Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Title: This Is Where It Ends
Author: Marieke Nijkamp
Series: n/a
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: January 5th, 2016
Source: For Review via NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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.

This cover is amazing. It's what grabbed my eye when I saw it floating around Netgalley. I know that I probably should have waited a while to read/review this one.... shame on me. But I have been wanting to read this kind of book for ages. I picked up a book a couple years ago, thinking for sure based on the description, that it was about a school shooting but nope. It wasn't even close.

I probably sound morbid right now, because who really wants to read about that kind of stuff? It's not that I condone school shootings. I certainly don't, but when one happens on the news I'm glued to the story. Because it's such a terrible thing, I can't imagine why anyone would ever want to do something like that.

In This Is Where It Ends, you get those answers because you are there in the thick of the story. Granted, I'll admit that some aspects were not all that realistic. School shootings happen all the time, but I've never heard of one happening on this level.

There is death galore, and I appreciated that. It reminds you throughout the story that while this is fiction, it could happen and the results are devastating. It's told from a few different point of views. I really liked this, because you get a view of what's going on from inside and outside the thick of things.

I think I read this whole book with my hand on my heart. No kidding. It's a super fast read and it will break your heart. I am so glad I read This Is Where It Ends. It's will go down and one of my faves this year.

About the author:

Marieke is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, and diversity advocate. She holds degrees
in philosophy, history, and medieval studies, and wants to grow up to be a time traveler.

In the midnight hours of the day, Marieke writes stories full of hope and heartbreak. Her debut YA novel THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS will be out from Sourcebooks Fire in 2016.

NOTE: While I love Goodreads, I don't spend a lot of time here, so I'm dreadfully slow in responding to questions or requests. You're always welcome to tweet or email me though!

NOTE, PART TWO: I so appreciate everyone taking the time to read and discuss my book! I do not respond to reviews, but whether you love or hate my book, thank you for sharing your thoughts! <3

Find Marieke:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Labels: heartbreaking, Marieke Nijkamp, reviews, school shootings, sourcebooks, This is Where it ends