Nineteen Minutes: A Novel

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Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens -- until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.

Nineteen Minutes is New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult's most raw, honest, and important novel yet. Told with the straightforward style for which she has become known, it asks simple questions that have no easy answers: Can your own child become a mystery to you? What does it mean to be different in our society? Is it ever okay for a victim to strike back? And who -- if anyone -- has the right to judge someone else?

What Customers Say About Nineteen Minutes: A Novel:

I thought this book was great. It's a must for parents and those working in the educational field.

Jodi Picoult's Nineteen minutes bothers me. When the police arrive on the scene they see a group of students in a second story window holding up a sign and asking to be rescued. The shooter rigged his car with explosives, which [I think] did not go off. There's the well-liked teacher, the only adult to die, who is shot and tended to by an Eagle Scout. These are events that happened to real people in a real place, and I don't think Picoult should have drawn so heavily from her source material.Beyond that, there are the other issues mentioned here- unrealistic characterization, Teen Movie high school cliques, a school administration that chooses not to deal with open bullying because 'it might make things worse' and awkward dialogue.I used to enjoy Picoult's books. His death is largely overlooked by the media and the community, who keep referring to the "children" who died. It is the story of a school shooting that takes too many details from the shooting at Columbine. The principal knows every student by name and life story.

A boy is shot in the head, and in his confusion and desire to escape he goes out the window. He spends the rest of the book relearning how to do simple things- hold a spoon, speak, etc. Some unknown person puts up a cross for each victim and one for the shooter (which Picoult acknowledges is strange within the narrative, given that the shooter is not dead) and someone keeps vandalizing/stealing the shooter's cross until it stops being replaced.These are not composites. Some of her other books tackled interesting ethical dilemmas, but after this and the terrible Change of Heart, I think I'm done.

Loves this book. I will read all her books as long as she keeps writing. I have read all of Jodi's books and this one was very gripping. I love how she brings each character to life and in depth. If you like her don't miss this one. I was not to sure if I would like it seeing as it was about a high school shooting, but I was surprised by it.

This was the 3rd Jodi Picoult book I have read and I liked it a lot. She always has an amazing twist at the end of her books that you could never guess. If you like her books you will for sure like this one.

I had not read any other of Piccoult's works, so came to this book with no preconcieved expectations. The book help my interest well, although it addresses a difficult topic: many "popular" students bullying another student over several years. It is told in a flashback style -- flipping from one time period to another. This is not a technique that I generally enjoy, but it is well done here, and not confusing. The bullying here is extreme -- to the point of "pantsing" the victim in a high school cafeteria, and forwarding the victim's a private love letter to everyone at his school).The book tells the story from several points of view -- including several adults and teens. I recommend the book.