2.5⭐️

As the story begins, we meet Delphi Baxter, an employee of an iconic theme park, (referred to as “The Park”), which is being shut down in phases after a mishap and subsequent death of a celebrity on the premises. Delphi is one of the last few employees retained till the shutdown is complete. She had a traumatic childhood and has an attachment to The Park where she has been employed for years. As she spends her days and nights on the premises she recalls her experiences and the old and newer attractions that were popular with the visitors. Despite The Park being closed for the most part, Delphi and her coworker /boyfriend Brendan notice strange occurrences and unauthorized visitors after hours. It also seems that Brendan might know more than he lets on. As the narrative progresses, we follow Delphi as she tries to make sense of what is happening around her.

Combining elements of mystery, surrealism, speculative fiction, horror (it wasn’t too scary) and much more, At the End of Every Day by Arianna Reiche is an intense read. The narrative moves between past and present detailing significant incidents from Delphi’s childhood and the events from the present day respectively- from Delphi’s first-person PoV. Interspersed throughout the narrative are letters between siblings who have a connection to The Park, the content of the letters indicating sinister forces at play. I found the premise of the story intriguing and was drawn to it by the strong start.

However, I believe that I wasn’t the right audience for this book. The writing is atmospheric but the non-linearity of the plot and the abrupt transitions between the events from the past and present rendered the narrative difficult to follow. We meet several characters along the way and the attractions of the park are described in much detail, adding a fantastical element to the narrative, but also adding to my confusion. I found myself losing interest as the plot progressed and struggled to make sense of what was happening. I also felt that the connection between the different threads of the story remained ambiguous till the end and overall, the narrative lacked cohesiveness.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )

It is very rare that I come across a book that I just don't know if I like or not. I had to finish it, so I could find out how it ended, so I didn't hate it. I think the ending brought it to like for me, but I didn't love it. ( )

Reading other reviews after the fact makes me feel better that I was confused the whole time. This book is weird and not really clear, but it is still a dark and enjoyable ride. ( )