By Chris Whitaker (Amazon's #21 Best Book of 2021) ★★★★★
This list, essentially, begins at the end. Upon finishing We Begin at the End in March, I immediately predicted it would claim my “best book I read this year”, and despite several quality contenders along the way, it did in fact hold on to the #1 spot.
The novel focuses on a set of residents from a small, fictional town on the central coast of California. It’s the type of town where everyone knows everyone, and the type of place where the majority of residents have never lived anywhere else. The story centers around a 13-year-old girl named Duchess Day Radley, her younger brother Robin, and the adults in their orbit: their deadbeat mother Star, who struggles with sobriety and keeping men around; Star’s childhood friend Walk, the current chief of police (and sole police officer in town); and Star and Walk’s childhood friend Vincent King, who is about to be released from prison after serving time for the last 30 years. Duchess grinds out each day trying to keep moving forward in life while protecting her 5-year-old brother; Walk does his best to make sure Duchess and Robin are looked after given Star’s shortcomings; Vincent is just trying to learn how to live as a free man.
As the story evolves, you can’t help but root for Duchess, a self-proclaimed “outlaw”. She faces the world with a defiant, stubborn, badass attitude, trying to present herself as the grownup she feels she has to be given her challenged home life and the responsibility that falls to her as Robin's de facto guardian. At the same time, she’s still 13, and the impulsive or poorly-thought-out decisions that all teenagers make ultimately land her in hot water.
Like Blacktop Wasteland (my #1 book of 2020), We Begin at the End has a similar theme of generally good people who are pushed to the edge as the challenges of life start to accumulate, and who as a result have to take action in the gray area between right and wrong. The story took some turns I was not expecting -- including one reveal that literally made me gasp out loud. While a few of the characters might have been a tad over the top or a tad too selfless, I Ioved them all. The story is thought-provoking and heartbreaking, but ultimately an uplifting tale of perseverance. It’s a beautiful read and I highly recommend it.
Previous Best of 2021: #2 - Cloud Cuckoo Land