A review by gtsantos83
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

This book is really sad and emotional. I had to set it down and remove myself from the story for a while, as getting too wrapped up in it for too long was difficult at times. The story is gut-wrenching, but so well written. Readers come to understand how we all have a role to play in treating one another with fairness and empathy. What struck me most was the mothers in the story; their fierce love for their children in the face of unimaginable tragedy was heartbreaking and real. And the teen main characters! Josie's clinging to superficial friendships out of fear of not fitting in is almost as heartbreaking as Peter's complete lack of fitting in with anyone. The story's drifting back and forth between past and present helps readers understand exactly how characters and their relationships came to be. Great book, but proceed with an open mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Grief, Gun violence, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage

While centered around an awful fictional school shooting, this book does such a great job at humanizing everyone involved, from the teen perpetrator to the lawyers involved in the case. It's a complicated look at societal expectations and how we all have an impact on one another, for better or for worse.