Stop for a moment a think about this: how long does it take to change the world? A day? A month? A year? Well, for Peter Houghton it took exactly nineteen minutes. It took him nineteen minutes to set off a pipe bomb, load his handguns, walk into a school and start shooting. For every student and teacher inside the walls of Sterling High it was the worst nineteen minutes of their lives, but for Peter Houghton it was his turn to fight back.
On Peter's first day of school he was excited, so excited that he woke up before dawn to get ready. It wasn't until he was about to board the school bus that first day that he got scared. It turns out he had a good reason to be afraid, it only took a couple minutes for a bully to pounce on Peter and throw his brand new Superman lunchbox out the window. This was just the beginning. Everyday was the same for Peter, his cool, older brother acted like they weren't related and the kids in school picked on him and beat him up. The only good thing in Peter's life was his best friend, Josie Cormier. Then one day Josie wasn't his friend anymore, she was dating the star hockey player Matt Royston, one of Peter's attackers. The humiliation overload was about to make Peter into someone that his own mother couldn't recognize.
Nineteen Minutes is a story about life unfolding in unexpected ways. Peter starts out as a sensitive little boy but turns into a monster. The question remains though, who created that monster? Was he a man who went crazy and pulled out a gun or was he a boy who was abused every single day of his life. A boy who had no where to turn to for help and finally decided to fight back? Jodi Picoult did an amazing job of bringing the reader into this story, experiencing what it must have been like for Peter, who could never catch a break, or for his mother, who not only lost her son but wondered if she ever really knew him at all.
I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. For an author to make the me actually care about this boy who went into school with the intent to kill amazes me. In fact, I found myself feeling sorry for him by the end of the book, which is against all of my personal beliefs. The most profound idea in this book was that you can do everything humanly possible to raise a child to be a upstanding, moral citizen and the world can still turn him into a killer.
On Peter's first day of school he was excited, so excited that he woke up before dawn to get ready. It wasn't until he was about to board the school bus that first day that he got scared. It turns out he had a good reason to be afraid, it only took a couple minutes for a bully to pounce on Peter and throw his brand new Superman lunchbox out the window. This was just the beginning. Everyday was the same for Peter, his cool, older brother acted like they weren't related and the kids in school picked on him and beat him up. The only good thing in Peter's life was his best friend, Josie Cormier. Then one day Josie wasn't his friend anymore, she was dating the star hockey player Matt Royston, one of Peter's attackers. The humiliation overload was about to make Peter into someone that his own mother couldn't recognize.
Nineteen Minutes is a story about life unfolding in unexpected ways. Peter starts out as a sensitive little boy but turns into a monster. The question remains though, who created that monster? Was he a man who went crazy and pulled out a gun or was he a boy who was abused every single day of his life. A boy who had no where to turn to for help and finally decided to fight back? Jodi Picoult did an amazing job of bringing the reader into this story, experiencing what it must have been like for Peter, who could never catch a break, or for his mother, who not only lost her son but wondered if she ever really knew him at all.
I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. For an author to make the me actually care about this boy who went into school with the intent to kill amazes me. In fact, I found myself feeling sorry for him by the end of the book, which is against all of my personal beliefs. The most profound idea in this book was that you can do everything humanly possible to raise a child to be a upstanding, moral citizen and the world can still turn him into a killer.
10 comments:
Wow! This book is very powerful and sadly dealing with an issue too close to home today. It sounds like it really gives a look into a different perspective the killer's- life of bullying. This book would be great for discussions. Great title too!
Kristy, I already wanted to read this book because I've liked previous books by Jodi Picoult. But your review, especially, the opening explanation of the title, made me want to go and get it ASAP. I think since Picoult's such a Law & Order type of writer, meaning she usually writes about controversial topics from the headlines, I would add some hyperlinks to good sites related to this topic.
I'm putting this on my reading list, too--sounds really relevant and clearly connected to current events in the world.
Did you find the cover misleading--it looks like a romance novel, from what you have posted here?
Take care,
TP
As I read your review, it made me think of SFFSB. The character trait of the best friend is opposite of Eric. Eric did not turn on Sarah when he started to "fit in".
These two novels may compliment one another in a lesson.
As a teacher, the topic of bullying hits home. Schools claim they have a zero tolerance when in fact children are demeaned and intimidated in all the corners of the school.
I have to agree. Bullying is a real problem, schools say that they have a zero tolerence policy, but they rarely take action against the bullys themselves. I have experienced bullying first hand, and I can atest to the fact that it is extremely traumatizing, and even has life-long effects.
This book review made me very interested in reading the book myself. I can't believe that the actions included in the text actually owned up to the title in numerous ways...that's amazing. I enjoyed the cover of the book, not knowing what it was trying to show to readers as well.
i really enjoyed your review as well, kristy. the book sounds really interesting and i definitely want to read it, but what really won me over was your insight at the end. i think the fact that the book seemed to have impacted you and your beliefs so strongly is a key component to an effective author. great job!
this book does seem good. it is very relevant because obviously this is something that can and does happen anywhere. i could see myself feeling sorry for the main character as well, which does feel odd.
Scary.
You bring out an interesting point when you mention feeling sorry for the perpetrator at the end of the novel. I know how that feels.
In the news coverage of these types of events the softer side or early beginnings that would evoke empathy for the perpetrator are rarely provided. The family usually doesn't give any interviews to provide a glimpse into the life of their child and what may have gone wrong.
I agree that a profound issue is raised- what turns a child into a killer despite his upbringing. Was it already within them and just hidden or do environmental or outside factors contribute and turn the child? My opinion is that is already lies within. Circumstances just make it surface.
The cover does seem like a romantic novel cover. Maybe this was a picture of Peter's best friend holding hands with her new boyfriend and it was what sent Peter over the edge.
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