by Jody Picoult
Before I began blogging about the books I read, I kept a written book journal. Since my goal was to review all the books I read this year, I am posting the reviews I have in my book journal for the 3 books I reviewed before my foray into the world of book blogging. This is the first of those books.
I did not expect to like this book. In fact, I resisted reading it for a long time, until a student made me promes I would read it over Winter Break. the main character, shoe does the school shooting, was bullied from the first day of Kindergarten. His only friend deserts him, joing the popular crowd, the ones who bully him. As the story unfolds, you begin to see why he felt this was his only option. As the mother of a child who was bullied at school, I lived and breathed with the mother of the main character. This book created sleepless nights for me as I explored the "what ifs" of our own situation. Upon completion of the book, I found myself empathizing with the boy and felling more than a little sympathetic for the mother. I'm not sure I would say I liked the book nor am I glad I read it, but it did have a profound effect on me.
Rating - C+
I found this book compelling and thought-provoking, though distressing to read. My only complaint was the "twist" near the ending. Jodi Picoult does that in many of her books, and it always feels annoying and contrived to me.
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