| Current mood: |  scared |
Nineteen Minutes
TEEN/ADULT
My introduction to Jodi Picoult was her book My Sister's Keeper -- when I was pregnant... Needless to say, my pregnancy kicked that tear-jerker up a notch to almost impossible to finish. Reading (or listening to) this book, as a parent, was nearly as difficult. You see, this book is about a kid named Peter who "goes Columbine" on his high school after years of being bullied by his peers and ignored by the adults who were supposed to help. It begs the question, "How do I know I won't make the same mistakes?" The obvious answer is that you can't be sure -- you just need to do the best you can and pray it all works out. Parental nervousness aside, though, it was an intriguing glimpse into the world of a school shooter. What does it take to actually push someone that far? What could they possibly be thinking while they are shooting up a school? What do they feel afterward?
The story alternates between characters: Peter, his mother, her one-time friend Alex (who becomes a judge and presides over Peter's case), and Alex's daughter Josie (one of Peter's only friends who becomes popular and abandons him). The story also alternates through time -- ranging from when Peter was a baby, to his elementary school days, to high school, to the time of the shooting, and on to the time of Peter's trial. What might seem like a confusing arrangement actually works well to juxtapose the "causes" of the rampage and the devastation it leaves in its wake. There is not a happy ending, but it certainly leaves you with plenty of food for thought.
Happy Reading!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Audiobook List:
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Book List:
Love is a Many Trousered Thing by Louise Rennison
Right Behind You by Gail Giles
Thirsty by M.T. Anderson
Big Slick by Eric Luper
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
(Post a new comment)
|
