memory of their past, where they lived, what they did, what she thought as an individual, nothing.

When Jude brings her home from the hospital she starts filling in the blanks about so much but also holds so much back. We see glimpses of those parts of their lives that Jude is keeping from her, and I wonder if that wasn’t as bad as the accident. Kat wants to make contact with someone who knew her ‘before’. So Jude hooks her up with Wen who also discreetly fills in some blanks. Or does she?

I really enjoyed this one. The pacing was fast as the clues piled up. I liked the author’s writing style which led to a smooth transfer from past to present and back. I also liked that it was all that ‘jawn’ and the shout out to Philly where I live so I could picture the areas in the book. I do have to admit that I thought ‘the plan’ in Philly was a different group also around during that time which, unfortunately ended in disaster. I did learn a bit about the power of the mind so that’s a good thing. This one kept me riveted. I was surprised learn that it was a debut. A job well done.

I have to say I’m not sure if I enjoyed this book or not. The idea is fascinating and I really wanted to like it but it was confusing on a lot of parts and that took me out of the story.
If you like twisty, mind bending, culty books where you aren't sure who is telling the truth, this is the book for you.
I would definitely be willing to give this author another try but I’m just not sure about this one.

"Where You End" is a riveting mystery novel that will keep you reading until the very end. This tale explores the lives of identical twins and the unbreakable bonds they share. Their bond is shattered when one of the twins is involved in a life changing accident that causes her to lose her entire memory, including the memory of their traumatic past, with the other twin trying to pick of the pieces of their past, while at the same time protecting her sister. What unfolds is a distressing narrative, with one twin trying to reclaim her identity and the other trying to protect her from her past.

The author maintains a high level of suspense throughout the story, with twists and turns that are both shocking and scandalous. "Where You End" is a gripping mystery that delves into identity, family secrets, and the consequences of telling lies and keeping secrets from the ones you love.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy of this book. Where You End by Abbott Kahler will be released on January 16th, 2024.

The premise of this book absolutely had me hooked - I was so excited when I was approved for it! But, unfortunately, the book missed the mark. The writing was fine - I would probably pick up another book from this author - but I found my attention wavering throughout a lot of the book. It happens sometimes, it just means it wasn't the book for me. I'm rating it at 3 stars because the book wasn't bad, it just didn't keep me interested.

Being a twin myself, you’d think I’d read more books about people like myself but I haven’t. I was intrigued by the amnesia trope of it, with Kat only remembering her sister’s face and name. Ultimately, the book fell a bit flat in my opinion. The jumping back and forth between the POV and timelines was too much for me and I was just confused about certain things. I wish they had gone into more detail on the cult the girls were in as well.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you netgallery and Abbott Kahler for the ARC review of this book.

4.5/5⭐
Genre: Thriller

Mirror twins; twin pairing in which the twins are matched as if they're looking into a mirror.

Who am I?
Where am I?
What actually happened?

Meet Katherine bird. Woken up from a coma she sees her mirror self, her twin; Judith Bird. Judes face and name is all that Kat knows.

Relearning her self; Kat must trust Jude with her past and present. Jude's tells a tale of two shelter girls who have just come back from a vacation in Europe. With a father who has disappeared and a mother who died in a car accident, these two girls who were well loved and cared for navigate their lives in a mystery of who is Kat? ... and what did the Bird sisters do?

--
I had a ride with this one. Kat and Jude bird were very mysterious people. As Kat was learning herself, I felt as if I was Kat the whole time. I trusted all the information that was given to me.

The story goes back and forth from present to past. Insight on their lives as children, before he accident and current time. Everything that came.otnof Jude's mouth I believed. I was that trusting and again felt like I was Kat.

Around the 200 page mark is when the book really hit me and I started questioning things. Everything I question. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. I took notes reading this book, trying to guess information and it wasn't until around 270 pages that it finally fit together and I was wrong the whole time.

Thrillers stories are stories that are a huge hit or miss for me. Most being very predictable. If your looking for a story to keep you on your toes, you come to the right book.

Thank you Henry holt and company and net galley for the e arc. Where You End tells the story of two young twins finding themselves in a situation where a bad car accident leaves one of them comatose and having lost a majority of her memories. As Kat attempts to re piece the fragments of her life and who she is, she starts to uncover disturbing details that hint to her that she is being lied to by the one person she trusts, her twin Jude. This novel is told in dual timelines, one being them as children in the 70s and them in their early twenties after the accident in the 80s. I thought this novel was just okay. It gets pretty dark at times as this book does contain content about cults, pedophilia, and child abuse. I love dual timelines but I’m not a fan of the cult trope, so I think that’s why I didn’t like it as much. I did enjoy the revenge aspect but I was hoping for a bit more from the ending. Overall a decent thriller/mystery.

Mirror twins, Katherine and Judith, are as close as siblings can be until a horrendous car accident crushes Kat’s head leaving her with amnesia and no memory of her past, with the exception of her twin sister. At the age of 22, the sisters are living together and working hard to piece back Katherine’s childhood memories. As more things become clear for Kat, even more become fuzzy and confused. Could her sister be lying to her about a mythical past that never happened? If so, what is she hiding, and why?

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Abbott Kahler, and Publisher Henry Holt and Company for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

Tense chilling full of twists.I was drawn in by the idea of twins with all their se rets.This is so well written kept me reading late into the night.#netgalley #henryholt

DNF at 22%. I love the premise of the book and there were some striking lines in what I did read, but I can tell the writing style and the book isn't for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. Publishers for giving me an ARC though!

If you don’t believe in twin connections you will after this book. The thought of losing your memory and only being able to rely on those around you to tell you about your past is frightening. Will they lie to protect you from your past or are they lying to mold you into who they want you to be. This book gets a thumbs up for the creepy factor. Some of the scenes I will be remembering for awhile. Thank you Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for this ARC!

Pub Date: January 16, 2024

4⭐️

Following an accident Kat Bird wakes up from a coma with no memory of most of her life. The one thing she for sure remembers is her twin sister, Jude. Through her recover, Jude helps Kat remember their childhood. But some of the things Jude tells her doesn't add up to Kat. And after catching her in several lies, Kat begins to fear that maybe their childhood wasn't as lovely as Jude wants her to think it was.

This got a lot darker than I expected it to and I absolutely love that. I didn't expect the cultish tie in and loved that even once Kat finds out the truth, you're still not really sure who was telling more of the truth. Everyone seemed suspicious and I spent a lot of time trying to decide who was actually involved and if they were, how involved. This book was essentially an unreliable narrator all the way around, not just because Kat had amnesia but because Jude tried to control so much of Kat's memories and it really made the story more suspenseful.

Thank you Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co for providing this ARC to me!

I think my students might like this but I didn't really understand it so I don't see the value of having it in the classroom. It was a bit too out there

This book had promise, it had a lot of the elements I like and it was well written but overall it was too strange for me, too unclear what the point was, I think others will like it but it wasn't for me

Mirror twins, cults, memory loss, murder mystery, repressed trauma, galore!

I really appreciated all of the pieces of this book. I did, however, find the pacing a bit slow and I struggled with returning the story. The last 20% of the book picked up pace and became more engaging. I think this author is only going to continue to improve and I’m very eager to continue following her work.



Thank you to Netgalley + Henry Holt & Co for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book overall. The way the characters were developed was well done. I was interested in them and their pasts throughout the entire book. The way the characters were strong and confident was awesome since you don't see it a lot without it being annoying. The pacing felt like it was perfect for the story. The story was sark and emotional and just so fun to read. The ending was beyond what I could ask for. I felt like the author wrapped it all up really well. Overall I loved this book and it really fed into my fall spooky, dark vibes ive been living for lately. Great book! Thank you for allowing me to read an arc

I tried really hard but I couldn't get into this book. I got to about 50% before I added it to the DNF pile. Just not a book for me!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was such an entertaining and enjoyable book! “When 22-year-old Kat Bird wakes up from a coma, she sees her mirror image: Jude, her twin sister. Jude’s face and name are the only memories Kat has from before her accident”.

I loved the premise of this book, to have someone that you’re supposed to trust implicitly while you actively don’t know them and can’t remember them is wild! I couldn’t put this book down! The two timelines/plots also made this book a really quick read!

Twins and cults—what an irresistible combination! The dual timeline technique was skillfully employed, allowing us to delve deep into the characters' lives. While this choice did contribute to a slightly slower pacing, it was well worth it. The gradual buildup of creeping dread as you read was palpable, making for an immersive experience.

To wake up from a coma only recognizing your sister, try hard to redefine your normal based on what your sister is telling you, just to realize your sister is lying?? This was quite the ride! It was a bit slow for me at first but once pieces started to come together, I really enjoyed it. Loved learning all the bits and pieces from the dual timelines. I wanted just a bit more from the ending but overall, the story as a whole is solid. And let’s talk about the cover of this book- STUNNING.

Thank you so much to Henry Hold and Co. and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion! I look forward to reading more from Kahler in the future!