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jencornell's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.25
As a teacher and someone who has to think about school shootings as a very real possibility, I did not enjoy the topic of this book at all, but I think it was very well done and an important book for people to read. There were parts of it that are fascinating and others that are just heartbreaking.
raegancihammers's review against another edition
5.0
This was one of the most intense books I've ever read. Cullen did such a masterful job with such a brutal, raw, ugly story. He never shied away from all it's complexities. So, so, well done.
bonnieg's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely extraordinary. You rarely see reporting of this caliber anymore, writing that changes the way you see the world and its relation to certain events. Cullen has uncovered facts I have not seen other places. But more than that, he lets us view Columbine through many lenses, and that gives us perspective. Columbine did not just happen to the students at Columbine, it happened to everyone. We have become so used to this sort of tragedy. The day I finished this there was a fatal mass shooting at a college in Seattle which barely made the news, and another a week earlier about which coverage has nearly faded. Columbine stole our innocence. Understanding what happened, and how it affected so many lends perspective that helps us see and understand (and hopefully at some point do something to stop some) mass shootings. This book is about as close to perfect as a book can get.
joelbass's review against another edition
5.0
For those who are grieving, as I have been this year, a lot of questions come to mind, such as: Why? What’s the point? What now? Dave Cullen’s journalistic account of the shooting at Columbine High School, its causes and its aftermath, tries to answer many of the questions surrounding the event. As with any trauma, people tend not to leave their questions open - the media, the community, and the survivors of the Columbine shooting came up with answers within hours, days, and weeks. Many of these answers proved to be unfounded - the shooters were not bullied, or loners, or goths, or gay. They weren’t inspired by video games or violent movies. Stories of some victims’ heroic martyrdom were created out of thin air, while more accurate stories were ignored. And even the official investigation was clouded in secrecy. Cullen spent ten years researching the event, and comes out with a clearer picture. Like anything true, the story of Columbine is complex and multilayered. The lessons we can learn from the attack are not necessarily the lessons we were hoping to learn. But the humanity of all involved - even the killers - comes through. This is, after all, primarily a high school, and the students at Columbine feel strongly that the continuing life of the school should mean more than the terrible events of that day in 1999.
blairbusby's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
jennyhere's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly one of the best written books I’ve ever read, definitely would put a fat Trigger Warning on it for the contents of the book are intense but if you can do it, then it’s definitely worth the read
kaeteas's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published near the 10th anniversary, Dave Cullen was a reporter on scene the day of the massacre. This was a heavy and rather meticulous read. Parts were difficult to read such as journal and website entries leading up to April 20th. The book starts off with the massacre itself and after that section, it becomes nonlinear where a chapter might discuss Dylan's creative writing class and another looking at the, "She said yes," lie. My main gripe is a personal one as I wish that I read a physical copy of this as opposed to an audiobook to check for citiations.