ksraines217 's review for:

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is a rough book to read. The story opens up with a high school shooting. The author then employees an interesting time structure. The chapters alternate between following the teenage shooter from birth until the shooting and then the events after the shooting. This is an effort by the author to demonstrate that this teenage shooter wasn’t destined to commit this violent crime; rather, many things played a factor including bullying, parental neglect, and easy access to guns. Nothing excuses the violence, but it can help explain it. The author also puts on full display the heartache and pain the shooter caused his victims and their families. 

If you were ever bullied in school, this book will likely trigger those memories. It did for me. 

Despite the difficult topic, I thought the author handled it deftly. I can’t say I enjoyed the book but I’m glad I read it. I won’t soon forget it.