Longer Than I Expected

By Kendra M.

                                Nineteen Minutes doesn't seem like a lot of time, but you'd be surprised at what can happen in that short amount of time. Jodi Picoult's 'Nineteen Minutes' was definitely one of the better, if not the best, books I've had the pleasure to read.

'Nineteen Minutes' is a book that tells you the story of a school shooting. It not only tells you the story of the shooting but it tells you it from different points of view. It is written in third person so that there is no narrator, only you overlooking everything that is happening. You get to know a few people like Peter, Josie, Alex and Lacy. All people that were involved or affected by the shooting in some way. Jodi Picoult is a very famous writer and is known for several of her pieces. A few that stand out are 'The Storyteller' and 'The Pact'. I am reading 'The Pact' at the moment and have noticed that she sticks to the same style of writing as she did in 'Nineteen Minutes'. She writes things in flash-forward and flashback form, which allows the reader to get to know the character and build a relationship with them. Along with sticking to flashback form she also still writes in third person.

I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down. It was so intense at all parts throughout the book that it engulfed you the entire time. I enjoyed reading this book because the writing style was so unique. Usually books are written in narrator form, or first person, this book however was written in third person. Writing in third person allows you to see what people are thinking and you don't have any bias against characters because of the narrator. You are able to see everything playing out, much like watching a movie. I can honestly say I felt like I was watching a T.V. show while I was reading this novel.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. It is an amazing book that gives you a different outlook on bullying. After reading my first Jodi Picoult novel I have sought out another novel by her, 'The Pact'. Jodi Picoult is a must read author in my opinion, I can't wait to read more. 

Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult, Atria Books, Mar 2007, 455 pages