Nineteen Minutes
by Jodi Picoult
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"In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling's residents. Even those who were not inside the school that show more morning find their lives in an upheaval, including Alex Cormier. The superior court judge assigned to the Houghton case, Alex - whose daughter, Josie, witnessed the events that unfolded - must decide whether or not to step down. She's torn between presiding over the biggest case of her career and knowing that doing so will cause an even wider chasm in her relationship with her emotionally fragile daughter. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can't remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of Peter's rampage. Or can she? And Peter's parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes. Rich with psychological and social insight, Nineteen Minutes is a riveting, poignant, and thought-provoking novel that has at its center a haunting question. Do we ever really know someone?"--From source other than the Library of Congress. show lessTags
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BookshelfMonstrosity Both of these novels are about school shootings and the alienated teenage boys responsible for them. 'We need to talk about Kevin' depicts the complex relationships within the shooter's family, whereas 'Nineteen minutes' focuses on the larger community affected by the event.
Also recommended by bnbookgirl
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Member Reviews
This was an intense read. I appreciate the way the author circled and encompassed a tragedy, a school shooting, and told the story from all angles and each characters point of view. I like the way Jodi Picoult makes a reader think. There really is no black and white, nothing is ever completely right or wrong. Truth gets blurred and rearranged. I ended up having sympathy and understanding for all the characters, even the shooter. It's a wonderful thing to watch characters grow despite tragedy. Very highly recommended.
Likely one of the most difficult books I've ever read, equally one of the most important books. For anyone who has ever raised a child, been part of a community, or lived in a society, the fear of you or someone you know and love being involved in some type of mass violent event in today's world is a reality. Conversely, so is the thought that it may be someone you know, even if a few degrees separated, who committed the acts.
We do not, nor can we ever know where someone's breaking point is and all the goodness brought to that person, all the appeals of love and understanding, may not be enough. We all think it couldn't or wouldn't be our child who could commit such a heinous act as a mass shooting, but what if...?
What if it were your show more child who was bullied to the point of breaking? What if a never-ending drip of "soft" violence (a push, a shove, a spitball, a noogy, a trip, an upturned lunch tray, a word "fag," "homo," "dyke," "fatty," "stinky," a mass email of humiliation were sent to an entire school) occurred to a child continuously until they suffered post-traumatic stress to the point of withdrawal, living in their own world (computers, gaming, anywhere to escape the meanness of the "cool kids"), until one day they snapped -- could you see that happening? I can.
This book hurt me deep in places I have tried to forget, didn't know other people knew, and was shocked to read about. I have been that broken child and have seen my children go through brutal punishment to be accepted, and sometimes worse, not accepted. I have seen my baby's soft, loving eyes turn hard, black, hateful at the hands of bullies. This is real.
Does it mean all bullied children will become murderers or that this is an acceptable reason to murder - let's not be naive. The point: This is out there. This is happening. We cannot just ban the book because it speaks graphically of violence and think that will make the violence or the events leading up to it go away. On the contrary. We should all read this book. Feel those feelings. Empathize with the pain, the hurt, the life that the least of these feel. No one is above being bullied.
God help us if we keep turning away from reality and not holding initiators of bullying accountable. Read the book. Then go sit and reflect. We must and we can do better.
Remember, young bullies turn into old ones and they run the world. show less
We do not, nor can we ever know where someone's breaking point is and all the goodness brought to that person, all the appeals of love and understanding, may not be enough. We all think it couldn't or wouldn't be our child who could commit such a heinous act as a mass shooting, but what if...?
What if it were your show more child who was bullied to the point of breaking? What if a never-ending drip of "soft" violence (a push, a shove, a spitball, a noogy, a trip, an upturned lunch tray, a word "fag," "homo," "dyke," "fatty," "stinky," a mass email of humiliation were sent to an entire school) occurred to a child continuously until they suffered post-traumatic stress to the point of withdrawal, living in their own world (computers, gaming, anywhere to escape the meanness of the "cool kids"), until one day they snapped -- could you see that happening? I can.
This book hurt me deep in places I have tried to forget, didn't know other people knew, and was shocked to read about. I have been that broken child and have seen my children go through brutal punishment to be accepted, and sometimes worse, not accepted. I have seen my baby's soft, loving eyes turn hard, black, hateful at the hands of bullies. This is real.
Does it mean all bullied children will become murderers or that this is an acceptable reason to murder - let's not be naive. The point: This is out there. This is happening. We cannot just ban the book because it speaks graphically of violence and think that will make the violence or the events leading up to it go away. On the contrary. We should all read this book. Feel those feelings. Empathize with the pain, the hurt, the life that the least of these feel. No one is above being bullied.
God help us if we keep turning away from reality and not holding initiators of bullying accountable. Read the book. Then go sit and reflect. We must and we can do better.
Remember, young bullies turn into old ones and they run the world. show less
Sterling is a small town where nothing significant or noteworthy ever happens. Well, until one fateful morning. After setting up an explosion in the car park, 17 year old Peter Houghton walks into his high school, opening fire at his classmates and teachers. The titular nineteen minutes is all it takes for him to take 10 lives, and wound several others. And that is only the surface of the damage his actions caused.
Sterling, like any other small town whose complacency has been shattered to smithereens, starts asking themselves why this happened. Through the parents of the victims, the parents of the injured, the shooter themselves, through law enforcement, readers see answers to this question unfurl.
Nineteen Minutes attempts to look at show more what possibly creates a mass shooter. The book weaves themes of bullying, homophobia, peer pressure, parental neglect, inadequacies of the education system etc to tell its tale. However, in doing so, there are also some very problematic areas the book crosses into.
Although what sets the tone of the book is a mass shooting, a school shooting at that, the book says nay a word about gun violence. There is no excusing or condoning Peter Houghton's actions, despite his trauma. All of the bullying and neglect he faced created a broken teenager. But gun culture created a mass shooter.
So for the author to use the issue of battered-wife-syndrome in relation to Peter and the bullying he faced was just tone deaf. There's very a very vast and very evident gulf between an abused wife killing her husband-cum-oppressor, and a 17 year old boy walking into his school unleashing terror on everyone in sight. As a reader of colour, there's also the very evident question of who gets this benefit of doubt. That benefit of doubt is not fairness, it is governed by privileges of race, gender and class.
This is not to say that Nineteen Minutes is not a compelling read. It hits all your emotions. But a key takeaway gets buried in the plot- neglect is not benign. This is particularly relevant in the case of Josie Cormier and her story arc.
This book provoked a lot of thoughts for me, but I have to acknowledge the fact that it comes at the benefit of never having been a victim of gun violence, or knowing anybody who was a victim of gun violence. show less
Sterling, like any other small town whose complacency has been shattered to smithereens, starts asking themselves why this happened. Through the parents of the victims, the parents of the injured, the shooter themselves, through law enforcement, readers see answers to this question unfurl.
Nineteen Minutes attempts to look at show more what possibly creates a mass shooter. The book weaves themes of bullying, homophobia, peer pressure, parental neglect, inadequacies of the education system etc to tell its tale. However, in doing so, there are also some very problematic areas the book crosses into.
Although what sets the tone of the book is a mass shooting, a school shooting at that, the book says nay a word about gun violence. There is no excusing or condoning Peter Houghton's actions, despite his trauma. All of the bullying and neglect he faced created a broken teenager. But gun culture created a mass shooter.
So for the author to use the issue of battered-wife-syndrome in relation to Peter and the bullying he faced was just tone deaf. There's very a very vast and very evident gulf between an abused wife killing her husband-cum-oppressor, and a 17 year old boy walking into his school unleashing terror on everyone in sight. As a reader of colour, there's also the very evident question of who gets this benefit of doubt. That benefit of doubt is not fairness, it is governed by privileges of race, gender and class.
This is not to say that Nineteen Minutes is not a compelling read. It hits all your emotions. But a key takeaway gets buried in the plot- neglect is not benign. This is particularly relevant in the case of Josie Cormier and her story arc.
This book provoked a lot of thoughts for me, but I have to acknowledge the fact that it comes at the benefit of never having been a victim of gun violence, or knowing anybody who was a victim of gun violence. show less
So… this book centers on a school shooting. This is a touchy subject, and in my experience, whenever someone writes about the topic, they always get it wrong. They always get it wrong. They treat it like any other crisis scenario, like Point Break or Dog Day Afternoon. As if a school shooting is the new hot situation to place an action/crime novel. They treat the antagonist as a psychotic killer like Cape Fear or Natural Born Killers. They never go into HIS psyche. That he’s the main character of his story, the villain protagonist. That he has to be heard, and the gun is the only way they will listen.
These acts are not inexplicable. Sure, you can find superficial commonalities (lack of hope for the future, white males, access to show more guns, violent games, being bullied, social isolation), but there’s something way underneath the surface, simmering, waiting for a catalyst. But authors would prefer to give the audience something shallow and dramatic (I’m looking at you, Colleen Hoover) over exploring the psyche of a killer. This book takes place in 2007. We should already know a few things about these people eight years after Columbine (which barely gets a mention).
So we have three main characters. Alex, a state judge and single mother. Josie, Alex’s daughter and a popular kid. And Peter, childhood friend of Josie and the killer in question. The story starts with the massacre in the first chapter, and then the rest of it is about the aftermath–everyone affected by this dark day in a small town: the cops, the lawyers, the parents of the victims, the parents of the perpetrator, and all the other parents and students. It all leads up to the verdict on Peter’s trial.
First, I have to get this out of the way: the way men are portrayed in this book is atrocious. If they aren’t cardboard cutouts, they’re evil Lifetime-movie Bluebeards. Only one is redeemable and he’s the noble cop investigating the massacre. He’s also the romantic love interest–a dogged nice guy–which seems completely appropriate in a story about a massacre. Others are the killer’s defense lawyer (who is a little scummy, but also doing his job) and the killer’s dad, who acts like an undiagnosed autistic.
And then there’s the female teenager’s Jerk Dumb Jock boyfriend. And that boyfriend–oh my god, is he cliche. Everything out of the guy’s mouth is either homophobic, misogynistic, or sexual. I mean EVERYTHING. At no point does he say anything that indicates an identity outside of football, abusing his girlfriend, or bullying. NO ONE would be friends with this guy. Not in the 2000s. At one point, when he and Josie are having sex (which he pressures her about, just like you’d expect), he chokes her–just because he can. (Not exactly Judy Blume’s Forever…)
This is the biggest black streak on an otherwise compelling novel. But it slashes right through, like a gash through a painting. That and the computer stuff. This is 2007. YouTube has been available for two years. Everyone should have a cell phone. No one is chatting online or using Facebook. E-mail is most definitely “a thing”. And like so many authors do, computer code is “magic”. I guess in this universe, you can make a game as good as Doom without once referring to an engine, texturing, lighting, or maps. At some point, Josie tries to find her sperm-donor father and needs Peter’s help to look him up on the “com-poo-ter” because her house doesn’t have one. A state judge who doesn’t even have a PC in her house? I don’t think so.
I guess that’s another big thing about the book. Josie’s storyline is banal as hell, especially because half of it revolves around her aforementioned jerk jock boyfriend. I knew–I KNEW–there would be a pregnancy scare at about 40-60% through. And then–bam–just like I predicted. Lots of parts of the book are just filler that don’t matter to the plot. For example, Josie likes having sex, but not who she’s having sex with. But she won’t break up with him because she likes being popular too much. However, at no time does the narrator tell us what being popular gets her.
And here’s one more thing. The straw that breaks the camel’s back (instigates the shooting) is this: Peter writes an email confessing his feelings to Josie. One of Josie’s popular friends intercepts the e-mail at a sleepover. And sends it to the ENTIRE SCHOOL DIRECTORY (oh, now the writer knows what an email is). This friend also replies to Peter as Josie. So Peter, thinking Josie returns his feelings, goes up to her during lunch and embarrasses himself. And then the Jerk Jock Boyfriend sneaks up behind him and pulls down his pants & underpants in front of the entire cafeteria. A teacher even sees it, but all he says is “hey, what’s going on here? No shenanigans happening, are there?” And there are no consequences for this action.
That is sexual assault. In 2007, that kid should have been EXPELLED. Especially if it’s 2007. But these characters act like it’s the 1980’s. (A problem I’ve noticed–when YA authors write about high school, they rely on their experiences from thirty years ago.) In 2007, EVERY school had concrete anti-bullying policies. You know why? Because they’re so scared of another Columbine happening.
There’s no way these kids would be able to get away with what they do (e.g., a fight drawing blood in front of witnesses and no disciplinary action). It’s acting like high school hasn’t evolved beyond Weird Science or Heathers or The Karate Kid. In this era, high school movies were like Easy A, Superbad, Napoleon Dynamite, Juno, Mean Girls, Twilight. (See also: My review of Jackie Morse Kessler’s Rage and associated books).
I know this review is mostly pointing out flaws, but I still looked forward to reading it every night. I liked seeing what Alex the judge did–how she handled being a single mother AND a court judge. Plus, she was involved in a case heavily tied to her daughter and an offender he knew. I liked reading about Peter, even if the author didn’t go into as much depth with him as I would have liked. It still gave me some PTSD flashbacks to my high school, so I know the author must have done something right. It’s a thick soup of social issues that I care about, like school bullying, peer pressure, and adolescents vs. adults. I was completely satisfied with the reading experience. But also, this is NOT the book to read to understand why school shootings happen. But it’s closer than anything else I’ve read. I guess it takes steps to get there, like trying to understand racism. We must all acknowledge that there will be missteps along the way. show less
These acts are not inexplicable. Sure, you can find superficial commonalities (lack of hope for the future, white males, access to show more guns, violent games, being bullied, social isolation), but there’s something way underneath the surface, simmering, waiting for a catalyst. But authors would prefer to give the audience something shallow and dramatic (I’m looking at you, Colleen Hoover) over exploring the psyche of a killer. This book takes place in 2007. We should already know a few things about these people eight years after Columbine (which barely gets a mention).
So we have three main characters. Alex, a state judge and single mother. Josie, Alex’s daughter and a popular kid. And Peter, childhood friend of Josie and the killer in question. The story starts with the massacre in the first chapter, and then the rest of it is about the aftermath–everyone affected by this dark day in a small town: the cops, the lawyers, the parents of the victims, the parents of the perpetrator, and all the other parents and students. It all leads up to the verdict on Peter’s trial.
First, I have to get this out of the way: the way men are portrayed in this book is atrocious. If they aren’t cardboard cutouts, they’re evil Lifetime-movie Bluebeards. Only one is redeemable and he’s the noble cop investigating the massacre. He’s also the romantic love interest–a dogged nice guy–which seems completely appropriate in a story about a massacre. Others are the killer’s defense lawyer (who is a little scummy, but also doing his job) and the killer’s dad, who acts like an undiagnosed autistic.
And then there’s the female teenager’s Jerk Dumb Jock boyfriend. And that boyfriend–oh my god, is he cliche. Everything out of the guy’s mouth is either homophobic, misogynistic, or sexual. I mean EVERYTHING. At no point does he say anything that indicates an identity outside of football, abusing his girlfriend, or bullying. NO ONE would be friends with this guy. Not in the 2000s. At one point, when he and Josie are having sex (which he pressures her about, just like you’d expect), he chokes her–just because he can. (Not exactly Judy Blume’s Forever…)
This is the biggest black streak on an otherwise compelling novel. But it slashes right through, like a gash through a painting. That and the computer stuff. This is 2007. YouTube has been available for two years. Everyone should have a cell phone. No one is chatting online or using Facebook. E-mail is most definitely “a thing”. And like so many authors do, computer code is “magic”. I guess in this universe, you can make a game as good as Doom without once referring to an engine, texturing, lighting, or maps. At some point, Josie tries to find her sperm-donor father and needs Peter’s help to look him up on the “com-poo-ter” because her house doesn’t have one. A state judge who doesn’t even have a PC in her house? I don’t think so.
I guess that’s another big thing about the book. Josie’s storyline is banal as hell, especially because half of it revolves around her aforementioned jerk jock boyfriend. I knew–I KNEW–there would be a pregnancy scare at about 40-60% through. And then–bam–just like I predicted. Lots of parts of the book are just filler that don’t matter to the plot. For example, Josie likes having sex, but not who she’s having sex with. But she won’t break up with him because she likes being popular too much. However, at no time does the narrator tell us what being popular gets her.
And here’s one more thing. The straw that breaks the camel’s back (instigates the shooting) is this: Peter writes an email confessing his feelings to Josie. One of Josie’s popular friends intercepts the e-mail at a sleepover. And sends it to the ENTIRE SCHOOL DIRECTORY (oh, now the writer knows what an email is). This friend also replies to Peter as Josie. So Peter, thinking Josie returns his feelings, goes up to her during lunch and embarrasses himself. And then the Jerk Jock Boyfriend sneaks up behind him and pulls down his pants & underpants in front of the entire cafeteria. A teacher even sees it, but all he says is “hey, what’s going on here? No shenanigans happening, are there?” And there are no consequences for this action.
That is sexual assault. In 2007, that kid should have been EXPELLED. Especially if it’s 2007. But these characters act like it’s the 1980’s. (A problem I’ve noticed–when YA authors write about high school, they rely on their experiences from thirty years ago.) In 2007, EVERY school had concrete anti-bullying policies. You know why? Because they’re so scared of another Columbine happening.
There’s no way these kids would be able to get away with what they do (e.g., a fight drawing blood in front of witnesses and no disciplinary action). It’s acting like high school hasn’t evolved beyond Weird Science or Heathers or The Karate Kid. In this era, high school movies were like Easy A, Superbad, Napoleon Dynamite, Juno, Mean Girls, Twilight. (See also: My review of Jackie Morse Kessler’s Rage and associated books).
I know this review is mostly pointing out flaws, but I still looked forward to reading it every night. I liked seeing what Alex the judge did–how she handled being a single mother AND a court judge. Plus, she was involved in a case heavily tied to her daughter and an offender he knew. I liked reading about Peter, even if the author didn’t go into as much depth with him as I would have liked. It still gave me some PTSD flashbacks to my high school, so I know the author must have done something right. It’s a thick soup of social issues that I care about, like school bullying, peer pressure, and adolescents vs. adults. I was completely satisfied with the reading experience. But also, this is NOT the book to read to understand why school shootings happen. But it’s closer than anything else I’ve read. I guess it takes steps to get there, like trying to understand racism. We must all acknowledge that there will be missteps along the way. show less
I picked up this book not knowing anything about it but the author. I had no idea about the plot or the significance of 19 minutes. I was pleased to find myself immersed in a controversial subject ripped from the headlines - something that Picoult does well.
Jodi Picoult is a storyteller. I love the way she writes, the way she puts herself (and the reader) in the shoes of such a wide array of characters. I especially love it when she pushes you into the uncomfortable position of considering circumstances from a point of view you'd rather not experience.
The good news, besides really enjoying this book, is that I finally made it through a Jodi Picoult book without crying! The bad news is that once I finish one of her books and pick up show more something written by another author, it tends to pale in comparison because Picoult has mastered the trifecta of fiction writing - the plot, pacing, and emotion always work together to create a dynamic vehicle that drives the reader to race through the book, unable to put it down. show less
Jodi Picoult is a storyteller. I love the way she writes, the way she puts herself (and the reader) in the shoes of such a wide array of characters. I especially love it when she pushes you into the uncomfortable position of considering circumstances from a point of view you'd rather not experience.
The good news, besides really enjoying this book, is that I finally made it through a Jodi Picoult book without crying! The bad news is that once I finish one of her books and pick up show more something written by another author, it tends to pale in comparison because Picoult has mastered the trifecta of fiction writing - the plot, pacing, and emotion always work together to create a dynamic vehicle that drives the reader to race through the book, unable to put it down. show less
I started out thinking that I would be giving this book four or five stars, any maybe that goes to show that I put too much weight on the way an author ends their book. I definitely catch myself revisiting 5-star ratings a day later, because the euphoria of a really good ending makes me look back on the rest of the book with rose colored glasses. So with that in mind, it makes sense that a poor ending would make me think more critically about the rest of the book. Unfortunately, Nineteen Minutes is one of those books where there's a lot to criticize.
This is actually, somehow, the first Jodi Picoult book I've read. So, when I say that this book is formulaic and cliché in places, I'm saying that as somebody who doesn't know Picoult's show more personal formula. It isn't that I'm well-versed in her writing style or her signature twists, it's that she seems to rely heavily on overwrought metaphors, stereotypes, and story lines. The most blatant example is how she relies on the classic jock-versus-geek trope to humanize the main antagonist. Instead of creating really complicated, multi-dimensional characters on both sides, Picoult instead leads readers to believe that the victims almost deserved to die. It was almost unconscionable.
Take, for example, Haley, who is permanently disfigured by by the bullet she took to her head. She is portrayed as materialistic, vain, and shallow. When she is called as a witness at the trial, all she does is cry because she used to be homecoming queen and now her face is ruined. Writers who craft the jock v. geek narrative love to frame self confidence and interest in fashion/beauty as signs that a girl lacks dimension or value. I'm just tired of the vilification of teenage girls (and women in general) any time they show confidence and self assuredness. I'm not saying that these girls (especially Courtney) didn't do anything bad or wrong; but them being pretty and popular isn't what made them do those bad things.
These popular kids were downright villainous. I mean, no redeeming factors at all. I think that this took a lot of dimension and life out of the plot. We didn't get this push-and-pull of seeing the mean things they did juxtaposed to their humanity and interpersonal relationships. it was so ham-fisted to have the poor, bullied, misunderstood kid finally kill the jocks and popular kids who tormented him for years. And I know what Picoult was trying to do here: to humanize Peter and draw conflicting feelings from the reader about his guilt or innocence. This would have made for an exceptional and thought-provoking novel, if executed correctly. As it stood, though, there was no reconciliation between the sensitive, tormented, depressed kid and the monster who gunned down his classmates indiscriminately.
To her credit, Picoult is an exceptionally talented storyteller. This book had a lot of loose ends (the discussion on sexuality fell short of what it should be), but the story was compelling and the characters very well developed (if not one-dimensional). Ultimately, the story failed to elicit the emotions from me that I really wanted, and I felt really unenthused about any romance or tragedy after the the bulk of the action of the first half passed.
All of this considered, I still would have given the book three stars had it not been for the absolutely horrible, completely dissatisfying ending.I hated that Josie was the one who shot Matt, and I hated that she got prison time for it. Usually I like twists that surprise and upset me because I see it as good writing, but this was really not it. There was no reason for it and honestly it didn't make much sense. I can't see how a jury would convict Josie in that situation, when the "battered wife" argument worked for Peter. I don't know, I think it would have packed more of a punch and been more believable had Josie just chosen not to shoot Peter when she had the chance and let him kill Matt. Her shooting her boyfriend didn't make sense, and the severe trauma of the situation should have been a really strong defense in her favor.
There were so many places where the plot wasn't developed where it should have been, and Picoult relied way too much on outdated and tired stereotypes to construct her narrative. I just can't get past how instead of creating really complicated characters to elicit conflicting emotions, she instead chose to write a story that all but justified these kids' murders because they were jocks and therefore inherently mean and bad. Ultimately, this book lacks the emotional punch or general depth of characters that Picoult is known for. She writes some really unique and gripping stories, but I don't think this is the strongest in her bibliography. show less
This is actually, somehow, the first Jodi Picoult book I've read. So, when I say that this book is formulaic and cliché in places, I'm saying that as somebody who doesn't know Picoult's show more personal formula. It isn't that I'm well-versed in her writing style or her signature twists, it's that she seems to rely heavily on overwrought metaphors, stereotypes, and story lines. The most blatant example is how she relies on the classic jock-versus-geek trope to humanize the main antagonist. Instead of creating really complicated, multi-dimensional characters on both sides, Picoult instead leads readers to believe that the victims almost deserved to die. It was almost unconscionable.
These popular kids were downright villainous. I mean, no redeeming factors at all. I think that this took a lot of dimension and life out of the plot. We didn't get this push-and-pull of seeing the mean things they did juxtaposed to their humanity and interpersonal relationships. it was so ham-fisted to have the poor, bullied, misunderstood kid finally kill the jocks and popular kids who tormented him for years. And I know what Picoult was trying to do here: to humanize Peter and draw conflicting feelings from the reader about his guilt or innocence. This would have made for an exceptional and thought-provoking novel, if executed correctly. As it stood, though, there was no reconciliation between the sensitive, tormented, depressed kid and the monster who gunned down his classmates indiscriminately.
To her credit, Picoult is an exceptionally talented storyteller. This book had a lot of loose ends (the discussion on sexuality fell short of what it should be), but the story was compelling and the characters very well developed (if not one-dimensional). Ultimately, the story failed to elicit the emotions from me that I really wanted, and I felt really unenthused about any romance or tragedy after the the bulk of the action of the first half passed.
All of this considered, I still would have given the book three stars had it not been for the absolutely horrible, completely dissatisfying ending.
There were so many places where the plot wasn't developed where it should have been, and Picoult relied way too much on outdated and tired stereotypes to construct her narrative. I just can't get past how instead of creating really complicated characters to elicit conflicting emotions, she instead chose to write a story that all but justified these kids' murders because they were jocks and therefore inherently mean and bad. Ultimately, this book lacks the emotional punch or general depth of characters that Picoult is known for. She writes some really unique and gripping stories, but I don't think this is the strongest in her bibliography. show less
I am almost done with this book-it is excellent but harrowing to read.
The author commits to the story line and the characters and even when you almost want her to back away from the messiness and the reality she hits you even harder.
********Slight spoilers below**************
This book explores a school shooting from the view point of the shooter, the victims, the parents of the victims, the small town, the detective, the judge handling the case, the lawyer prosecuting the case, the lawyer defending the shooter, the parents of the shooter.
I like that while the shooter is a victim of bullying from pre-school on and you really want to identify with him and feel sorry for him and like him-it does not work. It kind of reminds me of Native show more Sun and Bigger Thomas-you really want to feel sorry for Bigger and like him but he is just such an unlikeable character. I kind of feel that way with Peter. You can see how tortured he is for years, how his well meaning, loving, intelligent, active parents try to help him and it only makes it worse. You can see where the teachers and principals and school officials try to help but none of them seem to really get the situation. You can even see in Peter when he is finally offered an opportunity to bully and at first gleefully joins in but then sees himself in the victim. You can see how a misfit-picked on, dismissed by his parents and teachers and classmates, might see a school shooting as his way to get even. You can also see the loathing and hatred he feels for himself, the desire to fit in and be liked whatever the cost.
The bully's character is also explored, not as thoroughly, but some of the bullies are just students glad to be part of the in crowd and willing to hurt another student to maintain the status qua. You can see the true bully who feels he truly is raised by lowering others-you either are the bully or the one being bullied-he sees no other way to be.
It makes me think of High School and my own experience.
I think this book also explores the disconnect that happens between a parent and child as that child reaches their teen years. Or even before that, when you try as a parent in your own inept way to really help your child. It explores how much of parenting is guess work and trial and error. It explores the feeling that your child is different from you and you do not know how to connect to them, to help them though you can see they suffer and would do anything in your power to stop it. How complex the social issues our children experience are-even if we want to teach them to ignore the bullying or rise above the pettiness-how maybe that is not a reasonable option for them. How to reach a child that has gone astray. How a truly good mother and father could raise a killer without even realizing it. How we do not live in a vacuum and perhaps if as adults we really found a way to effectively deal with bullying and really understand the impact it has on our children-whether they internalize it and it effects their adult life, commit suicide or go on a shooting rampage. How do we reach these kids?-the bullies as well as the bullied. Clearly this is not an isolated issue as we have had shootings in high schools, grade schools and even colleges. What in our society breeds this type of discontent?
I finished the book-it was an emotional rollercoaster-I sobbed, my heart broke, nothing was black and white-only shades of grey. Unfortunately the author backed out with a shocking 11th hour confession-I have now read about 4 of her books and see this is just her writing style. It is too bad too because she is such a phenomenal world and character builder and she picks such controversial topics she could write true literature-the talent is there-but she backs off-at the end needing to tie up loose ends and a shocking confession that really makes no sense and takes away from the powerful value of the novel. The best novels that deal with controversial subject matter resist the urge to finish everything up in a neat little bow-I refer to her books conclusions as the Law & Order twist. Her books are still great and powerful beyond measure. Perhaps one day she will learn that the most greatest authors tell the most powerful stories by not finishing them and letting each reader take something different and in their mind create their own ends for the characters. show less
The author commits to the story line and the characters and even when you almost want her to back away from the messiness and the reality she hits you even harder.
********Slight spoilers below**************
This book explores a school shooting from the view point of the shooter, the victims, the parents of the victims, the small town, the detective, the judge handling the case, the lawyer prosecuting the case, the lawyer defending the shooter, the parents of the shooter.
I like that while the shooter is a victim of bullying from pre-school on and you really want to identify with him and feel sorry for him and like him-it does not work. It kind of reminds me of Native show more Sun and Bigger Thomas-you really want to feel sorry for Bigger and like him but he is just such an unlikeable character. I kind of feel that way with Peter. You can see how tortured he is for years, how his well meaning, loving, intelligent, active parents try to help him and it only makes it worse. You can see where the teachers and principals and school officials try to help but none of them seem to really get the situation. You can even see in Peter when he is finally offered an opportunity to bully and at first gleefully joins in but then sees himself in the victim. You can see how a misfit-picked on, dismissed by his parents and teachers and classmates, might see a school shooting as his way to get even. You can also see the loathing and hatred he feels for himself, the desire to fit in and be liked whatever the cost.
The bully's character is also explored, not as thoroughly, but some of the bullies are just students glad to be part of the in crowd and willing to hurt another student to maintain the status qua. You can see the true bully who feels he truly is raised by lowering others-you either are the bully or the one being bullied-he sees no other way to be.
It makes me think of High School and my own experience.
I think this book also explores the disconnect that happens between a parent and child as that child reaches their teen years. Or even before that, when you try as a parent in your own inept way to really help your child. It explores how much of parenting is guess work and trial and error. It explores the feeling that your child is different from you and you do not know how to connect to them, to help them though you can see they suffer and would do anything in your power to stop it. How complex the social issues our children experience are-even if we want to teach them to ignore the bullying or rise above the pettiness-how maybe that is not a reasonable option for them. How to reach a child that has gone astray. How a truly good mother and father could raise a killer without even realizing it. How we do not live in a vacuum and perhaps if as adults we really found a way to effectively deal with bullying and really understand the impact it has on our children-whether they internalize it and it effects their adult life, commit suicide or go on a shooting rampage. How do we reach these kids?-the bullies as well as the bullied. Clearly this is not an isolated issue as we have had shootings in high schools, grade schools and even colleges. What in our society breeds this type of discontent?
I finished the book-it was an emotional rollercoaster-I sobbed, my heart broke, nothing was black and white-only shades of grey. Unfortunately the author backed out with a shocking 11th hour confession-I have now read about 4 of her books and see this is just her writing style. It is too bad too because she is such a phenomenal world and character builder and she picks such controversial topics she could write true literature-the talent is there-but she backs off-at the end needing to tie up loose ends and a shocking confession that really makes no sense and takes away from the powerful value of the novel. The best novels that deal with controversial subject matter resist the urge to finish everything up in a neat little bow-I refer to her books conclusions as the Law & Order twist. Her books are still great and powerful beyond measure. Perhaps one day she will learn that the most greatest authors tell the most powerful stories by not finishing them and letting each reader take something different and in their mind create their own ends for the characters. show less
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Author Information
116+ Works 146,220 Members
Jodi Picoult was born in Nesconset, New York on May 19, 1966. She received a degree in creative writing from Princeton University in 1987 and a master's degree in education from Harvard University. She published two short stories in Seventeen magazine while still in college. Immediately after graduation, she landed a variety of jobs, ranging from show more editing textbooks to teaching eighth-grade English. Her first book, Songs of the Humpback Whale, was published in 1992. Her other works include Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Salem Falls, The Tenth Circle, Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart, Handle with Care, House Rules, Sing You Home, Lone Wolf, Leaving Time, and Small Great Things. My Sister's Keeper was made into a movie starring Cameron Diaz. She received the New England Bookseller Award for fiction in 2003. She also wrote five issues of the Wonder Woman comic book series for DC Comics. She writes young adult novels with her daughter Samantha van Leer including Between the Lines and Off the Page. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Awards
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Whitcoulls Top 100 Books (19 – 2008)
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Piper (5398)
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- Canonical title
- Nineteen Minutes
- Original title
- Nineteen Minutes
- Original publication date
- 2007-03-06
- People/Characters
- Patrick DuCharme; Jordan McAfee; Alex Cormier; Josephine Cormier; Peter Houghton; Matt Royston (show all 50); Lacy Houghton; Drew Girard; Diana Leven; Lewis Houghton; Selena McAfee; Courtney Ignatio; John Eberhard; Sam McAfee; Derek Markowitz; Joey Houghton; Maddie Shaw; Dr. King Wah; Haley Weaver; Brady Pryce; Logan Rourke; Ed McCabe; Judge Wagner; Emma Alexis; Michael Beach; Zoe Patterson; Dusty Spears; Justin Friedman; Thomas McAfee; Guenther Frankenstein; Natalie Zlenko; Nina Frost; Eleanor; Mr. Weatherhall; Angela Phlug; Liz; Mr. Cargrew; Whit Hobart; Arthur McAllister; Ervin Peabody; Joan McCabe; Yvette Harvey; Curtis Uppergate; Eddie Odenkirk; Tara Frost; Whit Obermeyer; Topher McPhee; Grace Murtaugh; Kaitlyn Harvey; Noah Thomas
- Important places
- Sterling, New Hampshire, USA; New Hampshire, USA
- Epigraph
- PART ONE: "If we don't change the direction we are headed, we will end up where we are going".
Chinese Proverb - Dedication
- For Emily Bestler, the finest editor and fiercest champion a girl could ask for, who makes sure I put my best foot forward, every time. Thanks for your keen eye, your cheerleading, and most of all, your friendship.
- First words
- In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five. Ninet... (show all)een minutes is how long it took the Tennessee Titans to sell out of tickets to the play-offs. It's the length of a sitcom, minus the commercials. It's the driving distance from the Vermont border to the town of Sterling New Hampshire. In nineteen minutes you can order a pizza and get it delivered. You can read a story to a child or have your oil changed. You can walk a mile. You can sew a hem. In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world or just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)They crossed the lobby and threshold of the front door, retracing the steps they'd taken.
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