Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

2 reviews

cultbyproxy's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

“Something still exists as long as there’s someone around to remember it.”

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult tells the story of a beaten down 17-year-old and the 19 minutes which change the reality of his entire community as he went through his highschool, shooting fellow classmates. 

An aspect of Picoult’s writing that is ever present is her multiple narration, which we see through the process of the school shooting, investigation, and trial. Whilst this is usually done in a more cohesive manner in her later books, this made the reading of Nineteen Minutes quite chaotic, with no definitive switch in narration. This was made more confusing in the never-ending list of characters who were introduced, only to never resurface. As much as this was a negative, it did help in outlining just how broad of a scope the impact of school shootings have on the students, the parents, the community and the country at large; how no one is untouched and the grief divides but also unites people eternally. Picoult’s nonlinear timeline also makes an appearance, as we jump between a pre-shooting and post-shooting society, putting the pieces of the story together leading up to the shooting, as well as the trial (like solving a mystery, or trying fixing something broken?). 

There is mass criticism into Picoult’s writing style, as having the shooter’s perspective and reading his thought process and justifications can come off as sympathetic or defensive of his position and actions. I believe, however, that this was simply a way of portraying the sea of nuance that divides such a polarising issue. That in the aftermath of tragedy, there are those who will look at impact and those who will look at reasoning, and both can bring closure. 

As much as I blitzed through these pages and got completely engrossed in the story, I do find that other Picoult novels were more impactful for me. This could, however, be due to the lack of personal experience I have with the subject matter growing up in a country that does not experience mass shootings, much less school shootings. 

I did find a lot of relatability in the issues of conformity and the pressure to maintain appearances in positions of authority. The removal of the masks we all wear and how beneath them we are all simply people trying to do our best. And how to continue loving someone who has caused harm to so many. I think it is a story about kindness, to other and ourselves. And how the smallest acts usually have an everlasting effect. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, Bullying, Blood, Murder, and Mental illness

Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Car accident, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

eevacasey's review

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Abortion, Blood, Homophobia, Bullying, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide, Gun violence, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Outing, Violence, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Racism

Minor: Medical trauma, Ableism, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal death, Classism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Confinement, Dysphoria, and Fatphobia