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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I’m definitely conflicted about 5-stars for this one. Not because of how good it was but because of the subject matter. Stars based on tragedy and grief as well as how informative a read it was. I was sort of floored by how little I actually knew about the event or how I’d subconsciously absorbed one of the myths or misconceptions about the event. I still remember media coverage of the “Trench Coat Mafia” and how the victimized, bullied kids struck back at the “cool” kids. None of that was true. I remember the girl in the library professing her faith in Jesus and then getting murdered for it. Again, not true. I remember the investigators saying how such an event could never be stopped in advance. Not true. I did not know the amount of information and evidence that had been gathered about the event. The lies, myths, and legends prevailed in the media and repetitive and wrong information was just recycled. Truly staggering how little of the picture I had formulated in my head was correct. Even down to the public and political reaction: “we need to talk about guns and mental health!” The same lines are spewed today after school shootings and the same inaction results. At the least, those who still believe we can do nothing about these events needs to read this book. You’ll get a different idea about the effect of changing guns laws and what about reexamining mental health services might actually do in regards to eliminating these events. You’ll get a different idea of how these events should be reported based on the theatrical nature of these shootings. And most of that comes from the killers themselves. It’s not a matter of glorifying these murderers, it’s a matter of learning from them and trying to effect change based on the evidence. Read this book. You might just learn something.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content, Grief
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5 stars//Physical Book//I've had this on my shelf for years, and honestly was intimidated by the size of this book... however, once I started reading it I couldn't put it down, and devoured it in a matter of days. This book reads almost like a novel, weaving together the stories of the victims, the shooters, the survivors, law enforcement, and the parents and loved ones of those involved in such an impactful way. I was only five years old when Columbine happened, so I obviously don't remember anything about this time in our country, but I think that made it even more interesting to read this book as it disproved a lot of the "facts" I'd heard about this day in history. While this is a sensitive and disturbing topic, I think it's an important one, and it's interesting to see how much our response to tragedies like this has evolved over the past two decades.
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
So many thoughts, feelings, and images come to mind when we hear the word “Columbine”. Dave Cullen did an incredible job of shining a light on the truth of the incident and including all sides of the story. I would urge everyone to read this book because although it may be hard to read, it is important to learn and listen to the stories of survivors and victims families. At the end of the day, we must learn and understand history if we are to prevent tragedies such as this from repeating. Tough but insightful read that made me emotional and felt as if I was there grieving with the students.