This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Posted by tonyalee in Book Reviews on / 9 Comments

I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke NijkampThis Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on January 5th 2016
Genres: Family, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult
Format: eARC
Source: The Publisher
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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

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My Thoughts

This is one book that instantly climbed to the top of the I DON’T KNOW HOW TO TALK ABOUT THIS list.

It’s not a book you want to say is awful – because it captures so much emotion and touches so many. You don’t want to say “I liked it” – because you may feel awful about liking a book that is so emotionally devastating and reverberated with many.

This Is Where It Ends has been on my mind since finishing. It has its high points that’s for sure, but it does have its low points as well. But the fact of the matter is, it stuck with me because like I said, I can’t stop thinking about it.

It was a fast read, considering I finished it within hours. It captivates you from page one, introducing to all the characters and POVs. Ms. Nijkamp’s writing captures all the right emotions from each person and slowly reveals how each character is wrapped up in one another. The downside to this was my inability for full investment. (more on that later) Also, I didn’t care for the flash backs. I know what the intent was, but for me, it put a pause on everything else that was going, and added this layer of disconnect. It was like a constant buffer or cushion from the blow, and what I needed to feel was the full impact.

While a large part me liked the multiple POV, it was at times, overkill. Again, I see the intent, and the emotions were THERE but all the voices sounded similar to me, leaving me confused and frustrated at times. I wont give advice as to HOW to write a book, because I am not a writer. But I do feel that a 3rd person narrator would have went a long way. For me, anyway.

That being said, the events that unfold are just heart wrenching and hard to read. Especially since those events have been REAL LIFE for people all over the world. It’s just.. heartbreaking.

All in all – I did enjoy reading it. It has left its mark, which is probably what the intention was.

[rating-report]

liked it.white

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Tell me your thoughts

  • Have you read This Is Where It Ends? If so, what did you think?
  • What are your views on multiple POVs?
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9 thoughts on “This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp”

  1. Reply

    Jenna @ Jinkies Books

    This was a difficult book for me to review as well, I actually did not like the multiple viewpoints at all, I can understand how it helped the impact and show how many people were effected, but it seemed overwhelming, especially in the beginning and when they added all the relationships they have.

  2. Reply

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

    I didn’t mind the multiple POVs but I do agree that I didn’t connect with this book as well as I would have expected to. I still overall really loved it, but the one sacrifice felt a little unnecessary to me (did that person really need to do that at that point), so I wasn’t that affected by it. I also never really connected with the ex girlfriend.

  3. Reply

    Karen Blue

    I flat out disliked this book. The diversity felt forced, the POV switching was bad, the bad guy was boring…the list goes on and on. I flet like this was a bad representation of school shottings. I am glad to see someone else had issues with it. Everyone I have read so far has been glowing about this book.
    Stellar review, you had a great balance of like and dislike here.

    1. Reply

      tonyalee

      I have seen a lot of love for it too. The different POV is what really got me, that and flashbacks. I guess I didn’t pay any mind to the diversity. Not that I didn’t notice, but it didn’t feel forced, per se. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    1. Reply

      tonyalee

      Does your library have it? That’s a tough one, because this is solely contemporary and realistic fiction. I mean, if you like reading them, I would give it a try. But it’s a huge leap in genres.

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