Nineteen Minutes

I really don’t mean to offend any of the RAs when they share a book as a favorite, but I will say, this book was not only disturbing (topic area) but why would anyone want to continue and create another true-life tragedy like Columbine?  While I have read a few of this author’s works, I was pretty turned off by this one.  In Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes we relive the high school shooting drama that captives our communities every time one happens. I am sick of our society continuing to be so fascinated by tragedy and horror.  Picoult chooses to change the scenery on this one and travel to New Hampshire, a rural part of the country (I guess to illustrate that bullying can happen anywhere, anytime?) where Peter Houghton has endured years of bullying and has reached his limit when he kills 10 classmates and wounds 12 others during a barrage on the Sterling High School grounds.  Picoult, always wanting to tie so many characters and issues together, also weaves in teenage pregnancy, a latchkey life, parental misgivings, single mom making good, and of course the big “wow” conclusion.  I thought the characters, especially the main character, Josie Cormier’s mother Alex, were unrealistic.  OK how things get twisted together… Josie and Peter are great friends growing up as Josie and Peter’s moms met when Alex was pregnant by her college Law professor (who doesn’t marry her), and then later the two intersect at the trial after years of disagreement on how to raise your kids, but I digress, Alex is now a judge and thinks she should serve as the judge on the trail of Peter.  What?!?  Even small town legal processes need to be in line with main stream law, huh?  I think this section of the book was needed as it added another 60 or so pages.  Peter, in jail, is represented by Jordan McAfee, whose wife is the one who actually gives him his idea for how to defend Peter (oh dear, really???).  Let’s not forget that Peter and Josie are tied together again based on the shooting where her boyfriend, Matt, is shot by Peter, but Josie isn’t hmm… (oh yeah, history also repeats itself … when Josie gets pregnant by her boyfriend too) Picoult’s “soap opera” script may in fact show up on a Lifetime channel re-run someday I’m sure, heck sometimes those aren’t bad, but for me this one was a stretch to throw in an many “current day issues” and put them in a blender to see what we can make happen… and then guess who falls in love with the detective of the case?  Nope, you didn’t guess it?  Alex, Josie’s mom, who then gets pregnant.  What happened to birth control, Jodi?  That’s a present day topic too.  OK, enough ragging.  The ending is so unpredictable, well sort of.  Peter is not let off the case by quick thinking Jordan McAfee (his wife’s work was helpful but to only a point, Peter is seen on camera eating Rice Krispies after shooting four people in the cafeteria!).  I would seriously skip this one.  I just got another Picoult’s book as a favorite, so I hope she has used all of her “social issues” in this one cause I can’t take another one!  The saving grace of this book... I played it on double speed while listening! Skip it.