This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp on January 5th 2016
Also by this author: His Hideous Heart
(288 pages) • Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble
10:00 a.m.The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m.The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
10:03 The auditorium doors won't open.
10:05 Someone starts shooting.
Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.
Whew, this book was not easy. I raced through it in one sitting on a Saturday night and was desperate to see how it all ended. Heartbreaking, terrifying, and real. This won’t be an easy review.
I’m a Connecticut resident and live about an hour from Sandy Hook… plus I have a friend who is a teacher in that town. Needless to say, this book hit entirely too close to home (literally). School shootings are something that really scare me more than I can express. When I was younger I read books about Columbine and in high school I read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I don’t know why, but these stories have always grabbed me. Maybe because it feels like your biggest fear realized.
Aside from my personal connection and “interest,” this book was incredibly well-written and well-done. I sat on my couch and finished it within a couple of hours; I couldn’t stop. The book centers around an hour long period, from when the shooting starts until it ends. There are four main characters whose POVs get alternated between: Sylvia, Autumn, Tomas, and Claire. I won’t get too much into their relationships to each other and how they related to the shooter, but they were all definitely connected. I was nervous about all of these characters and their relationships at first, but I finally got the hang of it. Despite the constant POV changes, I really felt like I knew these characters. Maybe it’s because in your moments of extreme fear and turmoil, you’re the most honest with yourself. They reflected on their lives and their futures while trying to deal with the terrible situation they were faced with. Even though the book was told in such a short time frame with multiple characters, I really felt their emotions and some of their personalities. I think some of the characters felt a little too stereotypical though, in some ways.
Yeah, this book was heartbreaking. You know that innocent people are going to die. I obviously wish certain people didn’t, but it’s inevitable. I won’t spoil anything about the ending or characters. Regardless, I can’t exactly put into words how this book made me feel. On edge, sad, terrified, heartbroken… I don’t know. This story felt so real and was so well-written.
I’d highly recommend this book if you’re in the market for a more serious read. This could easily be required reading at schools (although I’m not sure if that would work out).
I really want to read this book. I’ve heard so much about it lately. Great review.
Thanks! It’s not for everyone, but I recommend trying it if you’re interested! I’ve seen some reviews that didn’t like it as much.
I have been looking forward to read this book for a while now. I will have to put it on hold at the library! I will have to be in the right frame of mind to read it though since this is such a hard subject matter. Thanks for the honest review.
Hope you “enjoy” it – not sure what better word to use! It packs a punch.
Great review! I really like tough subjects when reading, but I have a feeling this one will be especially tough because there’s not a whole lot of other YA books that touch on this subject. I have heard other people who loved the book but found issues with the characterization. I still want to read this one, though. Thanks for the review!
Thank you! Yeah, it was difficult to read but worth it.
I’m really glad you liked this!! It’s one of my most anticipated books for 2016, so I can’t wait to get my hands on it. School shootings are insanely terrifying. After the one at Virginia Tech, I definitely felt way more alert at college than I did before. One time an ROTC group was practicing on a field near my major building and I had a moment where I couldn’t move because I thought something bad was happening outside the doors. Also having a child in elementary school, I try NOT to think about it, but can’t help but worry.
I loved Nineteen Minutes. You’re so right about it being a worst fear realized. I don’t know why something like that would interest me, but I guess I like to read about the tough issues… so this is just one of them. Great review!!
I was really intrigued by this one too! School shootings are just about the scariest thing you can think of. I can’t imagine having kids and worrying about it 🙁
This is one I am looking forward to reading. I am also interested reading books on this topic. I loved Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Also I like multiple POVs so this should be a hit for me. Great review!
Hopefully you “enjoy” it too!
I thought this book was so incredibly powerful and heartbreaking. I am so glad that you loved it because I have read a few not so great reviews about it. I read this in one sitting too, but I was on a plane. Try hiding your tears then. Crazy. Great review!
I agree! I’ve seen quite the array of reactions to this one.