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A review by brookeisbusyreading
This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent