This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Goodreads

This Is Where It Ends was not bad, nor was it really good. I praise the use of diverse characters and love the LGBT+ that was present, but they were mostly flat. There were back stories and deep thinking somewhere in those many POVs, supposed to make me connect but it was like watching those exaggerated high school dramas that I can never relate to. 

"There are no words in that fleeting moment between hope and the knowledge. There is no way to express how a heart can burst and break at the same time, how the sun can cut through the darkness but will cast shadows everywhere.

There are only fingers that entwine with another's, arms that link in solidarity." 

The only character I could see myself in was Autumn because we're both dancers going through dancer problems and that was it. I wasn't with the characters, going through the fear and the adrenaline. I was a mere spectator, one of the citizens watching from television screens. 

"You can't always keep your loved ones with you. You can't always settle your life in one place. The world was made to change. But as long as you cherish the memories and make new ones along the way, no matter where you are, you'll always be at home." 

The distant feel from the characters affected the flow and effect a tragic story should have. 

This Is Where It Ends promises an intrigue from its premise but it actually offers a pretty simple story line. If the characters were further fleshed out and the backstory behind the whole hostage taking was bit more complex, then I would've truly enjoyed this story. 

"We may not have forever. But we still have tomorrow."