Nineteen Minutes

This is a wonderfully written book. Jodi Picoult writes an honest and important story that raises questions that you are afraid to answer. Do we ever have the right to judge someone? What does it truly mean to be different in our current society? Can a victim strike back, and it be ok? Can our own children become strangers to us?

Set in the small town of Sterling, New Hampshire, one days shocking brutality changes the complacent town forever. One morning, an ordinary morning, Josie as well as all the other students of Sterling High attended classes. Then a massacre, similar to that of Columbine, happened within the halls of the school. Ten kids were killed and nineteen more injured. Among them, Matt Royston, the popular boy.

Peter Haughton, the killer, planned the attack, pin pointed certain students to attack, and was never ever sorry. He even created a video game in which the objective was to shoot students in a school. He continually said that they had it coming, or they caused it. Peter was the target of ridicule, teasing, and cruelty since he was little. The worst of the teasers was Matt Royston. He literally beat him up, humiliated him by pantsing him, and poked and proded at his appearance. In nineteen minutes, the length of the shooting, Peter got revenge.

Josie, the main character of the book, was there that day, but was not harmed. Through the course of the book the reader learns that growing up, Josie and Peter were best friends. Both were misfits, both were made fun of. The difference between the two? Josie cared what people thought, while Peter never even noticed it. So as they grew older, they grew apart because Josie conformed to the masses while Peter did not. Josie became best friends with the popular girls, dated the most popular boy in the Junior class Matt Royston, and became just as cruel to Peter as the rest of them. Josie, who was in the room when Matt was killed, cannot remember what happened right in front of her eyes.

With many twists and turns through out Peter’s trial, the end result is that he openly admits that he did infact shoot and injure twenty-nine people. The biggest twist of all is that Josie was the one to shoot Matt Royston and kill him. She was sentenced to five years in prison, while Peter has a life sentence.

There were subplots involving Peter’s parents, Josies mother, the detective on the case, and other adults within the community. But they aren’t half as important as that of the high school kids actions, thoughts, and relationships.

Fantastic book that keeps you turning the pages and not putting it down till it’s finished!!