Random Reads
Teen Book Reviews by Anne Keller
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult's latest novel describes how 19 minutes can shatter lives and devestate a community. Peter, a victim of severe bullying his entire life, retaliates by entering his high school and begins shooting. Many students are injured and ten are murdered. Josie, a childhood friend of Peter's and now member of the popular crowd, narrowly escapes with her life. Josie's mother, a judge, and Peter's parents are also main characters whose lives are deeply affected. Picoult delicately presents all sides of this sensitive storyline. This novel is a compelling read and I thought the characters and storyline were brilliantly written. There is a shocking twist at the end of the story that could warrant further discussion. Highly recommend this novel!!!!
One Mississippi by Mark Childress
A truly awesome reading experience! A completely different novel than what I expected. Daniel's family relocates from Indiana to Mississippi in 1973. His family is constantly moving due to his father's job. The south is a huge adjustment for Daniel as he begins a new high school. He starts a friendship with Tim Cousins and the two friends become inseperable. The first half of the novel follows the pair as they participate in a Baptist musical, watch Sonny and Cher, and attend the prom. On the night of their prom, they accidentally hit the school's first African American prom queen, Arnita, with their car. They flee the scene and let Red Martin take the blame since he was constantly bullying the pair. Arnita recovers and begins dating Daniel, unaware of his secret. The last portion of the novel addresses Tim's increasing peculiar behavior and the final chapters reveal a much darker side to him. I was completely blown away by the novel's concluding scenes. Althougth this novel is marketed as Adult Fiction, the characters and their experiences will easily convey to the teen audience. This book would be excellent for book discussions and you could probably teach an entire course on Tim's character alone. Highly, highly recommend this read. You will not be disappointed.
Trigger by Susan Vaught
If you were disappointed in the Burn Journals but loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-time then readers will appreciate Vaught's latest novel. Jersey Hatch has just been released from a rehabilitation center for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He's physically recovered but suffers brain injury that affects his speech causing him to blurt out random thoughts much like tourette's syndrome. While Bret Runyon's the Burn Journals never really addresses why the author tried to commit suicide, Jersey struggles to remember the factors that led to his suicide attempt. Vaught's first hand knowledge of brain injuries stems from her work as a psychologist with a specialty in neuropsychology is clearly evident. Readers will be engrossed in Jersey's tale as he tries to come to terms with his past.
Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser
Todd Strasser writes a harrowing tale about a school shooting that is eerily similar to the Columbine High School shootings. Gary Searle and Brendan Lawlor are two high school sophomores who are continually bullied and harassed by fellow classmates. The two boys decide to retaliate by showing up at a school dance intending to inflict violence with the guns they have brought. The novel is cleverly written in a documentary format with newspaper clippings, interviews with neighbors and friends, and statements from school officials. Strasser clearly is against handguns and strategically places a non-fiction statistic at the bottom of each page that will grab any reader's attention. For example: "Though violent movies, music, and video games are popular in many countries, few allow their citizens to own handguns. In 1996, handguns alone killed 15 people in Japan, 30 in Great Britain, 106 in Canada, and 9,390 in the United States." (Rolling Stone, 6/10/99). Strasser also includes an appendix where additional information can be found. Whether you believe Strasser uses the book as a platform for outlawing handguns, it is truly an unforgettable read.