This Is Where the World Ends

Gr 9 Up—Edgy, taut, and compelling, this is a story of unrequited love, betrayal, and apocalyptic changes using lyrical language wrought with symbolism. Janie and Micah have been next-door neighbors and nighttime ninjas since childhood. Micah has long loved Janie from (not-so) afar while Janie remains elusive. Despite her steely exterior and manipulative ways, Janie loves Micah as much as he loves her, but she toys with him nonetheless. Similarities to John Green's Paper Towns (Dutton, 2008) end here. Micah wakes up at the hospital after a night of binge drinking; he vaguely recalls a fire, but details are missing. Where is Janie? Why are the police questioning him? Events unfold through the alternating voices of Janie and Micah in nonlinear fashion until Janie's past and Micah's present collide. Ultimately, this narrative choice creates suspense and works, yet initially it may confuse readers. Zhang tackles heavy subjects such as rape and suicide directly, realistically, and in a way that speaks to teens. Micah's quick acceptance after learning the tragic facts presents perhaps the novel's only real flaw. This abruptly tidy ending does not keep with the lugubrious tone. Both Micah and Janie are well-drawn, complex, and sympathetic. Janie explains her connection with Micah, "We had already drawn lines on our soul and stabbed little flags on it"; language such as this sets this novel apart.