This Is Where the World Ends audiobook

- I love Amy's writing style so fucking much. She has a beautiful way with words and I just adore how the story dips and turns.- Good portrayal of toxic friendships.- I felt like it had a lot of elements that were incredibly similar to other popular YA novels which made it hard for me to truly love the story.

Grade: BOne Word: Gorgeous Next door neighbors Janie and Micah, secret friends secret friends and soul mates never speak in public. Janie is bubbly and popular, Micah has just one friend. When Janie moves to the other side of town, each falls into some type of mental illness (though quite possibly the move just escalated their conditions). She's the leader, he the follower. Janie tells the story "before" The Incident, Micah "after" in alternating, nonlinear chapters. Janie's journals of fairytales also illustrate The Incident. Micah has retrograde amnesia, as well as difficulty with short term memory and can't remember The Incident, or where Janie is. The police interview him, but he doesn't know why.Amy Zhang's followup to her debut stunning debut, FALLING INTO PLACE, proves she's one of the most exciting young writers in YA fiction. Her prose is simply stunning, almost poetic. Both Micah and Janie are complex, flawed characters and neither is a reliable narrator. At times during Micah's chapters, I questioned what was real and what was hallucination.THIS IS WHERE THE WORLD ENDS isn't a novel full of surprises and gotchas. If you read the blurb, the plot is fairly transparent, although that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. It's so well written, compelling and full of heart, I didn't mind figuring things out early.THEMES: Friendship, romance, dating, rape, suicide, mental illnessTHIS IS WHERE THE WORLD ENDS will make you wonder, feel and think. I'll read anything by Amy Zhang, including her grocery shopping list.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy via Edelweiss for review purposes.I've heard fantastic things about Amy Zhang's writing since her debut Falling into Place. I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of This is Where the World Ends and experience her beautiful writing firsthand. This book contains rape, so if that is something that triggers you I would avoid this book. Janie and Micah have known each other for a long time. They were best friends and also polar opposites. But Janie, on her way to high school, keeps their friendship a secret. As they navigate their unhealthy relationship, Janie then goes missing and Micah is left to pick up the pieces of what she left behind and to figure out where and why she's gone. There were certain aspects of Janie's personality I enjoyed. She was carefree, a dreamer and imaginative, and so full of life, but the way she treated Micah was emotionally manipulative. Micah was a bit of a dull character, so I never really emotionally connected with him. Their relationship is toxic. This is Where the World Ends portrays a very unhealthy and very manipulative relationship between Janie and Micah. Janie does not treat Micah like a friend, and so I was never really behind their 'romance'. I'm not sure we are supposed to be. This is Where the World Ends is written with dual narratives, Janie and Micah, but Micah's chapters alternative between 'Then' and 'Now', and Micah's 'Now' chapters were very confusing and disjointed and thus made it very difficult to read and follow what was going on. This is Where the World Ends also deals with a very sensitive topic - rape. It's not exactly a perfect portrayal but I think it highlights the grief that comes with such an ordeal. Though at times I felt that it was used just as a plot device.I think the reason I enjoyed this book so much was the beautiful metaphorical writing by Zhang, and I will be sure to keep an eye out for any new books that she writes.

I could not stop crying.This book is told from 2 perspectives, Micah and Janie's, and from 2 different time frames, the before and after.Throughout the course of this book, we learn all about this amazing lifelong friendship between Micah and Janie. These two share a soul and a birthday. They care deeply for each other.The book opens up with Micah in the hospital suffering from a brain injury. He can't remember anything and Janie is missing. Not only can he not remember the last few weeks, but he can't remember anything right after it happens. As soon as he is told something, he forgets what was said. He is forced to ask the same questions again and again. Police come to question him about what happened "that night", but he can't remember anything.As the story progresses, we learn what happened and as Micah's brain begins to heal, he begins to remember as well.

4 starsSource: Harper Teen via EdelweissDisclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.Review by Brandi at Brandi Breathes Books (blkosiner.blogspot.com) I wanted to read this one because it deals with friendship and two characters who are very different but seem to work together. The issue of date rape and then even Micah questioning if she was asking for it provides a very tense platform for testing that friendship and its limits. The story is told in dual narrative and it goes Back and forth from before and after Janie's disappearance. through this type of storytelling were able to get a good glimpse of both Micah and Janie and how they interact with each other and what the relationship is like. after Janie disappears Micah has a lot of retrograde amnesia and he isn't remembering much about what happened the night of Janie's disappearance that was apparently a party that got out of hand and her house burned down but he cannot remember any of it. They had a complicated relationship that they kept secret from school. they were neighbors and opposites just attract and they clicked and fit together well they trusted each other and confided in one another and it was hard on Micah because no one else knew how close they were. whenever the police showed up in the hospital after asking questions about Janie and what happened that night and not only did he not remember what went wrong he didn't have the backing of his classmates so his claim that they were close sounded I don't know... out of place or suspicious. There were a lot of lies and cover-ups in this book, and since Janie is so charismatic and Micah is a follower, there is some manipulation from her. As far as the plot, there aren't a lot of surprises since the synopsis is pretty thorough. But that wasn't an issue for me it was more about the journey and what the characters become and how they affect each other. The ending was pretty simplistic, and I still can't figure out if I wanted more or if its perfect for this kind of story. I will read more from Amy Zhang, because she has a poetic, flowing writing style, and she really gives her characters like Janie a beautiful voice to her issues. Bottom Line: Beautiful writing, flawed and complicated characters.

Amy Zhang’s writing is beautiful, poetic and emotional. I love reading her words even if the plot feels a bit meandering. Broken down to the main points, This is Where the World Ends probably sounds quite clichéd and predictable, but it was still a pleasure to read.Janie is manipulates her friendships with Micah. We probably wouldn’t like to admit it, but her behaviour probably isn’t all that unusual. I bet loads of people had childhood friends who they love but don’t want to be seen with at school. The fact that she doesn’t completely dump him means that she does care, deep down at least, and her journal entries reflects that.Like many high school stories, it’s about trying to stay on top of the social hierarchy. When something awful happens, Janie feels she has no choice other than bury it. The fairy tales she writes for her English project portray what she really feels.The Metaphor, which Janie decides is a metaphor for their life, is a pile of rocks in the quarry where she and Micah meet. You keep trying to climb to the top but, the harder you try, the further you fall. As the story continues, the Metaphor grows smaller.The story feels like it is mostly told by Micah but the narrative is split between them, slowly revealing what happened and getting to see Janie’s side of the story. Because there’s always two sides to a story, however much you want to side with one person. Despite how much I may have disliked Janie’s behaviour, my heart broke for both of them.Review copy provided by publisher.

This Is Where The World Ends by Amy Zhang could easily be summed up as a postmodern Romeo and Juliet. Though, there is a little more to it than unrequited love.Janie is a naive teenage girl who believes the world revolves around her. Micah is a naive teenage boy whose world revolves around Janie. Both teens have been friends since early childhood and have been through a lot.Janie loves Micah but she's not in love with him. She's much more infatuated with a superficial jock wrestler. Still, this doesn't stop her from stringing along Micah like a marionette.Even though Janie does experience something very traumatic and life altering... I couldn't help feeling more sympathy for Micah. He ends up being blamed for something terrible and for a while he actually believes he is at fault. Of course, the only thing he is truly guilty of is worshipping the ground that Janie walks on.This novel is more of a character study than anything else. The story is nonlinear and might be difficult to follow for readers who are used to linear storylines. Though, I didn't find it too difficult to follow but that might also be due to the fact that I like the poetic nature of some of the chapters.Overall, it's an interesting read with somewhat of a surprise twist ending.I give This Is Where The World Ends by Amy Zhang 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Actual rating: 4.5/5 If there was writing I could hold onto forever, hug and never let go, it would be Amy Zhang's. I adore the way she strings together sentences, creates unique voices for her characters, isn't afraid of the "F" word, and uses metaphors like it's nobodys business. On top of all of this she tackles important and relevant issues in a very multi-layered manner.It's safe to say I'm definitely a fan of Zhang's work, and she now has a set spot on my auto-buy list.

When I started the book, it was a bit slow for me. I had a hard time understanding the plot because I wasn't used to jumping from after to before to after again. Then I paused for a bit, and read some of the reviews. Lots of mixed reviews. So I gave up on that and I just continued reading. I picked up the pace when I got used to the writing style. It was a story about Micah and Janie. Janie and Micah. About anything. About everything. It was a story about lost, grief and friendship gone wrong. It's a story about Janie and Micah but nobody knew about them. Except for Dewey. And their parents. Because Janie made up a stupid rule. And Micah was too in love to ever say no to her.Until one day everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. And it was too late for them to fix anything and everything.The plot was all over the place but once I got used to the writing style, it was easier to catch up. And when I did, it got sadder. Micah was the voice for After. Janie was the voice for Before. And nobody listened to Before. People only started listening After. After the tragedy. After a house was burned down to the ground. After everything was too late to be saved and there was only Micah left to be blamed. It got sadder and sadder till the end.And there's nothing more you could do for the sad people. You read their stories and you hope for them to get different endings. But nothing is fair. The world is not fair. The story of Micah and Janie could never end. But it did. And you would hope for a different ending. Especially for Janie.

I loved the language. This one felt lyrical.

This book is a masterpiece. I was so enthralled by the characters, story, and emotion that radiated off the pages. It was whimsical and lyrical while also being grounded and earnest. This book is truly captivating. Things I Liked Holy hell did I LOVE all of the characters. Janie is a larger-than-life girl in love with fairy tales and metaphors. Micah is an unfocused follower in love with apocalypses and Janie. The characters stories progress in beautiful and heartbreaking ways as we see their dynamic unfold. Both characters are flawed beyond belief and must deal with their own tragedies - their own personal apocalypses - as they navigate a disrupted fairytale.Janie and Micah’s relationship is TOXIC and it is clearly stated as such by multiple characters in the story. Their relationship is not glorified or set as a standard to look to. That being said, they had one of the most complex and engaging relationships I have ever read. I don’t even think I can give it justice trying to put my thoughts down. Janie burns so bright and Micah just wants to be in her orbit. That’s why he agrees to keeping their friendship secret and help her with all of her ninja-vigilante missions - righting the small wrongs in their world. Micah is so consumed by Janie and she is so manipulative. He would do anything for her, hoping for just a little more than she is willing, or able, to give. When Janie needs Micah to be more than her follower and push her to confront her own struggles - he doesn’t. Because that’s not his role. Janie loves Micah because he’ll go along with her and doesn’t make her confront something that she doesn’t want to and Micah loves Janie for not forcing him to try to be more than a follower. They don’t bring out the best in each other and don’t help each other grow or overcome any difficulties. That stagnation is so heartbreaking when action NEEDS to happen.I loved SO MUCH about the writing. I loved the Then/Now format, told from Janie and Micah POV respectively. It created two stories that flowed and battled each other - weaving together and drifting apart, like Janie and Micah themselves. Janie’s journal entries really showcased her emotions in the story. We see them transition from happy fairy tales to grim resignation. I loved Janie’s journey as a whole and I felt that she took some of her agency back at the end of the story. I also loved the use of metaphors, they sort of acted as a character in themselves. -QUOTES: SO MANY AMAZING QUOTES. Some of my favorites: “Miracles do not belong to fairy tales. Miracles belong to the desperate, because only the desperate believe in bullsiht.” “That’s the truth, I guess. We don’t catch moments in the passing - we don’t catch them at all. We just reach and scramble and wish for fairy godmothers and Prince Charmings. It’s too bad none of it is real. It really is too bad.” “I used to think that destiny was fluid, becuase isn’t that the point pf every Disney movie and Saturday-morning cartoon? You make your own choices. You decide how life goes. I always thought that your fate line would change if something happened, bam, something goes wrong and the line on your palm goes all wonky to reflect that. Nope. It still looks fine. Well, fuck you too, fate.” Things I Didn't Like Ruined the name Ander for me.This is not a happy-feel-good book. It’s raw and emotional and eloquent. Because of the subject matter and writing style this is a very decisive book, and you might not like it. I’ve read books with similar premises and couldn’t even finish them, but I think that the story is worth a shot. The book breathes, the words flow, and the characters come to live. I already know this will be one of my favorite reads of the year.*TRIGGER WARNINGS for Rape, Suicide, Toxic Relationships