This is Where it Ends
by Marieke Nijkamp
Published on January 5th 2016
by Sourcebooks Fire
Genres: Contemporary
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads
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.
I received this book for free from the publisher or author in exchange for an honest review.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Even after thinking a few hours, I still don’t know what to say about this book. Really, Marieke… You certainly set a high bar for your future novels because this is one hell of a debut. I’m kind of speechless right now and if I’m not careful this review will end up as a rant and I don’t want that. So I’m just going to say what comes up in my head and roll with it.
I’m not going to give a summary of this book, because everything you need to know is in the blurb. Read that blurb, then start the book. I think that’ll give you the best experience. However, I will warn you… This is not an easy book to read. It handles a very tough subject and it takes place over the span of 54 minutes, told from 4 different POV’s. It is never boring and it kept me on the edge of my seat, sobbing 98% of the time. I was angry, I was sad, I was shocked. And when I finished this book, the only thing I felt was… “This is not okay.” Because it’s not.
How to make an almost 300-page book that takes place in the limited time span of 54 minutes not boring? This is how. The story is told slowly and detailed. It doesn’t pull any punches and nor should it. I think this is highly realistic portrayal of how this would be in real life. I’m very lucky to have never experienced it before but now I kind of feel like I do. Marieke managed to make me care about every single character. However minor they were, I felt their pain and fear. The four people from whom the story is told are each connected in a way and each very unique and so well-developed. I would like to take this moment to celebrate the abundance of diversity among all characters in this book. Bravo for that!
The writing is excellent and like I mentioned before, Marieke has set a very high bar for herself with this debut. The only negative thing I can come up with is that this book cost me precious hours of sleeping time but that’s my own stupid fault, really. A tip: don’t start this book at 2am. In fact, I’m going to tell you now that if you want to read this book, which you really should, make sure you have a couple of hours free so you can read it in one sitting because it’s one of those books. Because of the limited time span and the brilliant way it was executed, you won’t want to put this down until it’s over.
I think that is about all I’m going to say about this book. This is Where it Ends is a very, very impressive debut and I am really looking forward to future works by this author. If every book she writes is as fantastic as this one, I can tell you that she has a bright future ahead of her. Go read this book, but make sure to bring a lot of tissues.
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Twitter: HonestBookclub
Oh, wow! I got a sampler ARC of this book last spring. But it was only a couple of chapters (or I guess I should say scenes? Minutes?) long and I couldn’t really decide if I was intrigued or not.
Now I’m intrigued!
School violence seems to be establishing itself as a theme in YA contemporary. And, yeah, it’s difficult to read, but it’s so incredibly relevant and so incredibly important to discuss right now. And if this novel is half as enjoyable as you found it, I hope it encourages more debate on the subject.
We obviously need it.
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
I hope you enjoy! It’s a hard book to read given the subject matter, but for me it was worth it. 🙂
I am so happy to read such a wonderful review for this, it has made me even more excited to get to it myself. It is on my TBR and I have now had to bump it up on my list.
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
Yay! 😀 I hope you love it!
This is one of those books that you really want to read but shy away from because tears. I think I’m allotted at least one book a year that will make me ugly cry, lol. I love that this book doesn’t hold back, I wouldn’t want it to with this subject matter. I definitely have it on my list but I will wait for a long weekend to read it so that I can cry alone in my room like the weirdo I am. Great Review!!
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
It definitely is! Haha, good luck with that. 😛
Twitter: Liza
The blurb had me very scared because I usually shy away from books (and movies) that are very strong emotionally and that I’m likely to cry. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it though, so read it I shall!
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
YAY! 😀
Awesome review Bee!! I am struggling with whether or not to read this book, with 3 kids all in school it kind of freaks me out!! But it sounds amazing!
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
Thank you! Yes, I can see why this one would be difficult to read!
wow this one has been on my list but you just made me want to read it like now. I see its coming out on audio or it did this week maybe. I think I need this one on audio.
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
Oooh I wonder how this one is in audio. It was really intense for me as a normal book. Should be very interesting to listen to the audio. 🙂
Twitter: Emily
I keep hearing such mixed reviews about this one! There are people who LOVE IT (like you) and then others who hated the portrayal of the shooter. So I’m torn. There are all these 2016 books I just want to buy right now, gah. It’s a hard life, I’m telling you.
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
I know, it really is. And I get that, but in my opinion it was a very realistic portrayal. Not a sugar-coated one.
I just read this today, and finished writing my review before I came over here, Bieke. I agree, I felt connected to the characters, and I swear my heart was beating faster because of the terror they felt, and made me feel as well.
Great review!
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
Thank you! Excited to read your review now Lexxie! 🙂
I am still up in the air on how I feel about this one. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, but the story was so heart-breaking…and truthful which was wonderful to see. Even though it was a hard topic the author did a beautiful job at sticking to it and being truthful. Not hiding anything to save our feelings. That was refreshing.
Great review, Bieke 🙂
Very different reactions from reviews these past couple of weeks. I’m gonna wait to read this one, only because I just read one with similar subject matters and I don’t want to confuse myself. Glad you enjoyed this!
Twitter: The Infinite Limits of Love
This just sounds so intense. I don’t do well with topics like this, mostly because I’m not very good with dealing with emotions (I’m a robot). But I love that the author wrote the book because it’s so relevant, especially in the US.
Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to pick it up.
I’m glad you loved it though, Bieke!
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
I know, I get why it’s hard to read something like this. I hope one day you pick it up, but if not, I totally get it.
I’m planning on reading this one sometime this month! I’ve so far heard lots of mixed reviews so I’m not sure how I’m going to like this one but I hope I do enjoy it as much as you did! I love a good book that makes me tear up 😀
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
Yeah, I personally loved it even though it was hard to read, so. I hope you do too!