Nineteen Minutes

Two blogs in one week! I know, right? This week, I have chosen another book by Jodi Picoult entitled, "Nineteen Minutes." This is another one of my favorites. It tackles a subject that I have always found interesting: school shootings. I have, for a while, wanted to piggy-back on research that purports to explain the societal influences in school shootings, both before and after. This book approaches some of those ideas by introducing the rare scenario of the shooter being caught and arrested. However, this story is not just about the shooter, or bullying, or the juvenile justice system; this story is centered around another character, Josie, who grew up close friends with the shooter, Peter. During the shooting, Josie was found in the same room with Peter when he was arrested. She had fled into the room with her boyfriend when the shooting started. Nineteen minutes later, Peter ran in and confronted them in his final moments of his rampage. After he was arrested, Peter has to combat the justice system as a teenage murderer. Everyone associated with him post-shooting is ostracized by the community, including his attorney, a character from another of Picoult's books. Presiding over his case is Josie's mom, Alex, whom endures criticism as to whether or not she can remain objective since her daughter was injured (minorly) in the shooting. Investigating the shooting is a local detective who has been involved in the case from the first 911 call from the high school. As he is putting the pieces together to construct timelines of the events of that day, he notices glaring inconsistencies regarding the stories from Josie and Peter about what happened in that room that day. This is the primary focus of the story. This book is definitely touching on sensitive subjects, a hallmark of Picoult, but she approaches these subjects with a reverency and respect and never once does the reader get the idea that things have been watered down or diluted to appeal to a greater audience. This story is multi-dimensional and filled with twists to keep the reader guessing at the motive for such a terrible act. A lesson in the often far-reaching effects of bullying is also garnered from this book, a lesson we sometimes need to be reminded of from time to time. On a much more different note, the Medieval Fair is in Norman this weekend. I have plans to attend and take pictures and will share those pictures with the world with my next review, an homage to ye olde literature, sort of.