Reviews with content warning for Rape - This Is Where It Ends

It’s hard to describe how I feel after finishing this book. It’s definitely not an easy or light hearted topic to read about, and so many aspects about the story are sad. But in a way the story felt unbelievable at times, or it almost felt like Tyler was playing a game and just some of his comments felt cheesy at times, which sounds wrong but I don’t know how else to explain it. The ending wasn’t very satisfying either, and I don’t really know why. Tomás was my favorite character and I did like his story. I know this story is fictional and isn’t based on any specific shooting, but the stories and events just felt unrealistic at times.

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Dutch author Marieke Nijkamp's novel, This Is Where It Ends, attempts to confront a weighty issue but falls short due to its Hollywood-esque approach and superficial exploration. Despite Nijkamp's extensive research efforts, her lack of direct experience with school shootings hampers the authenticity of her portrayal. Rather than delving into technical details, the narrative focuses on the emotional and psychological impact on the characters, which unfortunately overshadows any meaningful insights into the subject matter.

Realism takes a backseat as the story presents a scenario where all characters are conveniently confined to the same space with an active shooter. This portrayal diverges from real-life shootings, characterized by chaos and confusion with individuals scattered throughout the environment. Learned strategies like "run, hide, fight" vanish as the characters comply with the shooter's demands without attempting to defend themselves. In the face of a life-threatening situation, they somehow have time for romance and obsessing over non-essential matters, instead of focusing on surviving.

The 54-minute duration of the shooting brings to mind the Uvalde school shooting in 2022, where police were faulted for treating the situation as a "barricaded subject" rather than an active shooting. Police response typically prioritizes urgency to stop shooters and protect lives.

Tyler's underlying message is clear: "I carry profound hurt—I'll react explosively and project it onto you." The narrative deliberately sidelines his perspective to underscore the impact of his actions. Through flashbacks, we witness Tyler's upbringing in an environment where violence is normalized, both at home and school. The novel exposes systemic failures in addressing bullying and violence, allowing Tyler's behavior to escalate unchecked. Tyler emerges as a complex character grappling with universal feelings of insecurity and alienation, yet also as a deeply entitled individual lacking empathy for others.

However, the author missed an opportunity to delve deeper into the characters' experiences during the shooting by relying too heavily on flashbacks for emotional exploration. With 288 pages and four different points of view, there isn't enough space to fully develop the characters. Claire's perspective, especially, feels disconnected from the central event as she is outside of the shooting. Along with multiple perspectives, this book seems trendy in a superficial manner. While having characters of diverse backgrounds could enrich the narrative, it feels meaningless and opportunistic in this context.

The epilogue's portrayal of survivors' reactions feels tone-deaf, lacking the necessary depth of grief and devastation. Their swift return to the site of the shooting and the overly hopeful tone undermine the seriousness of their experiences.

One might read this book solely for its emotional aspect. It prompts reflection on the multitude of lives shattered, families torn apart, and the many loved ones and friends who will never see another day. Alternatively, it could lead one to contemplate the shortcomings of some authors in handling serious topics. This novel serves as a cautionary example of what not to do when addressing traumatizing subjects.

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this book literally had me sobbing and gagging and trying to survive. this book was so sad. I literally cannot deal with this right now. Like this book really just hurt my soul so badly like it had me punch in the book and everything. I cannot function anymore now that I read this book because the way how it really made me feel and it literally made me have an anxiety attack the whole time I was reading it like I felt in my chest this book was so good and I don’t think I’ve ever ever gonna recover from this book. I can’t even think straight right now that’s how good this book was it’s not even that is good it’s just so raw and just rail and just so depressing .

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