Book Review: We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker 

I have been making my way through my TBR pile this month, and when We Begin At The End got to the top, I didn't know just quite what I was in store for. I had read a brief description of what it was about, and it seemed pretty interesting, so I was excited to get reading.
Well! This book blew me away. It's so different from anything I have ever read. I fell right into the story and didn't want to leave.
I've struggled with putting a review up for this book as I'm not sure if I'll do it justice. 
To me, it felt like it was more than just reading a story. It was a moving experience, and a real joy to read such brilliant story-telling.

I could go on about how much I enjoyed it but for now, onto the review.

The story begins with a man named Vincent King. 
Vincent has been locked up in prison for the past 30 years for the killing of 7 year-old Sissy Radley, who was the younger sister of his girlfriend at the time, Star. 
Vincent was just 15 years old when he committed the crime.
Now, he has been released from prison and heading back to live in the small town of Cape Haven in California where he was born and raised. 
His best friend is police chief 'Walk' Walker, who has always supported Vincent. 

The townsfolk haven't forgotten Vincent or the case, including Star, who is now a single mum to 13 year-old Duchess and 6 year-old Robin.
Star struggles to be a good parent (or any sort of parent really) to her children as she is consumed by the demons of her past and spends her days drinking away the pain.
As a result, Duchess takes on the role of carer to both Star and also to her younger brother. She has had to grow up way before her time and her lack of regular childhood has hardened her.
She uses her ferocity as a protective mechanism, adapting the title of 'outlaw' to her persona. 
When Duchess tries to protect her mother from property developer Dickie Darke, she unknowingly sets of a chain of events that result in tragic circumstances and see her and Robin being sent to live with their estranged grandfather in Montana.

There is so much more to this story but I'm not going to detail what else happens as I don't want to spoil the experience for others. 
Quite simply, Chris Whitaker has written an exquisite novel. The characters have immense depth which allows the reader to become very attached emotionally (and I was so attached!) 
Duchess Day Radley is brilliant and she was my favourite character, but Walk also stole my heart.
 I read We Begin At The End  in a few of days, and it only took me that long as I was torn between wanting to know where the story would go and not wanting the story to end.
When I did finish it, I was so taken by it that I couldn't even pick up another novel. 
I then re-read it, and was glad that I did as I loved it even more the second time round!
I am looking forward to reading Chris's other novels as he has well and truly won me over with this one.

We Begin At The End is available through Allen & Unwin RRP $29.99