Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - This Is Where It Ends

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

57 reviews

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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emptzuu's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Dutch author Marieke Nijkamp's novel, This Is Where It Ends, attempts to confront a weighty issue but falls short due to its Hollywood-esque approach and superficial exploration. Despite Nijkamp's extensive research efforts, her lack of direct experience with school shootings hampers the authenticity of her portrayal. Rather than delving into technical details, the narrative focuses on the emotional and psychological impact on the characters, which unfortunately overshadows any meaningful insights into the subject matter.

Realism takes a backseat as the story presents a scenario where all characters are conveniently confined to the same space with an active shooter. This portrayal diverges from real-life shootings, characterized by chaos and confusion with individuals scattered throughout the environment. Learned strategies like "run, hide, fight" vanish as the characters comply with the shooter's demands without attempting to defend themselves. In the face of a life-threatening situation, they somehow have time for romance and obsessing over non-essential matters, instead of focusing on surviving.

The 54-minute duration of the shooting brings to mind the Uvalde school shooting in 2022, where police were faulted for treating the situation as a "barricaded subject" rather than an active shooting. Police response typically prioritizes urgency to stop shooters and protect lives.

Tyler's underlying message is clear: "I carry profound hurt—I'll react explosively and project it onto you." The narrative deliberately sidelines his perspective to underscore the impact of his actions. Through flashbacks, we witness Tyler's upbringing in an environment where violence is normalized, both at home and school. The novel exposes systemic failures in addressing bullying and violence, allowing Tyler's behavior to escalate unchecked. Tyler emerges as a complex character grappling with universal feelings of insecurity and alienation, yet also as a deeply entitled individual lacking empathy for others.

However, the author missed an opportunity to delve deeper into the characters' experiences during the shooting by relying too heavily on flashbacks for emotional exploration. With 288 pages and four different points of view, there isn't enough space to fully develop the characters. Claire's perspective, especially, feels disconnected from the central event as she is outside of the shooting. Along with multiple perspectives, this book seems trendy in a superficial manner. While having characters of diverse backgrounds could enrich the narrative, it feels meaningless and opportunistic in this context.

The epilogue's portrayal of survivors' reactions feels tone-deaf, lacking the necessary depth of grief and devastation. Their swift return to the site of the shooting and the overly hopeful tone undermine the seriousness of their experiences.

One might read this book solely for its emotional aspect. It prompts reflection on the multitude of lives shattered, families torn apart, and the many loved ones and friends who will never see another day. Alternatively, it could lead one to contemplate the shortcomings of some authors in handling serious topics. This novel serves as a cautionary example of what not to do when addressing traumatizing subjects.

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lorraine19's review against another edition

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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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kashrae99's review against another edition

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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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person123's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book sucked, you can't tell me otherwise. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

Anyway, I loved Tomas and Matt; they were my favorite characters, but of course, all good characters must die. ALSO, as a dancer, I hated autumn, more so her writing. I just hated the representation for the dancers okay? Like, no, if I got shot in the knee I wouldn't feel like 'i'm trapped in a pirouette (spin/turn)'. SO YEAH DONT READ THIS BOOK IF 1 YOU GET ATTACHED TO CHARACTERS 2 YOU ARE A DANCER.
But seriously don't joke about school shootings. thank youuuuuuu

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