Reviews

This book hit me in so many ways. First, as a father of two school-age kiddos and as someone who has friends who have been directly affected by school gun violence, reading through the minute-by-minute horror of a school shooting was terrifying and stressful and made me want to pick up my kids, hold them tight and never let go. On the flip side, getting the perspective of the shooter - the loaner who is bullied to the point of breaking and who only wants to have someone see him for who he really is - that was tough. You want to hate him, to revile him for the terror and bloodshed that he has caused so many, but I couldn't help seeing a lot of myself in him and feeling more than a little heartbroken at how his life had ended up. Should I really feel sorry for him when he has committed some of the most heinous and unforgivable acts of our modern times? I shouldn't, but I do. Damn this book...

lenalooo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

devonforest's review against another edition

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4.0

I've read several of Jodi Picoult's before this and enjoyed them and I liked this one too. I don't know if this is one of my favorite of her books. Was the twist at the end a little unbelievable? Probably. I would've liked it better without it, but I did like the rest of the book.

ash_flygare's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

samiam308's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Like most of Picoult’s books this one is a tough subject that really looks at perspective’s from different view points than what we hear. It really made me think about what causes a school shooting, how much a persons expected to take, how adults can brush it off or make it worst. Plus how we treat those who loved the murdered and what it means to love unconditionally.

Cons: very few of the characters were likable. Josie was insufferable and might have been the overall worst character. All of her friends showed zero redeeming qualities to the point where it seemed Josie didn’t even miss them. Peter’s family was the worst. Every person was so self centered they never even considered what was happening in each other’s lives. Peter before was very sympathetic. Peter after didn’t even seem like the same person. Like there wasn’t a slow turn or even a moment where it’s clear he snapped.

Alex’s struggle with being a judge vs a mother showed a lot of character growth. Although I wish we saw more of the influence Patrick had on her.

And there were too many side characters that were randomly introduced.

Overall a good read with a really challenging plot. A few surprises I wish had been explored further.

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