Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Columbine by Dave Cullen

41 reviews

dianapiskor's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

This was a reread for me and a tough one. The first time I read this was in 2012 when I was just figuring out the world as a senior in high school. Now as an adult, and a teacher who may be teaching this to her AP kids, this book hits different, but is still thought provoking. The issues discussed in this book have not gone away. Not only that, but no real progress has been made on many levels to address the stigmas of mental health, the accessibility to get guns through legal loopholes, the misinformation of public officials, and the harmful power of the media. 

However, it doesn’t mean that this book is all doom and gloom. It addresses the human condition in all it’s glory both positive and negative. A definite must read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Violence

nota_candycaine's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Violence, Antisemitism, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, and Racism

mondovertigo's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Homophobia, and Racism

desertmountainreads's review against another edition

5.0

An interesting and horrifying account of the Columbine massacre, this book was really well researched and presented.  Dave Cullen did an excellent job of relaying the events and details in a way that was, in my opinion, as unbiased as possible given his experience.  It was not an easy read - I had to read it shorter chunks over a longer period of time, which was of course due to the subject matter, but also due to the extent of detail.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Violence

awhelan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

wow. this book is eye opening. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, and Homophobia

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Violence

gloriazthompson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Mass/school shootings, Drug use, and Cursing

cclardo's review against another edition

3.5

I struggle with this book. I typically struggle with works that attempt to make the reader humanize or empathize with the perpetrators of acts like these. And Columbine has a pretty problematic history with how folks interact with its legacy. But, I think this work was an important one for me to read. I grew up hearing many of the myths that had been created in the media around this and I found that reading this headed me reframe some of the ways the myths had caused me to view the world. I do respect the goal towards accuracy in the book but the author is still responsible for framing devices. The book is very much framed as how he sees the truth, and, what with the legacy of Columbine myths, I am super aware how his view could color how he tells the story. I am also a little wary of the way mental illness is discussed in this book. I understand the context but there were a couple sweeping statements that felt they could be weaponized towards vulnerable populations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Bullying, Homophobia, Blood, Violence, Racism, Mental illness, Gun violence, and Grief

hannahkd's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Misogyny, Medical content, Hate crime, and Grief

nadspowell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Violence, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Death, and Child death