A review by acourtofstarsandmoons
This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This one is a solid middle of the road book for me. 

It was certainly successful in getting me to feel the intensity and the sadness in the parts where it was encouraged - deaths, during the confrontations with Tyler and everyone else. 

The writing choices took away a bit from the story though. I got confused on where we were and the step by step motions weren’t clear enough so that one minute we’re in the science room but then suddenly we’re going out the window. 

One thing that really ticked me off was Tomas’ death. It was completely needless - even more so than any death by school shooting is. He threw himself, literally, into the line of fire to give Sylv and Far more time to get out when Tyler wasn’t even where they were yet. It was completely pointless. I’m that same vein, we were never really given a reason for Tyler’s motivations behind the shooting. The author was giving very conflicted perspectives - in some he was kind and protective and tormented and then cut to raping and shooting up schools, it really just came from nowhere. 

Speaking of the rape, this was handled so poorly it should’ve been removed. For a topic as traumatising and serious as that, it needs to be elaborated upon past a single sentence mention out of nowhere. If you can’t dedicate a paragraph, at least to flesh this plot point out, don’t include it. Focus, instead, on the plot you’ve picked. 

I, thankfully, can’t relate to these situations as I’m safe and secluded in good old Australia so I’m not sure if it was the writing or the situations inspire actually reactions such as these but I felt like everyone was way too calm? Autumn especially. But this could just me a reflection of my ignorance to the subject matter. 

All in all, I’m glad to have read it, I was crushed by the deaths - Matt’s and Tomas’ specifically, but I wouldn’t reread this again. 
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