19 minutes

Name: Eric

Grade: 12

Book: 19 Minutes

Author: Jodi Picoult

America was rocked by the Columbine shootings, and later, those of Virginia Tech. These are events that are perpetually evil in our eyes, and seen as the simplistic good vs. evil. Jodi Picoult, however, explores the idea that the monsters we see on TV and in the news are not always what they seem, in her novel, 19 minutes. A story on one level about a school shooting, but more accurately, about the social ties and nuances that drive human behavior every day. 19 minutes captures the story of a boy and a girl(as every good story does), and how their paths intertwine into one climactic moment, when as a reader, you begin to question your world around you.

Jodi Picoult is known for her romances, and in a way, this novel is also a romance. Yet is not a romance in the traditional Lover style, it is more the love felt between Friends, Family, and That Person You Once Knew. I am not a fan of mushy books; I find them to be lacking in body and cheap. But this story is deep, meaningful, and impacting. I enjoyed it immensely, and would recommend it to any and all students especially.

I picked this book up because I won it in a contest, and decided to give it a shot.

I finished this book because of its power. It pulls you in, as you begin to feel for the most unlikely of subjects.

I'd give this book to any and every student. Shootings are a part of life now, and are a very serious matter in today's school systems. But this book brings a whole new light to that area, and acts as a method of prevention for such tragedies.

Rating: *****