"19 Minutes" is a novel written by Jodi Picoult that tells the story of a school shooting in a small town in New Hampshire. The novel focuses on the events leading up to the shooting, as well as the aftermath and the impact it has on the community and the families of the victims.
The main character of the novel is Peter Houghton, a high school student who has been the target of bullying and abuse for years. Despite his attempts to cope with the abuse and seek help, Peter feels isolated and alone, and becomes increasingly angry and resentful towards his tormentors and the world around him. As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Peter is planning to take his anger out in a violent way, and that he is becoming more and more dangerous as the days pass.
As the shooting approaches, we see the events through the eyes of various characters, including Peter, his classmates, and his family. The novel explores the complex web of relationships and dynamics that led to the shooting, and the ways in which the community responds to the tragedy.
One of the most powerful aspects of "19 Minutes" is the way it portrays the ripple effect of violence and trauma. The shooting has a profound impact on the lives of the victims and their families, but it also affects the community as a whole, as people struggle to come to terms with what happened and try to make sense of it all. The novel also touches on important themes such as mental health, bullying, and gun control, and encourages readers to consider these issues and their own role in creating a more compassionate and understanding society.
Overall, "19 Minutes" is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that delves into the complex issues surrounding school shootings and the impact they have on communities. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of addressing mental health and bullying, and of the need to work towards creating a more compassionate and understanding society.
Jodi Picoult · The Storyteller (2013)
I drop my chin to my chest, obliterating my face, even as my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Okay, but still I have trouble recommending this book. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. The pocked drawstring of skin flapping the corner of my right eye. Weber, I follow Mary into the back room where she keeps her biker rain gear. And then there's the biggest problem of all--the star witness happens to be Judge Cormier's daughter. It was third period, and just like her mother had predicted, she was famished.
Jodi Picoult · Nineteen Minutes (2007)
She got pregnant and purposefully had her now 15-year-old daughter without the shallow, rich father. I am taller than him - tall enough to see the pink of his scalp through the hurricane whorl of his white hair. Yet beneath this exterior, Josie is miserable, and keeps a bag of Ambien taped to her dresser to use in case she decides to kill herself. I used to sit at Friday night services listening to the cantor sing in Hebrew and wondered why Jewish music was full of minor chords. Well, as you can see, I am still standing. Why or why not? Why then does it come as such a surprise to Josie when Matt abuses her verbally and physically? Would you do the same? What do these codes allow you to do? In what way does the final image of the book predict the future? Once, I helped some kids play a practical joke on a teacher by moving his car from the parking lot into the gym….
Nineteen minutes : Picoult, Jodi, 1966
Patrick ignored all of this, going against most of his training — running past doors that might hide a perp, disregarding rooms that should have been searched — instead driving toward the direction of the noise and the shrieks with his weapon drawn and his heart beating through every inch of his skin. Like right now, when she was standing in the cafeteria line behind Natalie Zlenko, a dyke of the first order who — way back in second grade, when no one was popular or unpopular yet — had invited Josie over to play and had convinced her to pee on the front lawn like a boy. She trusted all the grownups and teachers and principals to keep her safe. At a time when a slew of teen movies make light of social ostracism and social climbing in schools, Picoult's novel is a reminder that too large a dose of anything can be poisonous. A young woman who was exactly what Alex had hoped her daughter would grow to become. Maybe that person will remember that no matter how long it takes, for the rest of his life, this government will pursue him.
Is being mean or cruel the same thing as bullying? Physical set-up: Arrange a circle of chairs in the center of the room. I can say that Peter is a wonderful child, which he is. Turning a corner, Patrick slipped on blood and heard another gunshot — this one loud enough to ring in his ears like a nightmare. Why do you think Josef lied? I take the Holy Stairs two at a time to the little grotto at the top of the hill. Also, as of 2007, if you commit genocide anywhere in the world and hide out in the US, we can prosecute. He sank down to his knees, mostly because his legs simply gave out from underneath them, and pretended that this was intentional; that he wanted to check out the two bodies lying just feet away from the shooter. The first visitors to our little miracle are the women who work in the shrine gift shop, who take a picture with the piece of bread between them.
