Hopefully over the summer, along with your summer reading, you were able to read a few books that have been sitting on your to be read list, like I have! “At the End of Everything” was a book I found in our very own Notre Dame Prep Library and read over the summer, that is a profound coming-of-age, survival story.
“At the End of Everything” tells the story of a group of teenage delinquents at Hope Juvenile Treatment Center, a place that is supposed to support troubled kids but instead treats the kids like animals. One day, the guards start acting weird, and the next thing the kids know, all the guards disappear. The teenagers decide to break out of this terrible prison, just to be stopped from entering a town and are finally informed of the deadly plague outbreak. How will they survive on their own? Will they contract the plague? Why would the world strand a bunch of kids who only need help?
The story of these courageous, independent teens shows many themes, such as friendship, survival, hope and doubt, coming-of-age, and sacrifice just to name a few. I would rate this book a 4.5/5 stars. The multiple POVs, the plot twists and the character development are a few of my favorite parts of the book. There were a few parts in the book where I did not understand the decisions the characters made or the unrealistic events that occurred, but all those events were minor and did not cause confusion of the plot to the reader.
The types of readers that should read this book are readers interested in action and suspense. For anyone who is looking for a book that will make you cry, this will be one of your favorites!
““You taught me to trust in us,” I say. “You taught me to believe in the hopeless cases. Trust I’ll find a place to belong.”” (Nijkamp, 2022, pg. 378). I hope you’ll me when I say, this is a MUST-read book!