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postitsandpens's review against another edition
5.0
Another winner from Dave Cullen. This is a lot different than Columbine, because instead of focusing on the shooting and the shooter, he chose instead to focus on the aftermath, and the students who formed March for Our Lives and the subsequent movement. He uses a mix of public interviews, individual interviews, and research to talk about the "big names" like David and Emma, but he also focused on some of the lesser-known students as well. I also loved the inclusion of Joaquin Oliver's parents, as I wasn't aware of Tito Manny and his artwork, nor did I realize that part of March for Our Lives included a bus tour into deep Red states to discuss gun laws. It's amazing to see how motivated these teenagers were after such a tragedy, and one can only hope that in time things will change to make school shootings and public massacres a thing of the past.
moorealexa's review against another edition
"Ideas are great but without action ideas stay ideas, and children die."
these kids (!!!!) are so fucking inspiring. really recommend.
these kids (!!!!) are so fucking inspiring. really recommend.
laurabeth3's review against another edition
5.0
A great story of hope. Good journalism. Behind the scenes look at some really impressive kids with really big goals. Reminded me of being a busy, overly involved high school student - when you feel like you can do it all, and based on these kids, sometimes you can.
sigfig's review against another edition
4.0
This was obviously edited very quickly to get it out on time for the anniversary so there was some repetition. All in all a fascinating deep look into the movement, I had no idea the amount of effort the kids went to to get informed and learn about how to start and sustain a movement.
lizaroo71's review against another edition
4.0
It's difficult to rate a book like this one, because the subject matter is tough. Cullen wrote [b:Columbine|5632446|Columbine|Dave Cullen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442939134s/5632446.jpg|5803859] which does an excellent job of dissecting the effect of this mass shooting on the community.
Cullen feels drawn to the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas following the Valentine's Day shooting and followed the uprising lead by a motivated group of young adults. We get the leaders that have always been in the news, David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez, but we also get the other group of kids that advocate for change in their school and in their community.
It's been a long time that we have seen an uprising of this kind. I hope it doesn't lose momentum as the number of mass shootings breaks my heart.
I recommend also reading [b:The Second Amendment|18778874|The Second Amendment|Michael Waldman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397767878s/18778874.jpg|26686161] which does a good job of following the trajectory of the NRA and how it came to be such a powerhouse political lobbying force.
This book doesn't focus on the tragedy, but the healing process of marching for change.
Cullen feels drawn to the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas following the Valentine's Day shooting and followed the uprising lead by a motivated group of young adults. We get the leaders that have always been in the news, David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez, but we also get the other group of kids that advocate for change in their school and in their community.
It's been a long time that we have seen an uprising of this kind. I hope it doesn't lose momentum as the number of mass shootings breaks my heart.
I recommend also reading [b:The Second Amendment|18778874|The Second Amendment|Michael Waldman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1397767878s/18778874.jpg|26686161] which does a good job of following the trajectory of the NRA and how it came to be such a powerhouse political lobbying force.
This book doesn't focus on the tragedy, but the healing process of marching for change.
cbroughton's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Given the context of this book, I wanted to like it a lot more than I did. While this book carries an important message, I found it incredibly slow and often dull at times. I liked the content, but the delivery of it did not work for me. While it has been many years since I read it, I recall enjoying Cullen’s book on Columbine a lot more than this one. An unfortunate miss for me.
kellylittlehansen's review against another edition
5.0
After reading Columbine I knew that I wanted to read Parkland. Dave Cullen is an empathetic, thoughtful, and well written journalist and I enjoy his work despite the subject matter. Parkland originally came off hold a few days after the Uvalde shooting and so I had to delay my reading since I was already crying every day and lived in a near constant state of rage. While Cullen spent 10 years in Columbine post-shooting detailing the event, shooters, victims, survivors, studies, and healing process, Parkland does something similar but is wildly different. In Parkland the majority of the book is devoted to the birth of the March for our Lives movement, it’s founders, and the revolutionary hours, days, months and years since it’s inception. It’s heartbreaking both for the massacre and the complete lack of action by the government (thus forcing literal children who stepped over the bodies of their peers to create the change the House/Senate/President is too cowardly to do themselves). But it’s also hopeful, inspiring, and moving. It’s rare that a book can make you cry both out of grief and hope, but Parkland did it.
andrea_c's review against another edition
4.0
It was wonderful that Cullen took the time to highlight the lives of kids in the periphery, showing the ripple effect of the movement, and revealing that there was a waiting, receptive audience that just needed someone to take the first step. My favourite was the young reporter learning to act quick if you want to get the story.
adamskiboy528491's review against another edition
5.0
How many kids have to die in order for people to realise this isn't about taking their precious guns away? It's about controlling who can get them. [b:Parkland: Birth of a Movement|41154327|Parkland Birth of a Movement|Dave Cullen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1534371385l/41154327._SY75_.jpg|64328147] by [a:Dave Cullen|1116816|Dave Cullen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1544996699p2/1116816.jpg] is not just about the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14th 2018. Its narrative primarily centres on the survivor's activism which made them rise from the ashes.
Being the incredibly detailed research journalist that he is, Cullen profiles many of the March For Our Lives (or MFOL) players like David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez & Cameron Kasky who created their group started in the wake of their school shooting. This book reflects that radical change in thinking and questioning. This isn't a book about the killer, who went unnamed in its entirety; instead, it captures the student activists' stories who refused to be silenced. As the subtitle suggests, it's a book of the birth of a movement.
Cullen's claim to fame is that he also wrote a seminal book on [b:Columbine|5632446|Columbine|Dave Cullen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442939134l/5632446._SY75_.jpg|5803859], so it's safe to say that he's an authority on the harsh reality of American school shootings because no one else seems to. There are two types of people in America about gun control: (i) those who say "it's too soon" and (ii) those who say "you're still talking about this?" The book of Columbine was unique for being Cullen's first. Still, in Parkland, he brings the survivors' tragedies to a whole new level with them finally taking a stand to the corrupt system through marches, social media and mainly through words, not bullets.
Even though this happened three years ago and I'm not living in the USA, it still makes me so sad know those 17 kids died for nothing, they died in pain, at such a young age. They had futures; they had families, they had potential to be something, grow up, meet someone, get married, have kids and then watch them do the same and die having no regrets in life. And it was all taken away from them because of one monster. Those children and teachers will be in our hearts till the end of time.
Being the incredibly detailed research journalist that he is, Cullen profiles many of the March For Our Lives (or MFOL) players like David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez & Cameron Kasky who created their group started in the wake of their school shooting. This book reflects that radical change in thinking and questioning. This isn't a book about the killer, who went unnamed in its entirety; instead, it captures the student activists' stories who refused to be silenced. As the subtitle suggests, it's a book of the birth of a movement.
Cullen's claim to fame is that he also wrote a seminal book on [b:Columbine|5632446|Columbine|Dave Cullen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442939134l/5632446._SY75_.jpg|5803859], so it's safe to say that he's an authority on the harsh reality of American school shootings because no one else seems to. There are two types of people in America about gun control: (i) those who say "it's too soon" and (ii) those who say "you're still talking about this?" The book of Columbine was unique for being Cullen's first. Still, in Parkland, he brings the survivors' tragedies to a whole new level with them finally taking a stand to the corrupt system through marches, social media and mainly through words, not bullets.
Even though this happened three years ago and I'm not living in the USA, it still makes me so sad know those 17 kids died for nothing, they died in pain, at such a young age. They had futures; they had families, they had potential to be something, grow up, meet someone, get married, have kids and then watch them do the same and die having no regrets in life. And it was all taken away from them because of one monster. Those children and teachers will be in our hearts till the end of time.