Nineteen Minutes - [7/10]

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An in depth recounting of events of a school shooting, this book had its moments and did well to get me connected emotionally to the characters, I could really related and felt their pains and sorrows. Two things, 1) From my own experiences in USA, this perfectly displays how outsiders are so clearly ostracised and there seems like there is no hope to be accepted by society/norms. Being a country that lacks diversity and acceptance of others, being 'different' is a bad thing, that leads to being outcasted, bullying etc. 2) I don't think there can be any excuse for shooting up a school, murdering 10 people and hurting so many others. At times this book was trying to make me feel bad for the shooter, to try and empathise for his situation. No chance. Everyone goes through hard shit in their life, gets bullied/ostracised or whatever it is. You are seriously deranged if you resort to murdering multiple people for this. I understand the book is trying to show his situation, but it almost felt like to me like it was leading me to sympathise, but no way. Also, why did Josie go to jail? 

Author: Jodi Picoult



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