This Is Where It Ends

I could not put this book down. From the first page to the last it was constantly moving forward. I am impressed with the level of detail Nijkamp was able to delve into throughout this book which, save the epilogue, was only ~1 hour. A lot can happen in one hour, but it is certainly hard to capture that. Even if this was set in the midst of a tragedy, it was wonderful to read a novel that captivated how quickly time moves. I feel like I have so much more to say about this book that I cannot find the words for. I highly recommend it to anybody who is a fan of YA and/or gripping novels.

So many school shootings, this book is a timely one. The story is narrated by four different students, 3 inside and 1 outside Opportunity High School, all linked in someway to a student that goes on a killing spree at the school. The story is told in flashbacks as well as present time. As they talk us through the event we learn about what is happening at the time and also details of the narrator’s life, family, hopes and dreams. I cared very much about these high school students and their teachers and wanted to get an understanding of how this type of tragedy comes about. What motivates a high school classmate to become a shooter? How does the family feel? How does a student feel when they see a classmate, a teacher, a sibling gunned down. I think the author did a good job of developing the story, but some parts were a little overdone such as the endless talk of love between two 18 year old girls who would willingly give up their own lives to save each other. I don't know how I would react because I have never been involved in a situation such as this. I found this story suspenseful, tension filled, poignant and heartfelt.

I couldn’t put this book down! I was compelled to keep reading to find out the final outcome. This book is filled with tragedy as well as hope. I really liked the epilogue. It was very emotional and is something I can imagine the seniors doing. I was crying but I was smiling as well. It is well written for the Y.A. audience (14 ) with themes of family, loss and anger. The main characters all have a sense that they are lacking in some way and are letting other people down which is the way many high school ages students feel.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"This Is Where It Ends" is a gripping read about a school shooting. Spanning only fifty-four minutes four narrators, whose stories are intertwined, explain in detail what is happening and why. Although a diverse group of students, throughout the book, they each demonstrate bravery, loyalty, the love of family and, in some cases, stupidity and, along the way, the reader also learns about their dreams, hopes and aspirations for the future. "This Is Where It Ends" is not an easy read but I could not put it down. The pacing is excellent, the suspense gripping and the events believable. Unfortunately, the plot is frighteningly real and every parent's worse nightmare. The end is heart-breaking and heart-warming, and finishes with a sense of hope.

I hate the fact that we live in a world where school shootings happen. I have mixed feelings about the fact that a book like this even exists because I don't want to use a tragedy as entertainment. I have had a review copy of this book for years but never got around to it. My daughter actually encouraged me to read this book because she thought it was well done. I didn't grow up in a world where school shootings happened with alarming regularity but my daughter has and it is something that she thinks about. I found this to be an engaging story and a really quick read.This book is told from multiple points of view while a school shooting is taking place. We see what is going on in the locked auditorium and outside of it as well. This is a tragic story filled with needless death but there is also a bit of hope and a few individuals that prove to be heroes. This book doesn't really get too deep into why the shooting happened but I can't think of a good reason or one that would make sense so I am okay with the decision to focus on the students fighting to survive.The story did have a few problems. Students do call 911 as things start and the police in this little town must have been out having a few doughnuts because it takes them forever to actually get to the school. I had some pretty big issues with that delayed response and I think it made the story very unrealistic. I also never felt like we got to know any of the characters very well. I didn't want any of them to die but I wasn't particularly emotional when it happened either. I did really like the fact that this audiobook was narrated by a full cast. Each point of view had its own narrator which made it very easy to keep track of who the focus was on. I thought that each narrator did a fantastic job with the story. I know that I liked this book a lot more because I decided to listen to the audiobook.I would recommend this book to others. I thought it was a well-told story despite having a few issues. I wouldn't hesitate to read more of this author's work in the future.I received a digital review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.

I feel like I’ve read a lot of school shooting books lately - is this a trend? This one was really amazing though. The bulk of the story (except for the epilogue) took place in about an hour, though it jumped between four different POVs. Very effective, very emotional.

Opportunity, Alabama, even the place name shows the planning by the author. A school shooting is the timely action, but the book is really a character study of those close to the killer. Fascinating.

For my full review and more, check out Bumble Bee Books!

This is Where it Ends follows four kids on the morning of their first semester back at school after the holiday. Tomas, Sylv, Claire, and Autumn thinks that today is just any other day. For some of them it is another day of track practice, for some it is another morning being sent to the office for doing something wrong, and some of them it is another boring assembly led by Principal Trenton's famous start of the semester speech. Everything is normal until the assembly is dismissed and the kids try to leave only to realize that the doors of the auditorium are locked from the outside. No one can leave. Thousands of high school kids are stuck in this auditorium looking at their teachers for guidance. Then, one of the doors burst open. A former student yields a gun and begins taking out people one by one. How can this happen to Opportunity High School in small town Opportunity, Alabama where nothing ever happens? How can this be happening to me? That's what every student locked in that auditorium is thinking as they hide for their lives so that they do not become one of the many bodies on the floor.

This is an important book that I think everyone needs to read. Unfortunately in the world that we live in, school shootings are something that aren't uncommon. Sure, it feels like one of those "that can never happen to me" things, but these things are happening more and more. The way that the author took a fictional story and made it feel like it could be true events is what makes this so important. I read about characters from all walks of life who never though someone that they knew could shoot up their school. I followed these characters through their lives (and in some circumstances, death) and got to know how they are all connected. The author even uses social media (Twitter, blogs) in the book to show how kids that are always connected to their phones and to the world reach out for help.

I think the most compelling thing about this book is how the entire thing spans over the course of an hour. That's what made it feel real for me, because in a situation like this an hour will feel like an eternity. With all the different POVs and everything happening all around the school, it really makes sense how so much can happen in such little time. For me, it was mesmerizing how so much could happen when only 10 or 15 minutes have passed, but it really brings me back to high school when I could sit in a class for what felt like days and only to have a few minutes tick by.


I just couldn't put the book down. With every minute that ticks by, there is a chance that a character that you are just learning all about could die. This is truly one of those stories that grabs you by the heart strings and forces you to care. I really hope that once this book is published that it will be in school libraries everywhere because it starts a very important conversation about what to do if something like this should occur. Thank you very much to the author Marieke Nijkamp, the publisher Sourcebooks Fire, and Netgalley for providing be with an advanced copy of this book. This book comes out on the shelves on January 6, 2016, so you definitely want to go ahead and pre-order your copy.

5/5 stars

Working in a high school, this book really hit me in the gut in a lot of places. Could someone have prevented what happened in that auditorium if they had just paid enough attention early enough? The character development is where I think Nijkamp shines. Her characters are beautifully detailed and will stay with you long after you finish the story. Admittedly, I was able to foresee how the plot was going to turn out about half way into the story which is why I only gave the book 4 stars instead of 5, but that might have been what Nijkamp intended for the readers. In either case, excellent read.

I could not put this book down. From the first page to the last it was constantly moving forward. I am impressed with the level of detail Nijkamp was able to delve into throughout this book which, save the epilogue, was only ~1 hour. A lot can happen in one hour, but it is certainly hard to capture that. Even if this was set in the midst of a tragedy, it was wonderful to read a novel that captivated how quickly time moves. I feel like I have so much more to say about this book that I cannot find the words for. I highly recommend it to anybody who is a fan of YA and/or gripping novels.

Alternate first-person accounts of a school shooting, including the guilt-stricken sister. The shooter holds a group of students captive in the auditorium; he shoots random and then increasingly targeted individuals. We hear from victims, anguished parents via tweets, a blogger, and the news media. The characters seem cliched and stereotypical but the story is timely.

Riveting, intense and heartbreaking. The events of this story take place in one devastating hour, such that the reader is compelled to read straight through. The author does a good job of capturing the feel of what it might be like to be a student in the midst of a school-shooting event. She made the story as authentic as possible and did a decent job of portraying the thoughts, concerns, and emotions of high-school students. Having the four points of view was helpful as well. The reader doesn't really learn anything new, but definitely experiences a frightening, unforgettable perspective.In accordance with FTC guidelines please note I received a free advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the book it covered a controversial topic and gave us unique points of view from four different characters. It kept me engrossed through the whole book and feeling for the characters. A recommended read.

I received a digital copy of this title, free, in exchange for my honest opinion. Wow! This book left me breathless and heartbroken, but also hopeful. School shootings is always a scary topic, mainly because they happen way too frequently for comfort and almost everyone has been touched by it in some way. As with suicide, those who are left in the aftermath or who are outsiders to the event, school shootings leaves the world asking questions. The number one question being "Could I have stopped this?"But what Nijkamp shows is that a shooting involves a whole lot more people than just the shooter. A shooter rarely wakes up one morning and decides to bring a gun to school to exact revenge on those around them. There is more to it than that. She was able to show this without really being in the shooter's head at all. That is one thing that I find the most intriquing, very little time (if any) is actually spent inside the shooter's head. What we learn about him comes from the people that interacted with him directly, mostly in some negative way or from what the shooter says to the other characters. We have to assume that the character's perspective and the shooter's dialogues tells us the truth of who he is. But, I kind of hope that they're wrong. If not, than they were all pretty naiive to not expect something like this to happen. And yes, I can say that, because as a reader I know all of the secrets and truths that each character had but chose to keep to themselves. And it's easy to come to this conclusion when you don't already have a gun pointed at you and you have enough information and experience. It's called the outsider's perspectives. Besides getting to know the shooter, we are also given the opportunity to get to know the other characters. And they are a diverse group. Heroism comes in unexpected places. But so does cowardice. Not everyone can be brave. But you would think that someone who is closer to the shooter would be braver, instead I found her to be selfish and a bit of a coward. I don't think that the author intended her to be portrayed this way, but that's the way she came across to me. I was impressed by this book on so many levels. But this one is worth mentioning directly. This is the work of a debut author. This is Nijkamp's first published book. And it is written as though she has been in the game for a while. Well written, authentic characters and engaging plot. Flawless. I have never said all of that about any other debut author's work. And yes, I know that just because it is the first published work does not mean this is the first book she's ever written (for all we know it could be her hundredth attempt at a book, this same story even). But it is the first in what I hope is long long publishing career.

It's hard to read about school shootings, whether it's news or novels. Even after all the incidents over the past few years, I don't think you ever quite know how to not feel horrified or sad or furious or just baffled at how whatever is broken inside a kid comes out this way. This is a very dark story and if you've been involved with any sort of violence in school, you should probably skip it. I usually can't rate stories this dark with three stars; I hate leaving a story with these feelings when there are so many possible endings in fiction. This writer's voice got to me, though and I thought she did well dealing with a gritty subject.

Told from varying perspectives, this author used this style well. Well written with a superb plot, I liked this book a lot. When the students of Opportunity high school beginning a new semester, they had no idea that within 54 minutes, 39 of them would be killed.Autumn and her brother lost their beloved mother in a car accident. Life hasn't been the same since then. Their father uses his fists to take his angst out on his children. Autumn's brother Ty did not return to school as a student to complete his senior year. Instead, when he came to Opportunity high school that fateful day, it would be with a gun and many rounds of ammunition. As students began to depart after the principals opening speech, shots rang out in the auditorium Systematically picking his targets with those who either actually slighted or with whom Ty held a grude, he called them forth and in cold bloodied fashion shot them. Teachers were also targeted and killed.There were two students who decided to skip the assembly and instead entered the principal's office and searched for their records. When they heard the shots, they understood something bad was happening.Successful at picking the locks and using cutters, these two brave souls silently ushered students out of harms way. This was accomplished because Autumn faced her brother and engaged him in conversation while trying to keep his eyes on her and not out at the crowd.Still, many were shot when it was discovered they were trying to flee. Rage filled and vengeful, Ty sneered and smiled as the bullets hit the bodies of his targets. His sister hopes that being a relative counts for something and that perhaps he will not shoot her as she tries to reason with him.While students realized Ty was an angry bully, no one suspected he would resort to premeditated violence.This book was good for many reasons, some of which were the fact that while there were descriptions of the shooting, the author did not resort to unnecessary descriptive gore. The character development was excellent. This very serious topic was handled well without platitudes and over emotional sentiment.There could be no happy ending, and the author did not try to paint an unrealistic ribbon on the box of difficult situations and emotions.Four Stars. I'll look for more of her writing.

The format of this book was a little tricky and I never figured out who some of the tweets were from but I got use to it and as tragic as the story is I liked being inside the heads of certain students. It was a good angle. I've avoided books on this topic but this was the recommended book via my library on biglibraryread.com so I joined in. As to be expected reading a book like this is draining but sadly in today's world...current.

t first a bit disjointed - there's multiple narrators, and while details of their lives are shared, it's a bit confusing at first. But the plot moves forward inexorably ... And in increasingly horrific detail . A young man methodically locks all the auditorium doors, brings weapons and extra ammo and tells the trapped student body and staff that he is in control. The shock is real and as the shooter begins to actually kill students and teachers, the dread and the sense of despair builds along with the claustrophobic atmosphere of the auditorium. The narrators' relationships to the shooter, Tyler Browne, emerges and secrets are revealed. Well written, emotionally wrenching and painful to read for its straight from the headlines plot, this is a compelling read.

Really 2 1/2 stars. Very disappointing. With all the positive press surrounding this book. I expected something more gripping. I felt like the author didn't delve deep enough into the characters and it was wayyy too short.

I literally loved this book so much, it was very sad and very touching. Everyone should read this book!!!

I’ve read multiple “school shooting” books and this was by far the worst one. Very one dimensional characters and badly written dialogue. Hard to really connect with the characters. Read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult or The Competition by Marcia Clark instead.

I found this book to e very moving. I couldn't put it down.

Couldn’t put it down! Simply Amazing from start to finish.

Words cannot discribe how I felt reading this book. The author had me from the start an until the very end you couldn’t see what was coming. The trauma an details were amazing an I cannot wait to read another of her books

Binge read the whole thing in one go. Only 4 stars because there were some parts I felt unnecessary but I'm just salty about some stuff in the book. Really enjoyed reading it.

Amazing Read!!! So Emotional and Gut-Wrenching Traumedy Loved It So Much!

This story, the nightmare of every american youth. Hauntingly powerful.

I could not put this book down!! This book scared the shit out of me because I have a son in high school and when I read this he was a Freshman…now a senior and it scares me to think that this could happen at his school at any time. Thankfully it hasn’t but when I was done reading this all I could do was hug him and thank the lord he has never had to go through something like this.

Attention Spoiler Alert!
The idea and concept of this book is really moving and suspenseful. Also the writing style and the different point of views were very interesting. The proceedings on the other hand seemed kind of out of order and not comprehensible to me. For example the proceedings of the police and why Tomàs sacrificed himself didn’t seem all that sensible. I would have loved to get to know Tyler’s motivation a little better and for some of the characters to be less stereotypical heroic and more human in their actions. But in the end I do have to say, that I read this book within two day’s due to the nerve racking tension the author built.

This story is amazing and unique. I am so hooked on the characters. I love the plot and everything about this book. You did well! You can join in the NovelStar writing contest right now until the end of May with a theme Werewolf. You can also publish your stories in NovelStar, just email our editors hardy@novelstar.top, joye@novelstar.top, or lena@novelstar.top.

Wonderful story. If you have some great stories like this one, you can publish it on Novel Star, just submit your story to hardy@novelstar.top or joye@novelstar.top