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Loading... Nineteen Minutes: A Novelby Jodi Picoult
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Like Picoult's other novels, this one deals with a controversial situation. It brings you into the mind of a teenage boy, Peter, who, having suffered years of abuse and humiliation at the hands of his peers, lashes out by shooting fellow students and teachers at his high school. It does almost make one feel sorry for Peter, essentially a vicitim of society. I found the comparison to what he went through to battered women's syndrome to be very thought provoking...making one question the details and particulars of law. Although I found most of the story to be believable, I couldn't find any justification for Jodi's actions. I felt as if she had commited a crime worse than Peter, but that's just my opinion. Ultimately, I think the novel makes you think about all the actions you take, all the words you say that may affect others. We all do have the potential to change someone's life simply by speaking a word of kindness, or refusing to go along with the crowd just for the sake of popularity. (  ) jewels1864 | Dec 26, 2009 |  Like Picoult's other novels, this one deals with a controversial situation. It brings you into the mind of a teenage boy, Peter, who, having suffered years of abuse and humiliation at the hands of his peers, lashes out by shooting fellow students and teachers at his high school. It does almost make one feel sorry for Peter, essentially a vicitim of society. I found the comparison to what he went through to battered women's syndrome to be very thought provoking...making one question the details and particulars of law. Although I found most of the story to be believable, I couldn't find any justification for Jodi's actions. I felt as if she had commited a crime worse than Peter, but that's just my opinion. Ultimately, I think the novel makes you think about all the actions you take, all the words you say that may affect others. We all do have the potential to change someone's life simply by speaking a word of kindness, or refusing to go along with the crowd just for the sake of popularity. ( ) jewels1864 | Dec 25, 2009 | Like Picoult's other novels, this one deals with a controversial situation. It brings you into the mind of a teenage boy, Peter, who, having suffered years of abuse and humiliation at the hands of his peers, lashes out by shooting fellow students and teachers at his high school. It does almost make one feel sorry for Peter, essentially a vicitim of society. I found the comparison to what he went through to battered women's syndrome to be very thought provoking...making one question the details and particulars of law. Although I found most of the story to be believable, I couldn't find any justification for Jodi's actions. I felt as if she had commited a crime worse than Peter, but that's just my opinion. Ultimately, I think the novel makes you think about all the actions you take, all the words you say that may affect others. We all do have the potential to change someone's life simply by speaking a word of kindness, or refusing to go along with the crowd just for the sake of popularity. ( ) jewels1864 | Dec 25, 2009 | What would make a teen go berserk and gun down his high school classmates? Nineteen Minutes explores Peter's life and the cruel bullying that shapes him. And then there's Josie, his childhood friend, who is now part of the popular set at high school but is not always comfortable with that role. We also see events through the eyes of their parents, the police officer investigating the case, and Peter's lawyer. Filled with suspense, mystery, and insight this is a dramatic and often heart wrenching book. Although the main characters are teens, this is an adult book and not appropriate for young teens. (  ) YAbookfest | Dec 17, 2009 | Synopsis: Bullied right from the very second he stood onto the bus on his first day of school, Peter Houghton is an outcast and treated like one every day up. At high school, his face is slammed into lockers and toilets on a regular basis and his pants are pulled down at the cafeteria for everyone to see. Finally, when Peter Houghton decides to fight back, it leaves devastating consequences: Nineteen people seriously wounded and ten people dead at Sterling High School. Jodi Picoult faces the question of whether Peter Houghton's lifelong bullying is justified in his act of revenge. My Opinion: Yet another of Jodi Picoult's I'd-rather-read-than-waste-my-time-sleeping books that leaves you questioning your own actions and position in life. ( ) Moniica | Nov 23, 2009 |  no reviews | add a review
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| Book description |
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On Peter Houghton's first day of kindergarten, he watched helplessly as an older boy ripped his lunch box out of his hands and threw it out the window. From that day on, his life was a series of humiliations, from having his pants pulled down in the cafeteria, to being called a freak at every turn. But can endless bullying justify murder? As Picoult attempts to answer this question, she shows us all sides of the equation, from the ruthless jock who loses his ability to speak after being shot in the head, to the mother who both blames and pities herself for producing what most would call a monster. Surrounding Peter's story is that of Josie Cormier, a former friend whose acceptance into the popular crowd hangs on a string that makes it impossible for her to reconcile her beliefs with her actions.
At times, Nineteen Minutes can seem tediously stereotypical-- jocks versus nerds, parent versus child, teacher versus student. Part of Picoult's gift is showing us the subtleties of these common dynamics, and the startling effects they often have on the moral landscape. As Peter's mother says at the end of this spellbinding novel, "Everyone would remember Peter for nineteen minutes of his life, but what about the other nine million?" --Gisele Toueg
(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:15 -0400)
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