Arc from netgalley

3/5 for me, I was interested the whole way. Certain parts of the book seemed to drag for me. The twin made up language they use, just seemed odd they would still be using it as adults.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc!

I don’t think I was in the right mood for this so I might reread it in the future. But the dual perspectives and the random timelines hurt my brain.

It’s creepy and reminds me a lot of the book Bunny

What a ride this was! Abbott Kahler has woven an intriguing, darkly seductive story about intention and identity.

What worked for me:
1. The characters. Kahler is great at creating characters and relationships that feel lived-in and engaging, which is especially vital to the stakes here
2. The writing. This book is full of vivid, unsettlingly beautiful descriptions, and for the most part the writing falls the the right side of flowery without turning purple.
3. The tension. I'd definitely recommend this to folks as a Halloween-season read! The mirror twin shenanigans; the unfolding of Jude's memories alongside Kat's present; the rising horror you feel as the cult narrative unfolds. During my second long chunk of reading, I put on some ambient horror music in the background, and felt as though the story had swallowed me up (in the best way). This book is perfectly unsettling, and has several scenes throughout where the discomfort is dialed up to baited-breath terror.

What didn't *quite* work for me:
1. The pacing. When this book is moving, it's *moving*; there are long stretches where it finds a groove and settles into it, and in those moments I had trouble putting the book down. But there were also moments where I had trouble picking it back up again. This was most notable for me in the beginning. I made it to about the five percent mark, took a break, and really had to convince myself to pick the book back up again. The beautiful writing I enjoyed elsewhere in the book felt a bit overdone at the start, though that's obviously a matter of personal preference.
2. The ending. This is a nitpicky one! The author did a satisfying job of wrapping up most of the plot. However, there was one particular resolution that fell flat for me. During what was ostensibly meant to be the big climax of the book, after the tension had built and built, I had a moment of "oh...that's it?"

Overall, this book is dark (I'll include some content warnings upon publication), twisty, and has much more good than bad (and nothing truly Bad, just a few elements that weren't quite to my taste). I look forward to checking out Kahler's future works. A solid 4-stars!

Let me tell you a piece of advice, do NOT start this book at bedtime! I could not put it down and wanted to keep reading! The suspense of the twin sisters and what secrets are being held, kept me on the edge. The past and the present kept me on the edge and was able to easily flip my mind back and forth!

Kat awakes from a coma, and see her mirror twin Jude. Jude assures her she is safe and takes her home. As the month pass, Kat is unable to recall much of her former life. She questions what Jude is telling her, and she begins to explore outside their apartment.

The truth is worse than Kat could ever imagine and Jude is doing her best to shield her from it. She is mostly successful until one day everything explodes an the twins need to stand together to stay alive. Very creepy and dark and intriguing - this novel will make you question your initial decisions - what would you do?
#HenryHolt #Whereyouend #AbbottKahler #Netgalley

Ehh. I started this one the other day and had to put it down because it was a little too weird for me. I have issues with body dysmorphia and body horror, so maybe I'll pick it up again later, but likely not.

So unique and creepy, I don’t think I’ve read anything like this before. For me, it wasn’t so much “what happened?” that kept me reading, but the journey getting there.

Twins, cults? How is anyone to resist? I thought the dual timeline was used effectively and we got to know the characters really well. The pacing was a little slower because of it but I think it worked because you got a real sense of creeping dread as you read.

"What shape is your fear?” - Jude, Where You End

I had no idea what a ride this book would be. I could not put it down, I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next.

Where You End is like wine, it gets better with every taste. It's not plain and simple or overly revealing, but trickles information creating a thick air of suspense and intrigue, at times it's like wading through a lucid dream. It's lyrical conclusions to thoughts and circumstances gives characters a unique depth. There are cleverly crafted twists, turns, and reveals that splinter and shatter what you thought you knew.

Where You End is a dark mystery with interesting characters dealing with a heavy past, eerie circumstances, and people you just can't trust. Someone is hiding something and some memories might be better left forgotten.

I feel like I don't have the vocabulary to sum up the style and feel of Where You End, something close might be "refreshingly odd with a deep sense of intrigue and doom." With characters that are driven, devoted, and relentless, and desperate, indulgent, and blind.

I love how real the interactions feel and how authentic the characters thoughts are. The dark honesty, if only in their mind. The anger full and whole, the way it creates mantras in their brain. The expression of suffering seen through body posture alone. Something about it all just feels unique and real; this is not just another formula fiction.

I love the authors descriptions and writing style, some of my favorite bits and pieces:

”...Fearful and emboldened and remorseful and defiant—and I don’t know which to settle on, or if it’s possible to inhabit them all at once.”

”Someone whose sharp edges are a virtue, whose dark corners are worth exploring, a person who is not broken but instead reborn.”

One thing that I REALLY appreciate is that this book is tasteful considering the story's context. I'm not a fan of graphic violence, gore, or graphic sexual violence; the author had plenty of opportunities to go there, but kept it very reasonably tasteful.

When reading the first couple of chapters I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book but I was still intrigued. Something felt muddy and I couldn't yet read between the lines but things start to get more and more interesting and make more sense as we move through the first couple of short chapters; I'm incredibly glad I hung in there, I had no idea this book was going to be this good. Don't expect this book to spoon feed you, become your own detective or just go along with this twisted ride. I found the pace to be perfect and I am a bit of the impatient type, so I'm not sure how other reviewers found it to be too slow.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a pre-release digital copy of this book in exchange for my opinion of this book. I was not paid, this is an honest review. I'm just glad I didn't have to drudge through another beige and uneventful book; this is a good one! Thanks!

Same review can be found on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133287050-where-you-end?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=3igAxSxAnY&rank=3

The pros: The way the author explored trauma - both individual and shared. The romantic subplot. The way the author explores how someone might rebuild their identity after losing their memories to traumatic brain injury.

The cons: The way the author explored the relationship between the twins at the core of the story grated on my nerves. (I could have done without the cutesy made up language they used, for one. Even if they did create and use a language like that as kids, would they still be using in their 20s?)

Imagine this: you are in an accident and wake up with no memories of anyone or anything – except for the fact that you remember your super identical twin sister, and you have to rely on her entirely to put your life back together. This is the conundrum we find Kat, the protagonist of Abbot Kahler's Where You End, in when we meet her at the beginning of the story. The narrative is primarily told from Kat's point of view, with many interesting flashbacks woven in, as it tells the tale of a young woman in 1983 trying to make sense of the last 22 years of her life. Jude, Kat's sister, is a comforting presence, sharing details about their family history, how their dad left, their mom's death, and their time traveling through Europe until Kat's accident. However, doubts arise when there are no pictures from their Europe trip, and Jude appears to want to keep Kat on a tight leash. This leaves us wondering if Jude is being fully honest and what motives she may have for not being truthful. Interwoven between Kat's 1983 narrative are flashbacks that reveal the girls' upbringing, some of which involves a situation that appears to be a cult.

All in all, Where You End is an entertaining psychological thriller that fans of the genre will enjoy. I liked it, but I did not love it, and I'll outline my reasons in the grading scale below:

Characters: 7/10 - I did like Kat, but I could not relate to her "trust first, question later" mentality. I was not a huge fan of Jude or many of the side characters, but I believe they served their purpose.

Premise and Originality: 7/10 - While the premise is something thriller lovers like myself will find familiar, as it involves memory loss and reliance on someone else, the twist here is that it's the protagonist's sister she leans on. It's a fascinating thriller trope, but it didn't feel entirely original at first.

Execution of Premise & Plot: 8/10 - The action in the flashbacks took a little too long to develop, and some questions were left unanswered. Additionally, some subplots felt like filler.

Pacing: 7/10 - It took a bit too long to get to the intriguing part of the girls' youth, and the ending felt rushed.

Enjoyability: 9/10 - I enjoyed the book and was never bored with it.

Memorability: 7/10 - I'll likely remember this book mainly due to the relationship between the sisters and the engaging flashbacks. However, it doesn't feel like a genre-defining work.

Stakes: 8/10 - I felt invested in Kat's efforts to piece her life together, and it felt like her life was at stake. However, at times, I couldn't fully grasp where the story was leading, which affected the stakes.

Ending: 9/10 - I enjoyed the unexpected ending, though it felt rushed.

Unputdownable: 9/10 - I found myself wanting to return to the book for answers to the mystery surrounding Kat's missing memory.

Writing style: 9/10 - Kahler is a great writer, and there were no issues with redundancy or confusion. Improved pacing would have made the reading experience even more enjoyable. I look forward to reading whatever Kahler puts out next.

Overall, I rate this book 80%, which is equivalent to a B- from Ann-otated Books, earning 4 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company and have provided an honest review.

This review will be posted on publication day on Goodreads as well as my blog, ann-otatedbooks.com

This book is sooo slow moving. The random flashes of Kats anger are sudden and confusing - which I get with the plot line. Overall, this was difficult to get through as I found myself avoiding picking it up.

This book was dark and delicious! When Kat Bird wakes up from a car accident she remembers nothing except her twin sister Jude. While she knows her mirror twin like the back of her hand, she knows nothing of the 22 years of her life with her sister. As they have no family, it is up to Jude to reconstruct Kat's life for her.

Kat is grateful but soon starts to feel suspicious and things she are told just don't feel quite right.

The book shifts between the sisters now and also Jude's story of there childhood, which is not the same story she paints for Kat.

This book includes all of the elements I want in a book--conflicting narrative, coming of age, and drama!

Thank you for choosing me to read your ARC!! I was really pleased with this book! The character development was done well and I love the way "After Kat" handled things and didn't put up with any BS. The ending was also everything I could have hoped for. It wouldn't have hurt to add a little more detail about "The Plan" because I was a little confused at times but I put the pieces together eventually. I liked learning about the twins' pasts a little at a time so that it kept me wondering and anticipating the answers. Overall I would definitely recommend reading Where You End and cannot wait to see it officially published!

I recommend going in blind with this one. Also, expect more literary thriller than psychological thriller. Don't let that put you off. The story is deliciously creepy and will induce actual goosebumps. The authors use of scene and language building is razor sharp and executes the plot twists with a fine hand for hairpin turns. This is the twist everyone will be talking about next winter! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this great read

Where You End
A Novel
by Abbott Kahler
The book seemed very slow to me. As a thriller, I was difficult to hold my attention. I most enjoyed the beautiful cover. It was a good book, but not a great one for me.

This dark thriller will have you leaving the lights on. It's really well written, but it took different turns and pacing than I expected. Definitely a unique read if you are a dark thriller reader!

I loved this book but it wasn’t my favorite. I feel like the plot just didn’t catch my interest like I thought it would. I will give it a 4 because I loved the characters I also love the cover I may buy it for my collection for the cover

Haunting, visceral,Dark and exciting. Pacing was top notch. Devoured every page. Thank you Net Galley for ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I liked the complex characters the most, they were definitely the best part of this book. The story was creepy enough to pull me in, but the pace was very slow at times. Still, an enjoyable read, definitely recommendable.