I am back with another Monday Reviews! This week, I am reviewing This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. Thanks to Raincoast Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review, all opinions are my own.
I cannot even begin to fathom what it would feel like to be trapped in a gym with a shooter going after people.
In the wake of many shootings across the United States, this book will strike a chord with readers.
The story is told from 4 perspectives, one on the outside, three inside. It also includes blog posts and "live" tweets of the shooting.
I thought this was very well written, and at times, quite intense! I read it in two sittings, and I enjoyed the diversity of the story. The author herself is a member of We Need Diverse Books, and you can definitely tell. There are characters from many ethnicities and races, as well as sexual orientation throughout the book. This book also deals with issues such as alcoholism, sexual assault, abuse, and various other hard hitting topics.
I did find that while this was a harrowing story, it seemed a little, plain. The shooting was interrupted with backstory of the people to try and understand why the shooter is doing what he is, etc. I felt like the flow could have been better to keep readers on their toes. I also felt like the diversity throughout the story was a little too much, it seems like every character has their own "diversity." It just took away from the story.
I also felt like some of the "main characters" were not all that likeable, so it almost didn't matter how their life would turn out in the end, after the shooting.
I only gave it 4 stars because I felt like we didn't need all 4 perspectives to understand the story and I felt like the ending was a little rushed and over dramatic.
I only gave it 4 stars because I felt like we didn't need all 4 perspectives to understand the story and I felt like the ending was a little rushed and over dramatic.