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alwaysbereadin's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very well written and thought out account of not only the evidence gathered after the massacre, but tearing down the tenants of what most people assumed about the shooters. While they are obviously featured heavily here, this book isn't about them. it's about the survivors and the victims and the impact still being felt to this day. I'm glad it does a lot to put to rest the belief that they were "misfits" or that music and video games contributed to this. I'm also very impressed about how it handled the way the authorities and the media handled April 1999 and the months and years after.
sweetcaroline76's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
austinhavens21's review against another edition
4.0
I mean there's not much to say. It's as revolting as you'd expect and troublesome in many ways.
rebeccagratson's review against another edition
3.0
Born in 1994, I grew up knowing the name Columbine but never fully grasped the details. With nothing but snippets, rumors, and Tumblr fan pages to go off of, I picked up Dave Cullen's book to get a better sense of the picture, 25 years later.
Cullen really takes his time, providing a very expansive look at not only the actual events of April 20th, 1999, but also; the days, months, and years leading up to it; the lives of the victims and inner workings of the perpetrators; and all that was left in the wake of such disaster. There's also the effect that the media played during and after the event, the corruption and inaction of police (which we continue to see today with school shootings), and the attempts to explain and understand the motives even all these years later.
There's a lot of information presented that seems very well researched and thought out, and it's apparent that Cullen feels very passionately about the whole subject of Columbine. Again, this is my first time ever reading a full account, so I can't speak to how accurate or biased his portrayal might be. After reading the epilogue, where Cullen puts himself squarely in the middle of the event as a journalist who was reporting that day, I do find myself a little skeptical. The way he takes the trauma and devastation of the surviving community and makes it his was a bit off-putting and definitely soured my impressions.
But before all that, I think Cullen does a good job of laying out the timeline of events, while also introducing and giving background of those involved, while ALSO addressing and dispelling the various rumors and theories that have gained and held traction. I don't think the novel was as streamlined as it could have been, as there's a lot of jumping back and forth in the chapters. Whether it's between past and present, or what was happening outside the building vs. inside the building, or the investigation vs. the recovery - there's just a lot to remember and bounce between. Often, ground gets covered more than once, which in some cases helps clarify but in others just causes more confusion.
So, while not always the easiest to digest, Cullen's Columbine is an incredibly informative read that sheds light on not just the event itself, but on everyone involved and affected, and even the town itself.
Cullen really takes his time, providing a very expansive look at not only the actual events of April 20th, 1999, but also; the days, months, and years leading up to it; the lives of the victims and inner workings of the perpetrators; and all that was left in the wake of such disaster. There's also the effect that the media played during and after the event, the corruption and inaction of police (which we continue to see today with school shootings), and the attempts to explain and understand the motives even all these years later.
There's a lot of information presented that seems very well researched and thought out, and it's apparent that Cullen feels very passionately about the whole subject of Columbine. Again, this is my first time ever reading a full account, so I can't speak to how accurate or biased his portrayal might be. After reading the epilogue, where Cullen puts himself squarely in the middle of the event as a journalist who was reporting that day, I do find myself a little skeptical. The way he takes the trauma and devastation of the surviving community and makes it his was a bit off-putting and definitely soured my impressions.
But before all that, I think Cullen does a good job of laying out the timeline of events, while also introducing and giving background of those involved, while ALSO addressing and dispelling the various rumors and theories that have gained and held traction. I don't think the novel was as streamlined as it could have been, as there's a lot of jumping back and forth in the chapters. Whether it's between past and present, or what was happening outside the building vs. inside the building, or the investigation vs. the recovery - there's just a lot to remember and bounce between. Often, ground gets covered more than once, which in some cases helps clarify but in others just causes more confusion.
So, while not always the easiest to digest, Cullen's Columbine is an incredibly informative read that sheds light on not just the event itself, but on everyone involved and affected, and even the town itself.
areushura's review against another edition
3.0
Got not much of anything I hadn't known before. The minimalistic cover is lit though.
irispetropoulos's review against another edition
5.0
This has to be one of the best books I have ever read. I thought that this book would just be relaying facts and speaking about the before and after of the tragedy in a detatched form, and it’s safe to say that I’ve never been so wrong. We get the best insight into the lives of Eric and Dylan, their parents, the victims of the attack and their families. I teared up so many times reading this one. It was such a relief to have all the facts in one place and for the truth to emerge, as Cullen has been actively researching and investigating the massacre for over 10 years. We finally get insight into what the ‘Basement Tapes’ were all about, and get an insight into the journals of Eric and Dylan. The thing I liked most about this book is how unbiased it was, but conveyed the emotions of everyone affected so beautifully. I recommend this book to anyone; it is some really great non-fiction.
munchin's review against another edition
5.0
Very, very enlightening portrait of the killers, the survivors and the media.
ginabcp81's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. It was very well researched and had a lot of information that I did not know regarding popularly held myths surrounding the shooting at Columbine. A great read if you are interested in this type of book.