Just End It
Donna Blaber
Light House
Pub. 2020

November 23, 2021

Just End It is for people who like mysterious adventure books. It’s about a 12-year-old girl named Jessie, who finds a shiny rock lying along the beach and takes it home.

After some research, Jessie finds out it is more than just a piece of obsidian. She finds out that back in the day, people sliced a flat piece of the rock and used it as a blade for a knife. She also finds out the rock may be cursed, bringing bad luck for whoever takes it. Without thinking anything of it, she places it next to a picture of her best friend of many years called Hayley. Then everything goes downhill. Hayley turns against her for the new girl Alexis.

Hayley and Alexis stay clear of Jessie. Every time she sees them, she waves at Hayley, but only gets stares and hurtful words back. After a month, Jessie is upset, not knowing what she’s done wrong and why she deserves all the hate. She makes sure not to go near them because she doesn’t want to get upset anymore. Her bestie of many years is turning against her for the new girl! Jessie’s mum invites Hayley and her mum over. Neither of the mums have no clue that there is a fight between Hayley and Jessie. Then everything goes downhill.

This is an amazing book. Once I finished a chapter, I just wanted to keep reading because I wanted to know what was next. I was just intrigued to find out whether Jessie becomes friends with Hayley again and even if she becomes friends with Alexia as well. It’s such a good read, I hardly got bored. I’ve read it so many times and I don’t ever think I’ll ever get sick of it. All the chapter headings are all intriguing; you can predict what might happen next.

Blaber also wrote a second book called Just Remember. It’s about what happens after Jessie reveals why all this bad luck and her friend turning against her happened. In this second story, it’s someone else’s turn to have the bad luck.

Blaber is an excellent author. I would definitely recommend this book to any adventure or mystery book lover. This is by far the best book I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of books – and I mean a lot.

– Isabelle Woods is 12 and lives in Christchurch.