This Is Where It Ends

Marieke Nijkamp

Jan 2016 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

The reviews are in! This Is Where It Ends, the #1 New York Times bestseller and one of the Best Books of the Decade (Buzzfeed, Paste Magazine, BookRiot), "could break you." "I am speechless." "The saddest book I have ever read." "Literally tore my heart out."

Go inside a heartbreaking fictional school shooting, minute-by-terrifying-minute. Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun...

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 a.m.: The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05 a.m.: Someone starts shooting.

Over the course of 54 minutes, four students must confront their greatest hopes, and darkest fears, as they come face-to-face with the boy with the gun. In a world where violence in schools is at an all-time high and school shootings are a horrifyingly common reality for teenagers, This Is Where It Ends is a rallying cry to end the gun violence epidemic for good.

Praise for This Is Where It Ends:

• A Buzzfeed Best Young Adult Book of the Decade
• A Paste Magazine Best Teen Book of the Decade
• A Book Riot Biggest YA Book of the Decade
• A Professional Book Nerds Best Book of the Decade
• A Bustle.com Most-Anticipated YA Novel
• A Goodreads YA Best Books Pick
• A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for Young Adult Fiction
• Kids Indie Next List Pick

"Marieke Nijkamp's brutal, powerful fictional account of a school shooting is important in its timeliness." —Bustle.com

"A gritty, emotional, and suspenseful read and although fictionalized, it reflects on a problematic and harrowing issue across the nation." —Buzzfeed

"A compelling, brutal story of an unfortunately all-too familiar situation: a school shooting. Nijkamp portrays the events thoughtfully, recounting fifty-four intense minutes of bravery, love, and loss." —BookRiot

Ratings and reviews

I appreciate his book for many reasons. One, it doesn't portray the main character as, "your typical lesbian" (her love interest actually comes as a surprise). Secondly, it's beautifully written and keeps the reader on their toes. I love the elements of time-keeping throughout the book- it really keeps the anxiety on a high.

Interesting concept and story. Characters had potential. The writing was just not very good. Easy read- took me about an hour, but I think if the novel had been longer, the plot and characters could have been better explored.

Not usually the type of book I like to read, but it was definitely attention grabbing. The thing I liked the most about it was the interracial characters. I could understand them when they spoke Spanish (Mexican is my heritage). And I haven't read in Spanish in a really long time so I really liked that that was there for me.

About the author

MARIEKE NIJKAMP is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of This Is Where it Ends and Before I Let Go. She is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, geek. She holds degrees in philosophy, history, and medieval studies, has served as an executive member of We Need Diverse Books, and is the founder of DiversifYA. She lives in the Netherlands. Visit her at mariekenijkamp.com.