This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

And the author does this very well, in my humble opinion. There will be many tomorrows, as they say in the book, but it’s not something that should be forgotten so easily. It’s not glamorized, it’s not all rainbows at the end, because why should it be? Something horrible happened, and it’s not something that should be turned into a heartwarming and inspirational message. And even though this is about tragedy, there’s a glimmer of hope. It’s a harrowing story, but also honest, raw and important, and so beautifully written despite all that.

You can’t stop reading (I read it in two sittings, well through the night), because you have to know what is going to happen, even if you suspect things will only get worse. The book is a ball of tension and suspense that keeps getting bigger and bigger, a knot in your stomach, and you fear for these characters as if they are your friends, as if you’re there with them. We can peek through the veil, try and guess at the “reasons” behind all this, but these things, unfortunately, just happen.Īnd Marieke does an amazing job of showing us the fear, the guilt, the panic, the urgency that everyone is feeling, that seeps through the pages and infects the reader. We can see these nuances, while at the same time never, ever condoning their acts. As terrifying as that is, they're just one of us, with flaws, wishes, and fears, but a terrorist nevertheless. But a nuanced person nevertheless, with their own distorted reasons, and not 'crazy' like the media likes to portray perpetrators of these horrendous crimes. Someone who's done terrible things, of course, there's no denying that. No spoilers, but they're still a person, a sibling, a child, a friend. Because they're all people, with their fears and hopes, with their secrets and biased perspectives.Įven the shooter. Marieke does an amazing job at portraying such a theme, while at the same time conveying so much more than that through all the bits and pieces that shine through the characters. And I don't think I have read a book that did all of that and at such a degree in a very big while.

I think one very important criterion when judging a book is if it moves you somehow, if it makes you feel something, if it pangs at your emotions and changes you. To put it bluntly: this book broke me several times in several thousand pieces.īut, and now with more eloquence, I wouldn't expect this book to do anything else, not when talking about something as serious and terrible as a school shooting.

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp