// Content warning: death, mass shooting, sexual assault, physical abuse, suicide, homophobia //
// Quick Statistics //
Overall: 3/5 Stars
Plot: 2/5 Stars
Setting: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 2/5 Stars
Writing: 4/5 Stars
Memorability: 4/5 Stars
// Quick Review //
I’ve been wanting to read this novel for well over two years, but never got around to it. I had heard great things and was looking forward to reading a novel with diversity that also deals well with heavy topics. However, I found that instead of the 5 star read I expected, I was fairly disappointed.
// Other Information //
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Page Count: 282 pages
Release Date: January 5, 2016
Series: None
Genre: Fiction, Young adult, LGBTQ+, Realistic fiction, Suspense, Contemporary, Thriller
// Book Description (via Goodreads) //
Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun…
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.
In 54 minutes, four students must confront their greatest hopes, and darkest fears, as they come face-to-face with the boy with the gun.
// Characters //
This Is Where It Ends is split between the POV’s of four characters: Claire, Tomas, Sylvia, and Autumn. Tomas and Sylvia are siblings, Autumn and Sylvia are dating, and Claire dated Autumn’s brother, Tyler.
One of the things I was most excited for going into this novel was the split POV and the promised diversity. While I think the split POV was perfectly executed and made the novel even more suspenseful, the diversity was lacking.
Despite showcasing many different characters with different races, sexualities, and abilities, I felt as if they were all treated as token characters. The author made a point to specifically say who was what, and this made the characters identities feel flimsy and unrealistic. Rather than building up or showing the chemistry between Sylvia and Autumn, Nijkamp instead points out constantly that they are together and ‘meant for one another’. Which, I really wanted to care about their relationship, I really did, but I just couldn’t. As I was reading it was like ‘Oh, nice. They’re together… moving on.’
Despite these issues, however, I was attached and emotionally invested in the main characters and even some of the side characters. I cried during the deaths and was upset/stunned after finishing the novel.
One of the biggest issues that is actually somewhat problematic for this novel is the character of Tyler, who *SPOILER* is the shooter and Autumn’s brother.
Obviously, Tyler’s character is the main antagonist and a huge part of the novel. Which make’s his characteristic flaws even more disappointing.
I started reading This Is Where It Ends expecting a realistic (yet fictionalized) and well-handled novel about a school shooting. I had hoped that the novel would deal with this topic well and represent it truthfully. However, this is where Tyler puts a pin in that representation.
Tyler is somewhat of an ‘evil’ character, yet he is killing people in the school for what seems to be no reason. The author doesn’t explain how or why Tyler has gotten to the point where he feels all alone and determines shooting up the school is the best way to deal with his demons. It is explained multiple times that Tyler is doing this because he is alone, yet it’s never explained why he feels that way, or what happened to make this so.
This lack of his character’s background make him almost like a Disney villain; he’s doing horrible things yet we’re just supposed to go along and not question why.
// Writing and Setting //
As I mentioned, the use of multiple POV’s add an even more suspenseful and eventually heart-shattering atmosphere to the novel. I read This Is Where It Ends fairly quickly because the writing style was so simplistic yet perfect to carry me along.
The setting, I feel, is where this novel excelled. No matter its shortcoming in the characters and plot, This Is Where It Ends is highly suspenseful and terrifying. The novel brings every student’s worst fear to life and throws the reader into a terrifying fictionalized account of a school shooting, a common tragedy in today’s world.
// Plot //
I would like to say that I loved the plot, but one of the best parts is that this novel moves fast. While the it is definitely heartbreaking, the actual events in the novel felt more like a B-list movie than a ‘realistic’ story about a school shooting.
Like I said before, Tyler’s character is pretty much cartoonized and a joke, which makes the events in the novel seem unrealistic and almost lazy.
There were so many things going on in this novel besides the shooting that it felt as if Nijkamp was trying to pack This Is Where It Ends full of nonsense. A huge portion of the story is focused on Sylvia and Autumn’s relationship, which isn’t authentic anyways. And then another huge portion is focused on Claire and her friend Chris’ potential relationship. Which, by the way, seems pretty ill-timing since Clare and Chris are attempting to get help and Claire’s brother is literally in the school with the shooter?
The one thing I will say is that despite its flaws, the promised suspense is definitely there. This Is Where It Ends definitely succeeds as a thriller, but not so much a representation of mass shootings and their victims.
// Overall Review //
There was a lot wrong with this novel, and I was so disappointed after waiting so long to read it. Despite its flaws, This Is Where It Ends was suspenseful and fast-paced, and actually managed to make me shed a tear (I know, I’m an emotionless person when it comes to books). However, I would not recommend reading it if you are looking for a realistically diverse account of a fictionalized school shooting.
What is a book that made you cry?
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Maya's Reviews 