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jesskeepreading1 's review for:
Columbine
by Dave Cullen
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
First off, the narrator is unreliable as he added words to make the event sound worse than it was (it was still horrendous). Prime example: in chapter 20, the narrator states "An enormous pool of blood, nearly the size of his body..." Meanwhile, the physical book states: "An enormous pool, nearly the size of his body..." Turns out, the pool in question was from a soda can, as seen in the archived photos from the event (unfortunately I did have to find these in order to get confirmation that this narrator was exaggerating). I have no idea how many of these instances occurred, but once I caught it, it made it harder to finish the book.
The amount of slurs that are both said and written (some are quotes from the murderers, some are not) are appalling.
There's a LOT of focus on evangelicalism, but not on any if the other religions or churches that helped out during the event. While it is historically known that people turn to religion after an event like this, it is odd that the ONLY focus is on evangelicals and not any others. It was also weird how there was a constant back and forth from past to present after discussing the event as it occurred. It made it hard to keep the timeline of events organized in my head and ultimately led to some confusion, though I'm sure it could be cleared up with other sources.
While you can tell this was written with the intention of no biases, it is clear that the goal was not met.
While Columbine was a horrific event and the story should continue to be told, this book is NOT the best resource for that story.
The amount of slurs that are both said and written (some are quotes from the murderers, some are not) are appalling.
There's a LOT of focus on evangelicalism, but not on any if the other religions or churches that helped out during the event. While it is historically known that people turn to religion after an event like this, it is odd that the ONLY focus is on evangelicals and not any others. It was also weird how there was a constant back and forth from past to present after discussing the event as it occurred. It made it hard to keep the timeline of events organized in my head and ultimately led to some confusion, though I'm sure it could be cleared up with other sources.
While you can tell this was written with the intention of no biases, it is clear that the goal was not met.
While Columbine was a horrific event and the story should continue to be told, this book is NOT the best resource for that story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Stalking