Growing Up Too Fast

 Since the author, Chris Whitaker wrote All the Colors of the Dark, which I loved and still think about, I picked up another Chris Whitaker book, We Begin at the End.

This is another, mystery, thriller, and riveting story.  Again, the story is about a teenager.  There is another handicapped teen in the story.  In All the Colors of the Dark, Thomas Nobles has symbrachydactyly. Thomas Nobles had an undeveloped hand. Again, another mother is unable to care properly for her children and the child takes care of her.  There's a good cop in both stories.  Both take place in the USA.

The cop, Walk, befriended our hero, Duchess.  The plot involves Duchess and her little brother, Robin.  When their mother is murdered, the kids go to live with their grandfather.  Duchess is a tough nut.  She swears and takes no sh*t.  Her comebacks, although course and rude, will make you laugh.  They are quick and unexpected and usually make her opponent back off.  She makes everyone back off.  

Unfortunately, Duchess keys one of her mother boyfriends' car.  Worse, she burned down the bar where her mother worked.  The bar's owner is after Duchess because before she burned the bar down, she took the bar's camera tape, that would have her on it, torching the place.

Her grandfather is murdered by the bar's owner.  Duchess knows he's looking for her.  Social services is looking for a home for Duchess and Robin.  The problem is Duchess.  Robin would be easy to place, but not Duchess.

She takes off for Robin's sake.  She hides at Thomas Nobles, and other places and comes back a year later.

Meanwhile, the man who went to trial for killing Duchess' and Robin's mother is proved not guilty, thanks to the sheriff, Walk, who always knew him as a good guy.  Everything is tied together by finding out who the father of Duchess and Robin is.  Then it all makes sense.

The book is a page turner.  You root for the kids.  You laugh at Duchess' descriptions and antics and hope she doesn't end up bad.  There is so much to say.  It's a good story.  The character descriptions are exquisite.  The descriptions of the landscape make you want to live there.  Chris Whitaker writes very well.