About the Book
Sterling is an ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens–until the day its complacency is shattered by an act of violence. Josie Cormier, the daughter of the judge sitting on the case, should be the state’s best witness, but she can’t remember what happened before her very own eyes–or can she? As the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show–destroying the closest of friendships and families. Nineteen Minutes asks what it means to be different in our society, who has the right to judge someone else, and whether anyone is ever really who they seem to be.
My Review
I think we all have been mortified after hearing stories such as the Columbine shootings…I know being the mother of two school age children makes it hard to even think about. This book shows you the story from the eyes of the victim – the shooter. That’s right, I called the shooter the victim. After reading this book you will see what might have happened to some of the children who have acted out in such a violent way. Do I condone what Peter Houghton (the shooter) does in retaliation to the years of abuse and bullying that he was subjected to? Of course not. But it breaks my heart that on his first day of school some older student throw his lunchbox out the school bus window because it has Superman on it, telling him they wanted to see if it could fly and laughing. How terribly cruel, he was only 5! This type of cruelty to an innocent child continues and literally breaks Peter as the years go by.
I volunteer at my girls school and could totally relate to this book. I think it should be mandatory reading to all teachers and school personnel as I feel it truly sheds a light on what has happened and could happen again. Fabulous and highly recommended!
I read this book a few years ago and it broke my heart.