Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult (2007)
All High School students suffer from teenage angst as they struggle to find their true selves. Many students are bullied and others are complicit in the bullying in an attempt to fit in. This novel, which is a bit dated, began as an ordinary day in a small town in New Hampshire until Peter Houghton, who had been bullied every day since kindergarden, brought a gun to school and began shooting.
There is no denying that Peter was the killer of several students, some of whom had teased and bullied him for years. Among the injured was Josie Cormier, whose mother was the Judge over the trial, and Josie’s boyfriend, Matt Royston. Matt was a jock and one of the most popular students at the school. He was also jealous and possessive of Josie.
Josie had been a close friend of Peter’s when they were children, but their friendship was strained after their mothers had a falling out. Josie still felt some sympathy towards Peter, but was afraid if she showed it, she would be ostracized by the “cool” kids.
The book travels between the present and past as we learn of the events leading up to the shooting. The book is about teenage angst – something that probably all readers can identify with. Picoult tackles these issues in the bigger drama of school shootings, which have become common events in schools.
There are several subplots, including a troubled and difficult relationship between Josie and her single mother, Josie’s abusive boyfriend, reckoning with sexual identity, and pregnancy scares.
At the end, we learn that, although Peter shot and killed several students, Josie actually shot her Matt, her abusive boyfriend, and Peter promised to protector her from this carnage. The jury finds Peter guilty of murder and he is sentenced to life in prison. He finds and escape through suicide, and Josie was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 5 years.
As with most of Picoult’s novels, this examines social issues and is well written and researched.
Read: November 28, 2020
4 Stars
