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rslove1285's review against another edition
4.0
This clarified the errors in the initial reporting of this story in the news. Very interesting how the media shaped the story. I never knew the more accurate account.
liza_palubicki's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely well written and, from what I can tell, meticulous researched. I resisted reading this for a long time, but I am glad I did.
kellymcgatha's review against another edition
5.0
Everyone should read this book. It is amazing. Everything I thought I knew about Columbine turned out to be completely wrong--especially Eric and Dylan. They weren't anything like I imagined. And who knew that it wasn't even supposed to be a school shooting but a bombing that would have killed more people than the Oklahoma city bombing?
I was hesitant to read this when it first came out. I didn't want to hear about the stories anymore. At the time the massacre happened, I was thirteen and living in the Ohio suburbs. The next five years of my schooling were tainted with bomb threats and occasional school evacuations (one of which I remember standing out in the rain without a coat and finally being allowed to take cover in a church). One bomb threat in particular, not long after Columbine, was so big that I think half of my class called in sick. Lock down drills were much more common than tornado drills. Bomb threats were almost always followed by security lines and bag searches just to get into school the next day. Cops always patrolled the lunch periods. And, of course, the words "I'll kill you," written or spoken, always lead to suspension, even expulsion. But now, having read the book, I realize that everything my fellow classmates and I believed about the "typical" school shooter is completely false. Every story we used to talk about after lock down drills was nothing more than a rumor. I wish something like this would have come out when I was still in high school--it would have been amazing to talk about with teachers. I especially encourage anyone who experienced the above in high school to read this book. It is one of the best pieces of non-fiction I have ever read.
I was hesitant to read this when it first came out. I didn't want to hear about the stories anymore. At the time the massacre happened, I was thirteen and living in the Ohio suburbs. The next five years of my schooling were tainted with bomb threats and occasional school evacuations (one of which I remember standing out in the rain without a coat and finally being allowed to take cover in a church). One bomb threat in particular, not long after Columbine, was so big that I think half of my class called in sick. Lock down drills were much more common than tornado drills. Bomb threats were almost always followed by security lines and bag searches just to get into school the next day. Cops always patrolled the lunch periods. And, of course, the words "I'll kill you," written or spoken, always lead to suspension, even expulsion. But now, having read the book, I realize that everything my fellow classmates and I believed about the "typical" school shooter is completely false. Every story we used to talk about after lock down drills was nothing more than a rumor. I wish something like this would have come out when I was still in high school--it would have been amazing to talk about with teachers. I especially encourage anyone who experienced the above in high school to read this book. It is one of the best pieces of non-fiction I have ever read.
ekw0036's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book hits a bit too close for me, as a teacher. But I’d grown up hearing about this case and was curious to know the truth. Dave Cullen is upfront at the beginning that there was an insane amount of misinformation about the columbine shooting and he , himself, participated in it as a reporter in Colorado. He said this book was him atoning for that and clearing up misinformation, I truly believe he did that and presented a clear and fair narrative and timeline of the events.
It was harrowing and hard to read at parts but I’m glad I did.
It was harrowing and hard to read at parts but I’m glad I did.
goodvibe61's review against another edition
4.0
Meticulously researched. Diligently referenced. Several fascinating insights into the stories of both the perpetrators and several of the victims. An absorbing story about a community and what happens when tragedy hits. If you're interested in the details of what happened at Columbine and why, this is definitely the book of choice.
The style itself is fine. The structure of the story, starting with the event itself, then splitting in two, is extremely effective. In one half, the story of several of the victims going forward after the tragedy alternates with the other half, the story of the two kids that planned and ultimately went through with the attack and the events of their lives that led to that fateful day.It's a structure that keeps things interesting and keeps up the tension leading ultimately to that fateful day.
Overall, an absorbing, gripping work.
The style itself is fine. The structure of the story, starting with the event itself, then splitting in two, is extremely effective. In one half, the story of several of the victims going forward after the tragedy alternates with the other half, the story of the two kids that planned and ultimately went through with the attack and the events of their lives that led to that fateful day.It's a structure that keeps things interesting and keeps up the tension leading ultimately to that fateful day.
Overall, an absorbing, gripping work.
goodprime's review against another edition
5.0
Extremely well-researched account of the Columbine tragedy. Many myths dispelled. A riveting read.
dl_hay's review against another edition
Did not finish. Cullen does a great job with details which I appreciated and found insightful during the buildup, but as soon as he gets into the events of that day, I found the content too traumatic. I'm definitely not in the right headspace for this book.
hermytheelf's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who was rather young when the Columbine massacre happened, reading this was eye opening for me. The attention to detail that Cullen gives everything was staggering, almost TOO much at times. While I very much enjoyed it, I found myself almost skimming thru the profiles of the two killers in order to get to the chapters on the aftermath of the shooting.
anniehugstrees's review against another edition
4.0
Dave Cullen does an excellent job balancing background information and the shooters as well as the actual tragedy. Throughout the book, Cullen kept me guessing. The cliffhangers were a nice touch to keep the story moving. This reporting of the shooting read like a fictional story with an omniscient narrator.
The reason why I gave it 4 stars is because I felt that he could have emphasized what the teachers endured. Being a teacher myself, I think it should have highlighted the teachers who also sacrificed themselves and how they handled the aftermath of the tragedy.
The reason why I gave it 4 stars is because I felt that he could have emphasized what the teachers endured. Being a teacher myself, I think it should have highlighted the teachers who also sacrificed themselves and how they handled the aftermath of the tragedy.
juleswrn's review against another edition
2.0
I struggled with inaccurate details and the constant distinction between "Jeffco" and Denver. Several blatant inaccuracies made it difficult for me to believe anything in the book.