Kevin F. reviewed on + 211 more book reviews
Not at all what I expected turns out to be a really fantastic book.
First let me tell you why I read this book. The book was assigned to a high school English class and parents rebelled, a wire service picked up the story and a conservative blog reprinted it. Commenters on the blog more or less ranted about how awful the book is, and wanted to virtually toss it on a bonfire. If a bunch of parents and conservatives hate the book, that means I have to read it.
I got the book, but wasnt in any hurry to read it, it sort of felt like an assignment. I started reading and got hooked on the story and the characters. My conclusion is that the parents who protested this book and those that commented on the blog obviously hadnt read it and didnt know much about it. The book was not an a chore to read, in fact much the opposite. I should have read it sooner as I really enjoyed it.
Although the shooting is a plot device, the book really isnt about the shooting. Its about relationships. The story opens with a high school shooting in which ten kids are killed and a bunch wounded. As a plot device, this one gets your attention and rubs your nose in the sometimes awfulness and often emptiness of relationships. The book is organized around the shooting the shooting, the investigation into the shooting, the trial and the verdict, with lots of flashbacks.
The real story is about the backstory of the shooter and one of the students who survived plus their moms. I felt that the author did a first rate job developing these characters and sharing their pain. Each of these characters is written in three dimensions, you can see their struggles and ultimately their acceptance.
About now you are thinking that the book is probably not something you want to read because you may be squeamish about the shooting. Get over it and read it, its an excellent book. The author takes the reader on a journey of growth and gently leads the reader to a place that is far different than expected. As I said, the book isnt about the school shooting, its about the characters and their struggles and growth. The real relationship under the microscope is friendship, it's betrayal and weird twists of fate. Romantic love is sparse in this book, most of the love is about the love mothers have for their children, even when the children turn out to not be the children of each mothers dreams.
I think it's well suited to high school and up.
Violence warning: As you would expect, in a book about a school shooting, parts can be violent. The descriptions of some of the investigation as well as some of the wounds suffered are brief, but intense. Surprisingly, more of the violence is about the bullying that goes on in school. A minor theme is domestic abuse or more correctly abuse within a relationship.
Adult situations: Yes. Some straight sex between one of the main characters and her boyfriend which is tastefully done. This is not a romance novel. Some other sexual situations occur, but they are mostly innuendo. Some adult language
When its all said and done, is this really a book suitable for teenagers? I say yes. Its no worse than prime time television show when it comes to sex, violence and adult situations, and it is certainly has less sex, violence and adult themes than a cable television channel or an NC-17 movie.
I recommend this book, very well written, very real characters and the book is not about what you think it might be about not so much a surprise as an evolution.
It should be five stars, but I was frustrated with the ending so I took a star away. The ending was good, but Im going to be arrogant and complain as I think it deserved a slightly different ending.
First let me tell you why I read this book. The book was assigned to a high school English class and parents rebelled, a wire service picked up the story and a conservative blog reprinted it. Commenters on the blog more or less ranted about how awful the book is, and wanted to virtually toss it on a bonfire. If a bunch of parents and conservatives hate the book, that means I have to read it.
I got the book, but wasnt in any hurry to read it, it sort of felt like an assignment. I started reading and got hooked on the story and the characters. My conclusion is that the parents who protested this book and those that commented on the blog obviously hadnt read it and didnt know much about it. The book was not an a chore to read, in fact much the opposite. I should have read it sooner as I really enjoyed it.
Although the shooting is a plot device, the book really isnt about the shooting. Its about relationships. The story opens with a high school shooting in which ten kids are killed and a bunch wounded. As a plot device, this one gets your attention and rubs your nose in the sometimes awfulness and often emptiness of relationships. The book is organized around the shooting the shooting, the investigation into the shooting, the trial and the verdict, with lots of flashbacks.
The real story is about the backstory of the shooter and one of the students who survived plus their moms. I felt that the author did a first rate job developing these characters and sharing their pain. Each of these characters is written in three dimensions, you can see their struggles and ultimately their acceptance.
About now you are thinking that the book is probably not something you want to read because you may be squeamish about the shooting. Get over it and read it, its an excellent book. The author takes the reader on a journey of growth and gently leads the reader to a place that is far different than expected. As I said, the book isnt about the school shooting, its about the characters and their struggles and growth. The real relationship under the microscope is friendship, it's betrayal and weird twists of fate. Romantic love is sparse in this book, most of the love is about the love mothers have for their children, even when the children turn out to not be the children of each mothers dreams.
I think it's well suited to high school and up.
Violence warning: As you would expect, in a book about a school shooting, parts can be violent. The descriptions of some of the investigation as well as some of the wounds suffered are brief, but intense. Surprisingly, more of the violence is about the bullying that goes on in school. A minor theme is domestic abuse or more correctly abuse within a relationship.
Adult situations: Yes. Some straight sex between one of the main characters and her boyfriend which is tastefully done. This is not a romance novel. Some other sexual situations occur, but they are mostly innuendo. Some adult language
When its all said and done, is this really a book suitable for teenagers? I say yes. Its no worse than prime time television show when it comes to sex, violence and adult situations, and it is certainly has less sex, violence and adult themes than a cable television channel or an NC-17 movie.
I recommend this book, very well written, very real characters and the book is not about what you think it might be about not so much a surprise as an evolution.
It should be five stars, but I was frustrated with the ending so I took a star away. The ending was good, but Im going to be arrogant and complain as I think it deserved a slightly different ending.
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