This Is Where It Ends

In the past few years, I’ve added a lot of YA books to my to-read list that I doubt I’ll get to them all. One of the advantages of having a to-read list at Goodreads is that I receive notifications whenever there’s a discount on the eBook edition of one of those books. And that’s how This Is Where It Ends made it to my Kindle. I’d seen this book before, and even before reading the book description, the striking cover image clearly indicates it’s a story about a school shooting. I’ll even interpret the varied color pieces of chalk to mean that these events are going to be viewed through different lenses. I mostly read YA contemporary fantasy, but every now and then I’ll pick up a straightforward YA contemporary, particularly if it deals with protagonists facing some kind of struggle with their identity. That’s what I like most about YA—the characters are teens, so they’re still in formation and making mistakes with the opportunity to learn about themselves. Reading a book about a school shooting is a little bit outside my comfort zone, mostly because being a high school teacher, the thought of one occurring where I work terrifies me. Unfortunately, no one knows what might trigger someone to pull that trigger, so all we can be is vigilant and aware of the people around us. Nijkamp’s book tackles this head on by telling the story from four points of view, in various places around the school during the shooting, each with a different relationship to the shooter. Normally, I’m not the biggest fan of stories told from more than two first-person narrators, but here it works exceptionally well because of the immediacy of the situation and these characters’ relationships with each other and the shooter. It also helps that not all four of them are in the same place, so the story can be told both inside and outside the school’s auditorium when the shooter takes the school hostage. Let’s take attendance. Our shooter is Tyler, holding most of the school hostage in the auditorium. Our four narrators are: (1) Autumn, Ty’s sister and aspiring dancer, who wants to audition for Julliard. (2) Sylv, Autumn’s girlfriend, who had a past incident with Tyler. (3) Tomás, Sylv’s brother, who is a kind of class clown/troublemaker and once had a run-in with Tyler. (4) Claire, school track star and Tyler’s ex-girlfriend. There are also a few other characters we see via those narrators, such as Claire’s teammate Chris, Tomás’s partner-in-crime Fareed, and Claire’s younger brother Matt. The book starts with Autumn and Sylv in the auditorium along with most of the school, as the principal is delivering her start-of-semester speech. But Tomás and Fareed are breaking into the principal’s office, and Claire and Chris are outside with the track team. The events of the story take place over the course of an hour, with each chapter covering a few minutes of narration from each of the four narrators. Once I got used to the format, I found it fascinating and meticulously detailed. The characters’ actions and reactions were believable, and when each provided some backstory, I read it like their lives flashing before their eyes as often happens when someone is faced with their own mortality. At times, it was gripping. But once or twice, I found some details that didn’t seem real for me. Maybe they come from years and years working in a public school, but why was almost everyone in the auditorium? What about office secretaries, custodial staff, cafeteria staff, and so on? A security guard is mentioned and shown, but what about everyone else who wouldn’t have a reason to be in the assembly? Of course, this is a minor issue—and only one that someone who works in a school might have—but it made me wonder how Tyler’s actions before he started shooting in the auditorium would have played out in a realistic setting. And then it made me hope that no school ever has to find out. By the end of the book, I was genuinely attached to these characters and praying for their safety, and I got a little choked up when some things happened to some of them. I will not spoil further by stating whether everyone lives or not. I applaud the bravery of them when faced with the challenging situation, just as I would applaud any such student heroes in a real school shooting. The ending and epilogue don’t fully provide closure to the book, but that’s fine. In reality, you don’t always get closure, and victims of mass shootings sadly have to live with the memory of the event. Thus, the book almost feels like the memoirs of these four characters recounting the event rather than a piece of fiction. It’s visceral, and the themes of community, individual bravery, and societal problems (mass shootings, abuse, and others) are clear. Despite only a few plot contrivances in the story’s set-up, the structure of the book and its different narrators are compelling. I wish stories of mass shootings, particularly ones in schools, would remain fictional where it can come to an end, but for those impacted in reality, the grief and memories don’t end as quickly. This Is Where It Ends deserves FOUR AND A HALF STARS.

At 10am, the students of Opportunity High School are wrapping up their morning assembly. As they start to head back to classes, they find the doors to the auditorium locked. No one can leave. At 10:05am, the first gunshots ring out. This is Where it Ends is a really powerful book about a school shooting. I read it in less than a day. It's told over the span of 54 minutes, and rotates point of views among a number of characters, all who have some connection to the shooter. One is his sister, another is an ex girlfriend, and another is his enemy, etc. I don't want to go into too much more detail regarding the book because I feel like it would take away from the the emotion you'll feel if you read it. What I will say, is that I was really moved by the book, and definitely cried at one point. There are tweets and texts interspersed between chapters, and I really felt the desperation of the characters, especially the ones who were trapped in the auditorium. I can't imagine how terrifying that would be. Aside from the obviously heavy content, if you're looking for a book about the mental illness or psychology that would lead someone to commit a mass shooting, this is not the book for you. The book has no chapters told from the shooters POV and doesn't do a great job on elaborating on his motives. It sort of talks about how he used to be a kind person, and then something bad happened in his life, and now here he is, with a gun in his school. I do feel like there could have been more explanation of that middle piece - the book said even said it itself; lots of people have bad things happen to them, but most of them don't go out and commit mass murder. That said, I did really like the book, and was heartbroken so many times reading their emotions as the events before them played out. I'd recommend this book for someone who doesn't mind reading something with a heavy subject, but who also isn't looking to delve deeply into the motives of the antagonist - it's sort of "good vs. evil" in that regard, which can be off-putting for someone who doesn't like reading books about characters who aren't super developed.

An entire student body is trapped in a high school auditorium. One teenage boy has a gun. Fifty-four minutes of terror narrated from four different points of view. This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp is so relevant to our current day and age, stirring thoughts of terrorism and violence we so often hear about while watching the national news headlines. I dare say many people will recognize this story to be their worst nightmare laid out on page. This book is heart-stopping young adult fiction that reads more like a thriller, and it's wholly terrifying. Nijkamp calls to mind the fear victims must have felt at Columbine High School, at Century 16 in Aurora, Colorado, at an office party in San Bernardino, at the Bataclan Theatre in Paris as the events of the morning progress at Opportunity High School. What would drive Tyler Browne to corner an entire school body in the auditorium, to right all of the wrongs, the injustices, he perceives to have been done to him? Underneath the violence of this story, the author combines points of view from Claire, Autumn, Sylvia and Tomás, four individuals who have a history with the shooter, to help us understand the "why" behind his actions – something many of us are often left wondering when we hear about real life events on the news. Nijkamp wholeheartedly captured my attention from the get-go. The pacing of This is Where it Ends moves quickly. It’s full of non-stop action, with most of the characters facing mortal danger as the story plays out. Oh my goodness – did I ever feel anxious with this book! In fact, my adrenaline spiked like crazy as I was reading. I knew this thriller would be difficult for me to read, but I didn’t anticipate how hard it would be for me to put this book down before I had finished! Nijkamp tempers the violence in this novel with backstory, timing the reveal of pertinent information about primary and secondary characters as the violence plays out. Although the span of this book takes place over fifty-four minutes, Nijkamp does a fantastic job of crafting a thought-provoking story. It’s not just about the violence – there’s more to it than that. It’s about perception of injustice. Bullying. Loneliness. Parental issues. I felt a varied range of emotions while reading This is Where it Ends – anger, sadness, relief, empathy, anxiety, shock – I even cried tears. Many of you know that I’ve reviewed novels for a while now. I’m aware readers can sometimes be fickle about a novel with difficult subject matter, but I was personally left with a sense of awe. Marieke Nijkamp grabs a solid 5-star rating for This is Where it Ends and earns the first spot on my list of 2016 favorites!

A school shooting that puts you inside while it's actually going on. A very scary situation with some romance and a lot of heroes trying to save others. I just can't comprehend being in this situation. How things are so bad people resort to going into a school and shooting their friends and I'm sure enemies. When I was in school it never crossed my mind to get a gun and shoot a bully or fellow students or even teachers. These kids today are out of control. Instead of dealing with a problem they resort to killing. The author puts you front and center while the killing is going on. The book tells of a boy Tyler padlocking the doors while the whole school is in an assembly with the principle talking to the students and teacher. While Tyler pulls out a gun and starts shooting people. I really hope no student uses this plot as a good idea in the future. That's going to be a lot of casualties. It's so scary that these shootings happen almost every other day. Kids have to go to school or there are consequences, it's so scary that going to school could be someone's last day. I think about my grandchildren, they are too young for school right now but I do worry that this could happen. After all this is what is going on right now. The kids that survive this or see it happening end up being scarred for life. That is really sad. Cherie'

This is one of those books that stays with you long after the final page. It is gut-wrenching and full of raw emotion. While the story is fictional, it mirrors the very real fears and tragedies of our modern world. It covers deeply sensitive topics, including school shootings, abuse, and mental health struggles. I believe this is an important story to tell, but I want to urge everyone to be mindful of their own headspace before reading. Take care of yourself while navigating this one. It’s a powerful, necessary, but devastating journey.

This is a short book that has a lot going on. I’m an adult teacher reading it and there is quite a bit that is impactful, I don’t know if this is something I would hand off to your teenager and not pay attention to the content of it. However, it is very powerful. The reason why four stars and not five is because there are a few things that are a little over the top to me, which has to do with the plot development of some of the characters. There’s a sexual assault that isn’t really needed to advance the tension/drama of the circumstances. It is a pretty horrifying story, especially as there continues to be more and more school shootings. This one gives a bit more sense to the situation than really life and creates an individual who has a life that is woven through others, which I find unique, but then magnifies the tragedy of it all. The way that the story is told is a strong point. Having essentially a count down throughout that keeps the momentum moving and keeps the timeline realistic. That is one element that I enjoyed, it gives multiple characters to help fill out the relatively short timeline that is given for events as they occurred. This certainly is not a fill good story, but gives insight into complexities associated with high school, high school violence, and high school relationships and that in situations like this, there isn’t a happy ending, no matter what.

I want to start off by saying if you never listen to my advice on a book again, make this be the last one. (Although I hope you take all of my recommendations into consideration.) You will NOT find another story that will move you like this one! This book is the exemplification of phenomenal. It's riveting and emotional. You will not be disappointed. I am fully aware that there are going to be people who are not going to like this book. The subject matter in this story is such a sensitive subject and may not be received well by everyone. From the blurb, you can surmise that this book takes you on a journey you may not want to go on. Oh. My, Gawd. I will not lie to you. I had to put this book down and walk away a few times. Not because I didn't like it, but because I was on emotional overload. It is a such a heavy story. Months later, I still get goosebumps thinking about this book. This story takes you on a journey following four students during the worst 54 minutes of their lives. It goes minute by minute. Each segment gives you the same time frame from each of the four perspectives. They are each on a different part of the chaos and slaughter. So to say that this story is not for the weak hearted would be an understatement. This book will make your stomach turn. You will have many tears. Your heart might beat so fast, you make get winded. This story is gripping, heartbreaking and fast-paced. I cannot sing enough praise for this remarkable story.

This story is one I will be having my children read!! When never know what people are going through and this book proves that!! This was so heartbreakingly beautiful!! HIGHLY recommend reading!! It changed my perspective on things and healed a part of soul!! Thank you author for this masterpiece!!! 🫶🫶

I couldn't read more than a few chapters at a time. This book was hard hitting and gut wrenching and soul crushing. It takes you through a school shooting through the POVs of 4 different students and it's like you're there with them - afraid for you own life and for the ones you love and the ones you don't even know. You see the massacre and the students die, shot for no reason other than the extreme psychological collapse of a very disturbed teen who wants to extract revenge against all those who he sees as his enemies. Through the book, I found myself obviously rooting for the 4 main protagonists but I also found myself praying that all the other kids and teachers made it to safety. I felt my heart break a little every time a small side character with no name was shot. I found myself counting the number of times he shot his gun and wondering just how many bullets he had left over and how many magazines he had carried with him. This book is too close to reality and it makes you really think about the gun violence and shootings that have become the norm in America. It makes you angry. Angry with the parents who hit their children, angry with students who bully others, angry that troubled kids don't get the help they need, and angry with the laws that allow anybody to buy a gun from a shop as easily as they could buy gum. At some point, you can't continue reading anymore. It's a sad world we live in when books like this hit home and hit hard and you know that these things happen more times than we even know.

leitura muito rápida e o livro é muito bom!

This book didn’t let spare details of what it is like to be a victim of a school shooting and the connection/relationships with each character was interesting, and also even had good representation for lgbtq+ in parts and people of colour characters. Despite this, I do think this book is better aimed for a younger audience of around 13-14 which was a bit disappointing, as well as being difficult to log what was happening when the different points of views were constantly changing at various points in the book. Still, a good read.

Boken var ganska bra och jag tycker att inget var dåligt med den.

Let me get this out there. I have had this book on my TBR since it was announced and the premise was out. I have been pining for this book since and I bought it on the day that it was released. All I know about school shootings is what I read in the news. I don’t live in America, I have never been subject to something as horrific as that and I have never lived near to somewhere where it has taken place. I have no experience of it whatsoever. Having said that, I loved this book. I read it in one sitting whilst my son was asleep and I just physically could not put it down. I had to read on – I needed to know what happened and why Tyler turned toward the path he went down. I was addicted. At the end, I was a mess. I had tears streaming down my face, I felt haunted, almost as if I knew the characters personally and was at the event myself. I felt what the characters were feeling and I just didn’t know what to do with myself after I had finished the book. I felt lost. What I enjoyed most about this book is the fact that it focused on the school shooting itself. A lot of books about subjects like this focus mainly on the aftermath and on the victims. Whilst this book did have focus on the victims, we were mostly reading about the perpetrator (Tyler) and about his life – the people who knew him and witnessed the changes within him, even if it was gradual. It is easy for the reader to lose themselves in this book – it is so realistic and relatable that it is easy to believe that you were actually there. I have read a few other reviews of this book (none too good) and they compare this book to the Columbine shooting… this is completely different! It makes the reader wonder at the psychology behind such an act. In short, I loved this book! I gave it 5/5 stars and I cannot wait to find out what the author has next for us! About these ads