Picoult is on target…again
June 6, 2007
Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes. Atria Books, 2007.
Once again Picoult has her finger on the pulse of America and writes a “could have been ripped from the headlines” novel. Nineteen Minutes, like most of Picoult’s writing, is set in a small town in New Hampshire ironically (not sure if irony was intended) named Sterling. It is the story of 17-year-old high student Peter Houghton who has endured years of bullying and harassment at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the abuse. On March 6, 2007, Peter is sent over the edge after a particularly embarrassing incident of bullying that leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents.
In true Picoult style, the story’s narrative is from the major characters point of views. The reader always ends up feeling like they have gotten the whole picture having seen it from many angles. Overall, it is a chilling and heartbreaking tale of one boy’s revenge. For those who loved Picoult’s The Pact, you won’t be let down.
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April 29th, 2008 at 10:16 am
The book, ” Nineteen Minutes” was well reviewed. I have read other novels by this author, and now want to read this one. I want to read about what happens to Peter and how he handles the bullying and harassment.