Nineteen Minutes

I have to be honest, I've gone back and forth about what to say about this book since I finished it last night. There are so many contradicting thoughts and reactions floating around in my head. I didn't like it and had to make myself continue despite things I didn't like for the sake of finding out what happens...but I enjoyed reading it. I thought that the language and sexual content pushed it into the "Not Appropriate for Middle Schoolers" category...but I thought it was applicable to middle schoolers and think it could be an excellent tool to discuss bullying if you used excerpts. I was annoyed by the main characters...but I felt like I knew them and I could relate to some of them while sympathizing with others. See? I'm struggling with my reaction.

This is the first Jodi Picoult book I've read, and even though I had two more of hers on my list originally I think I'm okay with not reading anymore. Part of that is coming from my conflicted reactions. I liked it...but I'm also fine with not reading any more of hers, I think. Picoult wrote this story beautifully and in an extremely engaging way as she flipped back and forth in time, telling you the story of the characters with puzzle pieces; you don't find out everything until the very end, when you see that nothing is what it truly seemed throughout. Despite the elements of the story that I didn't love - the surprising foul language, the detailed descriptions of Matt and Josie's sexual relationship, the hints toward the issue of gun control - I did continue to be drawn into the plot and the unraveling of the story because of her writing style. Typically, I really like that method of story telling, whether it's in a book or a movie, and so I was a fairly easy sell from that standpoint. Maybe it's the fact that I tend to be more conservative when it comes to literature selection, or the fact that I've been really immersed in Young Adult fiction recently, but I thought that there were enough other elements of Picoult's writing that would keep me from recommending/allowing it to be read by middle school students - in whole, anyway.

Honestly, the character and element of the book that I found the most fascinating and interesting was Peter, the school shooter. I like him. I felt extremely sorry for him as I was given more and more pieces of his past throughout the book, and I understood why he chose the route that he did. I also, though, am fully aware of the fact that I loved Peter because I know Peter. When I read about this fictional character, all I could see were the faces of a couple of key people in my life that fit his description eerily...I went to school with Peter, and I taught Peter. Peter exists, and it would be hard for any reader to not see someone they know in the face of this character. It's when I look at this book through that perspective and with those names cycling through my mind that I continuously question what fortunate event stopped the Peters in my life from taking it to this level...and pray that the ones who still have the opportunity will choose differently. For that reason, I will probably always feel an emotional bond to this book, even if I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.