19 Minutes

A gift from Jodi Picoult to all of us, especially for teens who spend their night hugging their knees, thinking of what kind of worse could happen tomorrow at school. Emotionally written for the parents like Lacy and Lewis Houghton, who always examine the past, what makes their sweet Peter turned into a monster. And it is a reminder for the society how this event could be stopped if we choose to know our children better at school. Are they the victims of bullying? Or the bullies?

Peter Houghton is a child that his parents would do anything to make him feel important, just like his athletic brother, Joey. He is a wallflower at his school, but someone that people would pay attention to, if they feel like punching and humiliating a person in the public.

Since he was a kid, he's a timid,little boy who do not know how to kick a ball or make impromptu jokes with his acquaintances, because he has no real friends. Peter's lunchbox was thrown out of the window on the school bus during his first day. He felt like an angel sent to him when Josie, a chestnut haired girl always stood by him. Protecting him from the mean kids even it cost her detention and bruises.

Years later, Josie caught up in between, of choosing to mingle with popular and cool kids or to stay with her childhood friend, Peter. And she chose the former. She dated the school football player, Matt and found herself between the hot girls. Courtney, the alpha female of Sterling High School and her cliques Emma and Maddi. Josie had to suppress her inner conflicts when her boyfriend  and his friends often bullied Peter and pretended that she was okay with it to make her feel belonged to the group.

Little did Josie know, she was in a toxic relationship with Matt. Picoult portrayed them as a very loving couple and as there were numerous flashback after the tragic incident, readers can learn that Matt was a hot tempered boyfriend, he easily got jealous towards her and often forced Josie to have sex with him. The toxic relationship was invisible to everyone including Josie.

An incident that occurred in 19 minutes not only shook all the residents of Sterling, but also change their life forever. 10 persons were shot to death by Peter Houghton and many were injured. Parents, neighbors, police officers, medical practitioners flooded the school once the news spread. Ambulances came and went by, a number of the students were on the stretchers. Some of them were still walking but with blood stain either on their faces or their clothes. But, it is clearly can be seen all of them were still in shock and terror. All parents checked the name list  frantically, which students were injured and which of them were sent to which of hospital.

Those who found their children's names on another piece of paper would burst into tears at once because it is the list for those who could not make it.

More or less, everything is like at the end of the world.

The story goes on when a defence attorney, Jordon Mc Afee is assigned to handle Peter's case. Meanwhile, Josie's mother, Alex is assigned to be the judge of the case. Hearings after hearings, Peter faced numerous backlash from the  families and parents. Truth starts to unravel when someone is believed to be involved in the shooting spree other than Peter Houghton.

To know who is he or she, you guys should read it! haha

Anyway, Jodi did mention a few cases that are quite similar with this fictional one. One of them is, the school shooting spree in Columbine high school involving two shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Kleybold. I have watched documentaries, reports from pyschiatrist, news about the event. There's so much to talk about this case. But if you would like to know more, perhaps I can spend some time to write about it! 

Just let me know yha!