At the End of Every Day

At the End of Every Day is a novel by Arianne Reiche. It was published by Atria Books in 2023.

Plot summary

Delphi Baxter is an amusement park worker who was left scarred after a childhood accident. Her boyfriend Brendan is a prince mascot at the park. When an actress dies at the amusement park, it is announced that the park will close. Delphi has increasingly surreal experiences as the park slowly winds down its operations and begins to doubt her reality.

Structure and style

The book incorporates horror and surreal elements, and was inspired by "the psychology of theme parks and animatronics." The primary plot is interwoven with epistolary chapters describing a pair of siblings' relationship to each other and the amusement park.

Reception

The book received praise for its prose and uncanny atmosphere, but was criticized for having a confusing plot and being difficult for readers to connect with.