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A review by sara_c_eggers
Columbine by Dave Cullen
4.0
It quickly became apparent that this was not the narrative of the Columbine shooting with which most of us were familiar.
This Sunday, following another absolute tragedy in Aurora, Colorado on Friday, I joined in a prayer that the church would be there for the awkward kids, those who are bullied into a corner and commit senseless acts of revenge.
On Monday night, I was reading this book. Tuesday, I was finishing it. The assumption of awkwardness and bullying, violent video games and poor parenting skills as the root of this terror was peeled away.
My consumption of media analysis of the current tragedy is filtered through a series of questions, "How do they know this?" and, "Why is this phrase being repeated by every media outlet?" My pronunciation of psychopathy changed and consideration of it deepened.
I realize that this review is entirely focused on my experience with this book. Perhaps it is the subject matter that makes reading it such a personal event. The Columbine shooting was not the first violation of the security and sanctity of a school, but it engaged the nation for years. We prayed for its students for hours during the crisis, and remembered them with songs, "This was her time, this was her dance, lived every moment, left nothing to chance." As the book points out, the media intrusion at Columbine High was long-lasting and thorough.
There is a bit of shifting between timelines in this work, but it moved smoothly and was not difficult to follow. The material covered is gritty and factual. Cullen wrote with compassion and honesty, and without an agenda.
This Sunday, following another absolute tragedy in Aurora, Colorado on Friday, I joined in a prayer that the church would be there for the awkward kids, those who are bullied into a corner and commit senseless acts of revenge.
On Monday night, I was reading this book. Tuesday, I was finishing it. The assumption of awkwardness and bullying, violent video games and poor parenting skills as the root of this terror was peeled away.
My consumption of media analysis of the current tragedy is filtered through a series of questions, "How do they know this?" and, "Why is this phrase being repeated by every media outlet?" My pronunciation of psychopathy changed and consideration of it deepened.
I realize that this review is entirely focused on my experience with this book. Perhaps it is the subject matter that makes reading it such a personal event. The Columbine shooting was not the first violation of the security and sanctity of a school, but it engaged the nation for years. We prayed for its students for hours during the crisis, and remembered them with songs, "This was her time, this was her dance, lived every moment, left nothing to chance." As the book points out, the media intrusion at Columbine High was long-lasting and thorough.
There is a bit of shifting between timelines in this work, but it moved smoothly and was not difficult to follow. The material covered is gritty and factual. Cullen wrote with compassion and honesty, and without an agenda.