Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

12 reviews

emptzuu's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Rape

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

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

mollyharwood's review against another edition

sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

It was a good book but not my kind of style. Some things were predictable while others were not expected, told though multiple perspectives some were good whilst others were a bit boring at times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Bullying

spooderman's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Car accident, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Xenophobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Outing, and Deportation

kaylasbookgram's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

“Grief is one big, gaping hole, isn’t it?…It’s everywhere and all consuming. Some days you think you can’t go on because the only thing waiting for you is more despair. Some days you don’t want to go on because it’s easier to give up the to get hurt again.” 

This book was so devastating and super emotional. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Toxic friendship

anonymous_traveller's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

sharlapeggy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

sassyshark's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and Alcohol

shannay_05's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Rape