This Is Where the World Ends

Once upon a time . . .

There was a girl named Janie Vivian. And a boy named Micah Carter. And a boy named Dewey. A boy named Ander. A girl named Piper.

And once upon a time . . . Janie Vivian declared an apocalypse. And they all fell down. They all fell down.

Micah can’t remember when or how or why. But he knows one thing for certain:

This is where the world ends.

We drive in silence. I study my palms. There are four perfect half moons where my nails dug in, and a fate line that looks normal. Perfectly straight, average length. I used to think that destiny was fluid, because isn’t that the point of 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.

I dig my nails into my palms again and look ahead. Staring contest, glaring contest. Let’s go, universe. You and me, right here, right now.

Advance Praise for This Is Where the World Ends

“Zhang weaves a dark, complicated tale, steeped in obsession, painful secrets, and mind-numbing vodka. Readers will be left to decide for themselves whether this is a tragic love story or a psychological thriller; regardless, this is most definitely a novel that will have fans talking.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Zhang’s effortless exploration of the complex intersection of memory and perception and intricate, menace-laden plot is a perfect fit for fans of E. Lockhart’s compelling We Were Liars.”—ALA Booklist (starred review)