This Is Where It Ends by, Marieke Nijkamp

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

This was a powerful book about a school shooting that lasted 54 minutes, told from the perspectives of the students experiencing it. What I found interesting was there was no perspective from the shooter, but once the narrators realize who the shooter is you get glimmers of who he was but you never really understand just why he does what he does.

This book did pull me in pretty fast I read it in 2 sittings; it kept me interested all the way through. I also liked that there were many races, religions, disabilities and sexual orientations represented. I did have a few problems with how the police were handled though, they took the time to set up tents before knowing just what was going on inside or trying to contact the shooter? Everyone in the auditorium had a cell phone and I just didn’t feel any urgency on their part.

My favorite characters in this book would have to be Far (Fareed) and Tomas (the prankster of the school) these two showed so much heroism, especially since they were free, they were both sent to the principal’s office, they weren’t locked in the auditorium with the shooter they could have just walked away but they didn’t, they stayed and tried to help.

I felt so bad for the shooters sister to have to see your brother shooting people and ranting about life and you can do nothing to stop him, yet people think you should be doing something or that it’s your fault.

I also am not sure what the addition of the tweets was about; I don’t think they added anything to the story at all. (And in my DRC it was big white blocks with the tweets below, I’m not sure what I was supposed to be seeing). These tweets could be cut completely and not lose a single bit of the story.

I’ll be honest there was a few times where I thought why aren’t you all ganging up and taking him down, I guess unless you have lived the situation you don’t know how you would react so I tried to put myself in their shoes and I’d probably be the kid completely shut down and too scared to move, so who am I to judge.

There were a few things off about the book but they in no way outweighed what made this a powerful story.

3 ½ Stars

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.