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erinbannister's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rhij86's review
5.0
This is the fourth or fifth time I’ve come back to this book over the years. I can’t explain why, other than to say Jodi Picoult is a master at broaching very difficult, controversial topics, and forcing the reader to consider other points of view that, very often, they might find very uncomfortable.
schmids24's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
rengberg12's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shelbybrewer27's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I’ve read this year. As an educator I feel like it’s necessary to read. What a plot twist. What a book.
markalkman's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
This was such a heavy book. With an incredibly difficult subject. But I loved it. I have to admit that I feel like 'Small Great Things' is a better novel, but this is definitely one of my new favourite contemporaries. Not because it's such a wonderful story, but because it's difficult, sad, heart-breaking and most of all: a very current issue.
Jodi Picoult tackles a school shooting in 'Nineteen Minutes'. Seventeen year old Peter Houghton is fed up with being bullied every single day and decides to end his suffering. He steals guns (from his father and neighbour) and plants a car bomb in the parking lot to create a distraction. Then he walks into Sterling High, kills nine kids, a teacher and wounds nineteen more before he is apprehended by Detective Patrick Ducharme.
This part of the story only covers the first 40 pages of this novel. The rest is the aftermath. Kids having to bury their best friends, their boyfriend/girlfriend, a mother trying to comfort her estranged daughter and having to perform her duties as judge on the case. A detective trying to solve the case while getting tangled up in the lives of a witness and her mother. Parents coming to terms with the actions of their son. An attorney trying to help the kid who's already been judged by everyone, simply because he's the one who held the smoking gun.
It's a complicated story with a shocking yet pretty satisfying ending. It does not end wonderfully because it's not a 'wonderful' book. It's horrendous and heavy and it breaks your heart. You feel sorry for the kids who've lost their lives and the people that have to bury them, but at the same time your heart aches for Peter Houghton. No one should have to feel like this is their only way out, because the bullying hasn't stopped in the last fifteen years. No one should be able to have this option (guns should be banned, just FYI), where shooting up a school full of people who've hurt you is a better alternative than going through the motions for just another year.
The only thing I was kind of weary about is the amount of POV's. The story switches between Peter, Josie (the judge's estranged daughter), Alex (the judge), Lacy (Peter's mother), Lewis (Peter's father), Patrick (the detective), Jordan (Peter's attorney), Diana (the prosecutor) and some of the other kids at Sterling High. At first this annoyed me, later I kind of got used to it and it was just fine. I understood her choice, I didn't mind as much anymore.
Overall, I highly recommend reading this book, it's a really impactful novel and it's seriously fantastically written. Can't wait to read more by the amazing Mrs Picoult.
This was such a heavy book. With an incredibly difficult subject. But I loved it. I have to admit that I feel like 'Small Great Things' is a better novel, but this is definitely one of my new favourite contemporaries. Not because it's such a wonderful story, but because it's difficult, sad, heart-breaking and most of all: a very current issue.
Jodi Picoult tackles a school shooting in 'Nineteen Minutes'. Seventeen year old Peter Houghton is fed up with being bullied every single day and decides to end his suffering. He steals guns (from his father and neighbour) and plants a car bomb in the parking lot to create a distraction. Then he walks into Sterling High, kills nine kids, a teacher and wounds nineteen more before he is apprehended by Detective Patrick Ducharme.
This part of the story only covers the first 40 pages of this novel. The rest is the aftermath. Kids having to bury their best friends, their boyfriend/girlfriend, a mother trying to comfort her estranged daughter and having to perform her duties as judge on the case. A detective trying to solve the case while getting tangled up in the lives of a witness and her mother. Parents coming to terms with the actions of their son. An attorney trying to help the kid who's already been judged by everyone, simply because he's the one who held the smoking gun.
It's a complicated story with a shocking yet pretty satisfying ending. It does not end wonderfully because it's not a 'wonderful' book. It's horrendous and heavy and it breaks your heart. You feel sorry for the kids who've lost their lives and the people that have to bury them, but at the same time your heart aches for Peter Houghton. No one should have to feel like this is their only way out, because the bullying hasn't stopped in the last fifteen years. No one should be able to have this option (guns should be banned, just FYI), where shooting up a school full of people who've hurt you is a better alternative than going through the motions for just another year.
The only thing I was kind of weary about is the amount of POV's. The story switches between Peter, Josie (the judge's estranged daughter), Alex (the judge), Lacy (Peter's mother), Lewis (Peter's father), Patrick (the detective), Jordan (Peter's attorney), Diana (the prosecutor) and some of the other kids at Sterling High. At first this annoyed me, later I kind of got used to it and it was just fine. I understood her choice, I didn't mind as much anymore.
Overall, I highly recommend reading this book, it's a really impactful novel and it's seriously fantastically written. Can't wait to read more by the amazing Mrs Picoult.
mizdoss's review
3.0
Interesting read, too long, jumps back and forth throughout the story with little distinction of what part of the story is going to be told. Great story, once I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down, but it was also hard to want to pick up. The background stories were long and drawn out
baa_baa77's review
3.0
A horrible misrepresentation of the causes of gun violence, especially school shootings. It’s not the bully vs loaner, the Columbine hoax. https://www.businessinsider.com/columbine-shooters-motives-2018-2 But I will give Piccoult some grace, since she wrote the novel 15 years ago. The story itself was interesting enough & I wanted to know what happened.
kt_777's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
kaylamae0415's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5