Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

54 Minuten by Marieke Nijkamp

31 reviews

barnesd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Blood, Dementia, Mass/school shootings, and Injury/Injury detail

brookeisbusyreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

When I first came across this book, I knew I wanted to read it because it centers around a school shooting. I wanted to read a book not COMPLETELY real but one that was important or dealt with important things. After the year in the US with our record number of mass shootings, I decided to  pick up This Is Where It Ends.

Man, I’m a mess of emotions - distraught, heartbroken, satisfied, SUPER sad, proud (of the author), and relief. It reminded me of why I don’t want many war movies…because the people behind them, like the author of this book, make you care about the characters but they don’t all make it to the end of the story. The level of horror, heroism, mature topics, and just general human complexity is stunning. It was also painful to read because of the real life shootings.

My biggest issue-that-isn’t-exactlly-an-issue with this book is the whiplash I occasionally got switching between the 4 POVs. The differences in each character helped me separate them but they cycled so frequently, it did kind of feel dizzying. Yet it also kind of worked with the pacing and tension. On the other hand, the pacing is a grey area for me on whether I like or agree with it. But that’s a minor thing I excluded from my rating criteria this once.

This Is Where It Ends is a ride wild enough to match the look in Tyler’s eyes and that’s all I’ll say.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Dementia, and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent

lorraine19's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

I was expecting a chaotic, gritty, realistic view of school shooting. I was thoroughly disappointed. Instead, this reads like an overly scripted Hollywood movie. There's so many long dialogues and every character just had to have some dramatic heroic moment even if it made no sense. The type of characters didn't really match the setting. 

I don't like telling spoilers in reviews but I feel like I need to provide examples of scenes to express how unrealistic it was written....

(SPOILERS) The shooter comes in and an auditorium of a hundred students just goes completely silent. When the doors open, not a single person panics or makes a run for it. Everything is controlled and there is little chaos. Police officers find students a couple blocks from the school and BRING THEM BACK. Like what?! (SPOILERS)

Reading the author's note, they state they grew up in a different country and we're unfamiliar with school shootings. They wrote the book in order to "learn about it". Clearly they should've done more research. Insulting to anyone that's been in proximity to violence like this and does not provide a realistic or fair view of school shootings at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

kashrae99's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and War

frogswimmer25's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Dementia

sarah_chapman's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

kanorve's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It’s a really hard read. Especially for a mom who worries about these things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder

marisabenn's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow. What a gut wrenching, and all too realistic, story. 

I really liked how the chapters were laid out with the time stamps. The four POVs make this heartbreaking and hopeful. I honestly have few words for this one. It's powerful with so many layers and pieces to be taken away.

It was difficult to keep track of minor characters. I wish the author would have included a list of victims, even if it is fictional. There were so many names either half-remembered or never known that I got lost. 

I also wish there was more about Tyler. We don't know why he wanted to mass murder his classmates, but I guess that's not rare for school shootings. In the end it just felt a little..... forced? I'm not sure, but it was lacking something. 

Definitely need a light rom-com after this heartbreaker. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Dementia, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, and Car accident

jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape

agoraphobic_crawfish's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 TW/CW: mass shooting, gun violence, mentions of abuse, mentions of grief, mentions of Alzheimer's, mentions of rape.

Reading this was painful. Upsetting. I probably won't read another book like it in the future.

Tyler said he "didn't want to be alone anymore". He was never alone. He isolated himself in his grief and then when he successfully pushed ppl away, he turned that grief to anger. I can't feel bad for him though. He wasn't a good person before the shooting. As much as autumn tried to paint him as a saint because he was there for her. he's homophobic, a rap*st, and manipulative/controlling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail