Confessions of a Literary Addict

This review is spoiler-free!

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Tfw you thought you scheduled something and you didn’t, so now you’re publishing it on the wrong day. Oops.

Anyway. The review.

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
Series: No.
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Release Date: January 5th 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire
Format: ebook, 288 pages
Rating: ★★★★☆
Find it here: Goodreads || Book Depository

Actual rating: 3.5

Now, I’m going to first say that I don’t have a terribly huge amount to say about this one, mostly because I feel like I can’t mess with the whole idea of experiencing a school shooting when I, myself, have no idea what that would actually feel like. However, I do have some things to say. Which, I’m being obvious, is why there’s a review of it from me.

Moving on.

I really enjoyed this book. The different points of view, the feelings the characters had towards the event and towards the reason the shooting was happening, and the overall story we were given in this book, I liked. I was confused at first when I went into it, too many characters and connections to keep track off right from the start, but the action happened so fast following the introduction — since everything happens in the span of less than an hour — that I kind of felt like I had to learn everyone’s identity and position in the story as I went instead of lagging behind and trying to get things straight before moving on. It was probably the pace of the story itself that caused me to do that, but it did make things a little difficult.

In movie format, though? I think this idea of different characters and step-by-step, minute-by-minute of the hour we were given would be great. Maybe with fewer flashbacks, despite it being crucial to the written story. Or with them presented in a different way, because they way they suddenly showed up in the middle of a scene was a little off-putting. Regardless, I think it would be a cool movie concept, even if it really is a horrible topic to talk about. Not talking about it is worse.

The ending was the best part for me, I felt like I could feel what the characters felt after everything they had gone through in a way that really let me connect with the story and allow me to relate without actually relating to it.

This whole book makes me want to pick up more on the topic, as I haven’t yet done so in my reading career and I know many more exist. I already feel that this may not be the best one to have started out with, but I’m more than okay with it happening, as it really is a good story with a lot of feeling in it. It just has a little too much confusion in it at the get-go to get a full four or five stars from me.

Thanks for reading!