30 years ago, Vincent King went to prison for the murder of little Sissy Radley. Vincent’s childhood best friend Walk has been counting the days to his release, but not everyone in Cape Haven is so sure about seeing him again. Star Radley, the sister of the girl who died, has had a messy and tragic life, raising two children on her own while battling her own bad judgement and addiction.
Duchess Radley is far older than her 13 years, raising herself and her brother Robin while doing her best to protect her family from shame and ruin.
Cape Haven is changing rapidly, with real estate being bought up and the old family homes being taken down by the mysterious and threatening figure of Dickie Darke.
All Walk wants is for things to go back to how they were when the town was younger, but you can never go back to before.
There’s no two ways about it, something about this book is just gripping. In many ways, We Begin At The End is a simple story of everyday people and circumstances. Bad things happen, people hurt each other and themselves and that pain has a rippling effect that touches everyone around. The story of Cape Haven and it’s residents though, has that something more, an unidentifiable draw of pure humanity. The setting and characters are written with masterful care and emotion, and I somehow feel that Cape Haven could have been written by Stephen King when he was in a less sinister mood – it has his ease and familiarity, that sense that you have been there before.
I have a soft spot for both Walk; the overly caring one who needs others to be happy and safe more than he needs comfort and security himself, and for Duchess; the scarred and broken little girl who has to put everything she has into caring for her little brother whilst reserving the right to be as loud and bitter as she likes. I love her even when her F-you attitude gets her into trouble and stops her from enjoying the genuine opportunities that come her way. The way she is so guarded that she can’t accept that someone may actually not only want to help her and her brother, but also be ready to take the time to do it. There is something so real about her, so vulnerable underneath her fiercely protective shell.
There is a tone of reminiscent childhood glow to this whole story, which makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time. It puts me in the mind of classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and Tuck Everlasting, those sticky summer stories in small towns with beautiful and curious children. I definitely look forward to reading more books by this author; I love his poetic descriptions and unusual sentence structures.
I would definitely recommend this book to a wide variety of people. It’s a great murder mystery, but also pure drama. The small town element will appeal to a lot of people, and if you love Stephen King’s scene setting but want a change of pace, I would wholeheartedly recommend We Begin at the End.
Duchess Radley is far older than her 13 years, raising herself and her brother Robin while doing her best to protect her family from shame and ruin.
Cape Haven is changing rapidly, with real estate being bought up and the old family homes being taken down by the mysterious and threatening figure of Dickie Darke.
All Walk wants is for things to go back to how they were when the town was younger, but you can never go back to before.
There’s no two ways about it, something about this book is just gripping. In many ways, We Begin At The End is a simple story of everyday people and circumstances. Bad things happen, people hurt each other and themselves and that pain has a rippling effect that touches everyone around. The story of Cape Haven and it’s residents though, has that something more, an unidentifiable draw of pure humanity. The setting and characters are written with masterful care and emotion, and I somehow feel that Cape Haven could have been written by Stephen King when he was in a less sinister mood – it has his ease and familiarity, that sense that you have been there before.
I have a soft spot for both Walk; the overly caring one who needs others to be happy and safe more than he needs comfort and security himself, and for Duchess; the scarred and broken little girl who has to put everything she has into caring for her little brother whilst reserving the right to be as loud and bitter as she likes. I love her even when her F-you attitude gets her into trouble and stops her from enjoying the genuine opportunities that come her way. The way she is so guarded that she can’t accept that someone may actually not only want to help her and her brother, but also be ready to take the time to do it. There is something so real about her, so vulnerable underneath her fiercely protective shell.
There is a tone of reminiscent childhood glow to this whole story, which makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time. It puts me in the mind of classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and Tuck Everlasting, those sticky summer stories in small towns with beautiful and curious children. I definitely look forward to reading more books by this author; I love his poetic descriptions and unusual sentence structures.
I would definitely recommend this book to a wide variety of people. It’s a great murder mystery, but also pure drama. The small town element will appeal to a lot of people, and if you love Stephen King’s scene setting but want a change of pace, I would wholeheartedly recommend We Begin at the End.