Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult

Emily | Marlboro High School, Grade 11

Rating: *****

Since Peter Houghton was in kindergarten, he has been tormented, bullied, and abused by other children. His shy, sensitive nature made him unique from other boys. Initially, he was able to put up with the teasing because he had his best friend Josie Cormier by his side. When she ditches him to hang out with the popular kids, Peter is left all alone. Seventeen years of bullying is when he reaches his breaking point. He seeks revenge by shooting up the school. Within nineteen minutes, ten are dead. The novel describes the months after the shooting, Peter’s trail, and how the town was affected forever.

I was left speechless at the end of the book. Oftentimes, people don’t consider the perspective of a school shooter. They immediately regard the child as a despicable monster. This book shed a new light on the effects of bullying and school shootings. It was impossible not to feel sympathy for Peter. In all aspects of his life, from home to school, he feels abandoned. He doesn’t have anyone to confide in or support him when he loses Josie. My heart broke when I read about the bullying that began on his first day of kindergarten. Additionally, it was crazy to witness how the town transformed after those nineteen minutes. The magnitude of tragedies are often understated. Children and parents lose the feeling of safety and comfort they have. School shootings have emotional, physical, and psychological tolls on entire communities, not just those directly impacted. This book was an emotional one, but it really makes you think about the repercussions of your actions and words.