This Is Where It Ends (Nijkamp)

This Is Where It Ends 
Marieke Nijkamp, 2016
Sourcebooks
288 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781492622468


Summary
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 from four perspectives over the span of 54 harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
Marieke Nijkamp was born and raised in the Netherlands. A lifelong student of stories, language, and ideas, she is more or less proficient in about a dozen languages and holds degrees in philosophy, history, and medieval studies. She is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, geek. Her debut young adult novel This Is Where It Ends, a contemporary story that follows four teens over the course of the fifty-four minutes of a school shooting, was published in 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire. (From the author's website.)

Book Reviews
A highly diverse cast of characters, paired with vivid imagery and close attention to detail, set the stage for an engrossing, unrelenting tale. The starkly chilling realism and themes of abuse, death, and assault, among others, may prove too much for younger or sensitive readers, but the story unquestionably leaves an indelible mark (Ages 14–up).
Publishers Weekly


The four main narratives are joined by text messages, tweets, and blog entries...allowing for more viewpoints and commentary without narrative clutter. Although the work is devastating, it offers a small moment of optimism and closure.... [A] thrilling narrative (Gr 8-up).  —Susannah Goldstein, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City
School Library Journal


It is a challenge to establish an understanding of some characters and their relationships due to the swift changes in voice, but the core message and potential to open thoughtful discussion make this a solid choice for teen readers (Ages 12 to 18). —Stacey Hayman
VOYA


Strong characterizations capture diversity in gender, race, ability, and sexuality. Even reluctant readers will anxiously pursue the ending, unable to turn away from the tragedy and in desperate hope for a resolution, knowing there cannot be a happy ending
Booklist


Nijkamp's emotional, powerful debut fictionalizes an all-too-frequent occurrence in today's world. Her strong storytelling pulls readers into a school shooting, leaving them amongst the gunman's victims in Opportunity High's auditorium (4 stars).
Romance Times Reviews


The language can occasionally feel a bit melodramatic, with lines like "we're fighting for hope and a thousand tomorrows," but this is a minor side note to this compelling story of terror, betrayal, and heroism. This brutal, emotionally charged novel will grip readers and leave them brokenhearted (Ages 14-18).
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
1. There are many different kinds of relationships in this novel: family, friendship, romantic. How do these relationships inform what is at stake for each of the main characters?

2. Each character reacts differently to the shooting. Choose two characters and describe how they responded. Do you agree with the decisions they made? How might you have acted differently?

3. This is Where It Ends is interspersed with texts, social media posts, and blog excerpts. How do you think technology has affected the way we experience and respond to tragedy?

4. If you could save one character in this novel, who would you save and why?

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHARACTERS
Sylv
5. Family is very important to Sylv, so much so that she’s willing to give up her dream to take care of her mother. If you were in her shoes, would you do the same? Why or why not?

6. Sylv tries to save Steve and Asha because “we’re all responsible for each other.” What does Sylv mean by this? Do you agree?

7. Autumn and Sylv keep secrets from each other. Do you think this helps or hurts their relationship? Do you agree with their decisions or would you have encouraged them to speak up?

Autumn
8. Autumn doesn’t feel as if she belongs in Opportunity. She tells Sylv, “If I stay here, I don’t think I’ll matter.” What does she mean by this?

9. While speaking of Autumn’s mother, Autumn’s father says, “Dance took everything from her.” Is that the case for Autumn too? What did dance give her?

Tomás
10. Early in the novel, Tomás has the opportunity to escape the school. Instead, he chooses to try to help his classmates. Discuss Tomás’s decision. What would you have done?

11. When Fareed is on the phone with the police, Tomás comments that Fareed suppresses his accent so he won’t be marked as a suspect. Do you think that was necessary? Do you think that is fair?

Claire
12. There are moments in the novel when Claire says she hates herself for wanting to be happy. Why does she feel that way? If you were her friend, what would you tell her?

13. Claire and Chris feel helpless as they wait for news about what is happening inside the school. In your opinion, was it more difficult for the characters inside the auditorium or those waiting to hear about their loved ones? Why?

Tyler
14. Tyler told his father he wanted to go back to school to “set things right.” Discuss his motivations. How could he have gone about this differently?

15. Autumn and Tyler were both grieving their mother and dealing with family and school. How did they each cope with their troubles? Why do you think they both felt so alone?

QUESTIONS ABOUT DEATH AND GRIEVING
16. In the epilogue, the survivors come together to remember those they lost by sending lanterns into the sky. Mei describes this as a way to “make sure the darkness is never absolute.” What does that mean to you?

17. How can you ensure the darkness is never absolute—for yourself or your peers or your family?

18. What do you think happens to the survivors after the book ends? What would come next for them? How do you think their experiences changed them?

QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS
19. At the end of the book, someone asks, about the shooting: “How could it happen here? Why couldn’t we stop it?” How would you answer those questions?

20. In your opinion, what can be done to prevent school shootings?
(Questions found on author's website.)

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