By Bella Hayden
I will first admit that I was a Jodi Picoult virgin. This was my first novel by this best-selling author...I haven't decided if it will be my last or not.
Nineteen Minutes is sure to capture your interest, because most of us are quickly able to identify with one of the many diverse characters. Picoult does a wonderful job of drawing in her audience and conjuring up sufficient emotions that readers will struggle to put the book aside. She is masterful at setting up the story using flashbacks and character development.
The story is gripping and sad, and all too real. No generation seems immune to the pain of the social stereotyping that begins at a very young age. This story offers meaningful insight into the issue of bullying from many different perspectives: the victim, the bystander, the offender, the accomplices, and the system-which in the case of Peter Houghton, seems to have failed.
This book is well worth the read, especially for teens who may not realize the harm being done on a deep emotional level when bullying takes place, and for parents who make a habit of comparing siblings to one another, to the detriment of all. What is probably the books most striking irony is only a minor detail in the scheme of things. Readers may wonder why the fact that Peter's father is a college professor who teaches the value of happiness to others but is unable to find any in his personal life doesn't play a more important role in the overall theme.
Unfortunately, the ending leaves much to be desired. It seems that the author's deadline arrived or she just got tired of writing and dropped the entire story line leaving many questions tumbling around in the mind of the reader. The surprise ending seems too loose to fit such a tightly woven narrative leading up to the story's climax. Too many important details beg to be explained.
There are a few inconsistencies that were subtle, but certainly would have been easy enough for the author to overcome, particularly the weather patterns in New Hampshire in March, Another pet peeve is the over-use of certain words or phrases, close enough together that the reader is aware of an overt verb-favoritism. If you're looking for a satisfying resolution at the end of a story-keep looking because you won't find it here.
Bella Hayden is a free-lance writer from Chicago, Illinois.
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