THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS
New York Times Bestseller and Indie Next Pick!
Goodreads – YA Best Books of the Month
Buzzfeed – 5 YA Books You Should Be Reading This January
Bustle.com – 18 of 2016’s Most Anticipated YA Novels
BookRiot – 15 Books Out in 2016 You Should Mark Down Now
10:00 a.m.: The principal of Opportunity High School in Alabama finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
New York Times Bestseller and Indie Next Pick!
Goodreads – YA Best Books of the Month
Buzzfeed – 5 YA Books You Should Be Reading This January
Bustle.com – 18 of 2016’s Most Anticipated YA Novels
BookRiot – 15 Books Out in 2016 You Should Mark Down Now
10:00 a.m.: The principal of Opportunity High School in Alabama 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.
This explosive, emotional, page-turning debut about a high school held hostage for fifty-four harrowing minutes is told from the perspective of four teens—each with their own reason to fear the boy with the gun.
- Sourcebooks Fire
- Paperback
- December 2016
- 288 Pages
- 9781492622475
Buy the Book
$10.99
About Marieke Nijkamp
Marieke Nijkamp is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, and 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.
Praise
“This Is Where It Ends takes place over the course of just 54 heart-pounding minutes, but it tells a story that will stay with you much longer…”—Bustle.com
“Gritty, emotional and suspenseful…”—BuzzFeed
“Compelling.”—BookRiot
“You’ll finish this book in a single evening, guaranteed.”—Paste Magazine
“Heart pounding and heart wrenching.”—Julie Murphy, author of Dumplin’
“As long as there are Newtowns and Columbines there will be a desperate need for gripping, well-written, and poignant novels like this one.”—Todd Strasser, author of Give A Boy A Gun and Fallout
Discussion Questions
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOOK
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
1. 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?
2. 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
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?
TOMÁS
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?
CLAIRE
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 of those waiting to hear