Book Review; This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Summary:
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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*Please note* It’s been a long while since I read this book so this review is not as detailed as I’d like it to be!

When Faced

I first heard about this book through the wonderful Luna at Luna’s Little Library, and I am so glad that I did. The cover drew me in straight away and by the end of the synopsis I was certain that I had to read this book. When it was finally in my hands, I couldn’t wait to get started. And that feeling of excitement fortunately paid off. This book was incredible. From the very first page until the very last one, it pulls you in and makes it difficult to breathe. If you’re looking for an explosive (excuse the pun) book, this is one you should definitely get your hands on.

With Your Fear

There are so many things that could have gone wrong with this book. It takes a lot to take such a dark topic that is still currently happening and turn it into a fictional story. But, in my opinion, Marieke has done this sensitively and brilliantly. Rather than focusing too heavily on the event itself, Marieke has made this book a character-driven storyline and, if you’re a reader of my blog, you’ll know that I love character-driven books. I instantly connected to the main characters in the book and was enthralled as I witnessed their journeys. I did have a small issue with the ending but, essentially, I believe it was probably the best way to end such a traumatic book.

Do You Run

My favourite character was Sylv. She had so much on her shoulders and she cared so deeply for Autumn and Tomas and I just really loved that about her. I loved that even though there were so many characters, they all shown out as individuals with unique and varying personalities. The only character I struggled with was Autumn. To me she fell just a little flat. I couldn’t connect with her at all and while I could see why Sylv loved her, I couldn’t feel that way myself. However, the rest of the characters were incredible and definitely made up for it. I also really liked Tomas and the wonderful journey that his character took.

Or Fight Back

Overall, this book is harrowing due to it’s sensitive topic but it’s also incredibly powerful and will stick with you for a long time. It’s emotional, full of depth and will definitely have you reaching for the tissues. It’s addictive and fast-paced and gut-wrenchingly good. There are so many things I could say to try and convince you to read this book – and you should – but this review may become too long. All I will say to end is that this book is intense, beautiful and damaging all at the same time. It’s a book not to be missed.