S. F. Prescott

Filled with slow burning suspense.

Abbott Kahler (formerly Karen Abbott) is the author of four New York Times bestselling works of narrative nonfiction. Her debut novel, Where You End, is inspired by a true story of identical twins and amnesia, and will be out next January. Abbott is a native of Philadelphia, where she spent six years as a journalist, covering crime, advocating for abused women, and hanging out with mafia bosses and baseball wives. She lives in New York City and in Greenport, New York, where she’s convinced her little bungalow is haunted. She appreciates a good poker hand, an old bottle of wine, and the never-ending hunt for new stories to tell.

Published January 16th, 2024.

Kat Bird wakes from a coma with no memory from before the accident, except that of her twin Jude’s name and face. As Kat tries to make sense of her new life, Jude’s stories of their childhood, and explanations behind certain memories don’t add up and Kat is left with more questions than answers. Left with no other choice, she must do her own digging and try to uncover the truth behind all the lies.

I enjoy exploring books about cults and characters with amnesia. Where You End has both, so when I read the premise I was immediately hooked. It reminded me of a documentary on Netflix called, Tell Me Who I Am, so I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. This book fits in nicely within the genre, reminicient of This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel and Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel. The story focused on realistic characters with tragic pasts but surprisingly, was not as dark and twisted as I’d anticipated. I liked both protagonist’s, Kat and Jude, equally and understood both of their motivations. Kat relied on Jude to fill in her past, and Jude (remembering the abuse they’d endured) saw an opportunity to right the wrongs and give Kat a fresh start in her new life.

The story gripped me initially however, after the first act the pace slowed until the final scene ramped up the action again. The flashback scenes are still vivid, including the one involving King Bash losing his eye. The animal masks/costumes felt surreal and at times weren’t easy for me to grasp, including the mind control exercises the children were trained to perform. The themes of sisterhood, memory, and trauma are very clear throughout, expressed through the mirror twin concept, the girls’ secret language, and their shared trauma. The end made sense once all the characters’ true identities were revealed, and the twins completed their “mission” which had started right before Kat’s accident. I would have liked to know more about their father’s past and what transpired between both parents. The prose was smooth, and the author’s voice was compelling to read. I’ll definitely check out more of her work.

For readers who enjoy slow burning suspense, cult themes, and character driven stories.

Synopsis:

When 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. As Kat tries to make sense of things, she believes Jude will provide all the answers to her most pressing questions:

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

Amid this tragedy, Jude sees an irresistible opportunity: she can give her sister a brand-new past, one worlds away from the lives they actually led. She spins tales of an idyllic childhood, exotic travels, and a bright future.

But if everything was so perfect, who are the mysterious people following Kat? And what explains her uncontrollable flashes of violent anger, which begin to jeopardize a sweet new romance?

Duped by the one person she trusted, Kat must try to untangle fact from fiction. Yet as she pulls at the threads of Jude’s elaborate tapestry, she has no idea of the catastrophe she’s inviting. At stake is not just the twins’ relationship, but their very survival.