As I continue to read through Nineteen Minutes it amazes me how the story trudges onward. Every passage seems to bring some new layer to the story. Sometimes you see it coming and other times, like the suicide of one of the victim’s mothers, it hits you in the face and you are like: Did that really just happen?
On the ongoing suicide note as section preface reading further has only enhanced my opinion that it is Josie’s. The one where it talks about trying to be popular really makes me thinks it’s hers because Peter never really tried to be popular. He just didn’t want to be hated.
And finally for this lovely evening, I find it astounding the utter ability of those closest to the victims to settle right back into the way they lived before the death of their friends. In this I mean not to say their routines but rather the way they treat others. If you’ve read the section you know I’m mostly talking about Drew. Leave it to him to let himself think that the girl whose boyfriend just died may want him because of course he is god almighty and what was even more appaling was when he shot the spitball at the kid at lunch. Dude wake up! Peter didn’t kill kids because they were nice to him—-get a grip and stop being a complete self-centered prick.
236 Words
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Blog # 2
I've been thinking lately how much I wish I loved to read, but it's a fact, when i pick up a book, i have enough patience to read 10 to 20 pages before i get bored and or fidgety. However, with Nineteen Minutes, I'm happy to report i can not put it down. For me, the beginning was rocky, and i was confused with all the characters, but after the shooting all was up hill. Again in the second section, I can't help but to get so into all of Jodi Picoult's details about the characters and what is going on. I especially enjoyed this feature during the trial, she didn't leave me guessing on how anyone was reacting or what their emotion was, it was as if i was right there next to them. Also, i liked her use of flashbacks that allowed us to learn about Peter and Josie's past relationship. However, their story kind of angers me a bit. I Felt bad for Josie at first, because she was a victim and all, but when i found out that she was part way responsible for the bullying through Matt, all pity for her went down the drain. How could you go from being best friends with someone as a child to watching your own boyfriend, and by the way we all know girls have control over what their boyfriends do, bully them constantly. I'm not saying you have to be best friends with the kid, but if i saw my childhood best friend, who i am not too fond of anymore, being bullied, you better believe I'd be over there in a heart beat sticking up for them, I don't care who else is involved. I'm also a little bitter about the whole bullying situation right now because i have spent all week reading bully stories for a speech I'm writing, and i have come to the conclusion that it is one of the biggest evils because it is so looked past, but causes so much harm. I actually didn't hate Matt for the whole 20 pages of the book he was alive for until i found out that he was the world's biggest bully, but now that i think about it, all the research i have done this week says that bullying is a cry for help, so maybe i should really be feeling bad for Matt, because he obviously had some problems...hmmm.
Word Count: 408
Nineteen Minutes part two!
So I couldn’t help but read the rest of Nineteen Minutes straight through once I really delved into the second part of the book. Everything about it is so good! The characters are so severely flawed and realistic that they never stop giving and adding to the story. That, and I think the use of flashback is just unbelievable. I love finding out about the past of all the different characters.
I like the way Piccoult gives us ideas about the history of the different characters by pinpointing different parts of their past, instead of just running down that it was either good or bad or something really general like that. Nineteen Minutes reminds me of another book I read, called Give a Boy a Gun. It’s about a similar situation (two kids are tired of living dreadful high school lives and decide to shoot it up), but the two approaches are unbelievably fascinating. Give a Boy a Gun focuses more on the present, with no reflection on the characters’ pasts. I prefer Piccoult’s way of observing both the present and the past with hints at a possible future.
The past that Piccoult illustrates really infuriates me at times, though. For example…I absolutely cannot stand Matt Royston! Oh my. He really was just an awful person, and while that’s not exactly going to make it okay for him to die… Come on. He’s the one character that (posthumously) stands out to me consistently throughout this section. It seems like he’s constantly hurting Josie and constantly breaking her down and ruining her in front of his friends…and yet they both keep convincing one another that they love each other? Whatever, Josie Cormier.
Again, this is a situation where I just don’t think everything is exactly realistic. Would Josie really take that? I honestly hope no girl ever would.
On a final note…I wonder how much Peter knew about the Josie and Matt relationship, and how much of it affected his decision to really hurt everyone, in addition to the other pains he was experiencing.
Word Count: 343
I like the way Piccoult gives us ideas about the history of the different characters by pinpointing different parts of their past, instead of just running down that it was either good or bad or something really general like that. Nineteen Minutes reminds me of another book I read, called Give a Boy a Gun. It’s about a similar situation (two kids are tired of living dreadful high school lives and decide to shoot it up), but the two approaches are unbelievably fascinating. Give a Boy a Gun focuses more on the present, with no reflection on the characters’ pasts. I prefer Piccoult’s way of observing both the present and the past with hints at a possible future.
The past that Piccoult illustrates really infuriates me at times, though. For example…I absolutely cannot stand Matt Royston! Oh my. He really was just an awful person, and while that’s not exactly going to make it okay for him to die… Come on. He’s the one character that (posthumously) stands out to me consistently throughout this section. It seems like he’s constantly hurting Josie and constantly breaking her down and ruining her in front of his friends…and yet they both keep convincing one another that they love each other? Whatever, Josie Cormier.
Again, this is a situation where I just don’t think everything is exactly realistic. Would Josie really take that? I honestly hope no girl ever would.
On a final note…I wonder how much Peter knew about the Josie and Matt relationship, and how much of it affected his decision to really hurt everyone, in addition to the other pains he was experiencing.
Word Count: 343
19 Min. Numero Dos
Let me say even though this section was about three times as long, I probably read it in the same period of time as the first assignment, because my eyes were glued to the pages. The section starts off strong, and a little creepy. Peter says to his attorney, "How many did I get?" and thats creepy enough to make a person soil himself. It's cool though, because as it turns out, all he is doing is blurring the lines between his video game and reality. In his video game, the one where he, well, shoots up his high school, he always knows the score when its over. He never saw what his score was, and now he wants to know.
Meanwhile, back on the farm (or in this case, the Cormier household), Josie is going through all the elements that make up a Hallmark made-for-TV movie (not that I would ever watch one of those....okay fine, I was home sick oe day and there was nothing on...but whatever) with all her teenage angst and drama and whatnot. All it does is lead to a rhetorical question from a soap opera (more daytime television); If she had the baby, would Matt really have stayed with her? On one hand, Matt's a jock, and he could pretty much get any other girl, but on the other hand, it's a small town, so word gets around fast. I'd like to think that he would have left Josie, because he seems like he treats Josie like a trophy he can bang on a daily basis, and getting too involved really doesn't seem like his "thing". You all may think that Matt is (was) genuinely in L-O-V-E with Josie but think about this; whenever he says something romantic to her, doesn't it result in immediate sex? Sure he says things but honestly, all he is doing is getting into Josie's pants.
On a side note, my theory of Josie commiting suicide is further enhanced when she says, "I dont't think I can do this". Drew (who I also have labeled as a d-bag) thinks she is talking about having a relationship with him, but she knows the real meaning behind her words; she doesn't think she can live without him (Romeo and Juliet anyone???).
2nd Assignment
I finished nineteen minutes not too long ago, and I really liked it. The middle section held a lot of interesting background information about the characters.
As I read the book, the more and more I disliked Josie. I hate the way she doesn’t care about Peter anymore, and just watches him get bullied and picked on and doesn’t do anything about it. It’s sickening. The way she tried to get rid of her baby also really upset me. I don’t understand how someone could just basically not have a heart. She’s selfish and only cares about not getting humiliated in front of others.
Matt never fails to make me dislike him more every time I read about him. I hate the way he treats Josie, and I hate the way Josie puts up with it.
It made me really sad when I read the part that says that the Glock under his pillow will help Peter sleep better at night. I feel bad for him, but I just don’t understand how anyone could do what he did. The fact that he shows no real remorse for a while makes me wonder if there really is a person in there. When he was younger, he would have seemed like the last person who would do anything like that. If he was just treated a little nicer when he was little, none of this would have happened.
As I read the book, the more and more I disliked Josie. I hate the way she doesn’t care about Peter anymore, and just watches him get bullied and picked on and doesn’t do anything about it. It’s sickening. The way she tried to get rid of her baby also really upset me. I don’t understand how someone could just basically not have a heart. She’s selfish and only cares about not getting humiliated in front of others.
Matt never fails to make me dislike him more every time I read about him. I hate the way he treats Josie, and I hate the way Josie puts up with it.
It made me really sad when I read the part that says that the Glock under his pillow will help Peter sleep better at night. I feel bad for him, but I just don’t understand how anyone could do what he did. The fact that he shows no real remorse for a while makes me wonder if there really is a person in there. When he was younger, he would have seemed like the last person who would do anything like that. If he was just treated a little nicer when he was little, none of this would have happened.
Second Blog
I am glad to say that the characters are a lot easier to remember. The second section of the book was the same “page-turner” feeling. Once again, I became emotional through each page relating each scene with a reference to me.
After reading this section, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Peter. At one point, I even forgot that Peter was the shooter. I imagine myself sitting across from Peter’s attorney, trembling. I wouldn’t know what to do or what to say if I did anything that Picoult describes. I would even look back at the different times that my previous excluded me to be with the popular crowds. I could feel the seriousness and severity of his situation. After learning a little more about Josie and Peter’s childhood relationship, the pieces started to make sense. I could see Peter’s motives and Peter’s intellectual processes that would make him do something so extreme in society. But his voice keeps echoing inside my head, “How many did I get.” My jaw dropped and my eyes wouldn’t read anymore. Did Peter say what I thought he just said? For the first time in my life I wanted to chuck this book across the room and never pick it up again! It was so early in the section and I wanted to stop reading. The entire time, his actions of sitting of sitting quietly resembled remorse or sadness, but this was just outrageous. How could a person block out something as extreme as death? Even with rage building up day by day, how can a person be so anger they can’t feel emotions?
(271)
After reading this section, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Peter. At one point, I even forgot that Peter was the shooter. I imagine myself sitting across from Peter’s attorney, trembling. I wouldn’t know what to do or what to say if I did anything that Picoult describes. I would even look back at the different times that my previous excluded me to be with the popular crowds. I could feel the seriousness and severity of his situation. After learning a little more about Josie and Peter’s childhood relationship, the pieces started to make sense. I could see Peter’s motives and Peter’s intellectual processes that would make him do something so extreme in society. But his voice keeps echoing inside my head, “How many did I get.” My jaw dropped and my eyes wouldn’t read anymore. Did Peter say what I thought he just said? For the first time in my life I wanted to chuck this book across the room and never pick it up again! It was so early in the section and I wanted to stop reading. The entire time, his actions of sitting of sitting quietly resembled remorse or sadness, but this was just outrageous. How could a person block out something as extreme as death? Even with rage building up day by day, how can a person be so anger they can’t feel emotions?
(271)
19 Mins: Blog 2
Every time I pick this book up, it has been so hard to put it back down. This next section was very interesting. The main point i liked is how the author uses flashbacks in order for the reader to become acquainted with Peter and his troubled past. Though the scene that has been dwelling in my mind is when Peter and his attorney sit down and have their discussion. This just scares me to death! the way Peter has no remorse what so ever and the fact that it brings him pleasure in knowing he killed those kids is just plane horrible! Even though he was picked on all throughout his life, this does not give him the right to go on a murder rampage. It is as if over the years of all his torments Peter looses all emotion and sympathy towards other-clearly a sign of much needed counseling!
Another red flag popping up in my head is how Peter's parents failed to even realize the severity of his situation. If a child was being victimized at school the parents should be the first to step up and promote strong change, but his parents told him to act tougher and allowed the battering to continue in the vain thought their child could handle it on his own. In fact, they were just as much part of Peter's out-leash because of the way they pedalstolled Peter's older deceased brother. The way they are so ignorant to the facts in Peter's life really makes me wonder if my own family commits the same crime?
Another red flag popping up in my head is how Peter's parents failed to even realize the severity of his situation. If a child was being victimized at school the parents should be the first to step up and promote strong change, but his parents told him to act tougher and allowed the battering to continue in the vain thought their child could handle it on his own. In fact, they were just as much part of Peter's out-leash because of the way they pedalstolled Peter's older deceased brother. The way they are so ignorant to the facts in Peter's life really makes me wonder if my own family commits the same crime?
Second Section
So this section of the book was really good. It got really interesting and I liked reading the flashbacks and being able to peer into the past of Peter's life and what it was really like for him. As I continue reading the book, I find myself becoming more and more emotionally involved in the thoughts and emotions of the characters, gaining more and more sympathy for Peter (without actually condoning his actions), and hating Josie and Matt and all of "them." I can't seem to understand how "they" could be so awful, so rude and downright cruel, when Peter honestly never did anything to them. I can't understand how Josie knew she was hurting Peter and at times even leading him on, but refused to do anything about it, because it would hurt her reputation too much. And now, after all of this time, after all of the pain and humiliation she caused him, she begins to realize that he has to be her friend. Why would Peter want her back now? That part that got me the most though, was Lewis, when he said that he wished Peter had died instead of Joey. I can't help but wonder if he would say the same thing if he knew that Peter was using drugs. I just cannot possibly fathom how you can say that you wished your own flesh and blood was dead. So it turns out that it was Josie who was writing those notes at the beginning of the chapters, but why? And what will she do with them?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
First Blog
“Nineteen Minutes” has already confused the heck out of me, as well has surprised me beyond belief. For the first twenty pages or so, I was worried that I was going to have a difficult time coming up with enough words for our first assignment, but now I’m certain it will be no problem.
At the beginning of the book, when Jodi Picoult is jumping from character to character, introducing everyone, it was baffling. It was difficult for me to follow, and I was dreading that I would be spending the entire book reading at snail speed to make sure I didn’t miss anything and that I understood all of what was going on. It seemed like every time I had a grasp on everyone, a new character would come into play. I tried to figure how they would all be tied together eventually, but my guesses came nowhere close.
Once I hit page 21 or so, the light at the end of the tunnel became crystal clear. It was a surprise to me, which contributed to what made this particular part so good. I thought that not only was Picoult’s idea of a creating a school shooting brilliant, but I also very much enjoyed the way she wrote about it. To introduce us to it, she creatively placed it right in the middle of another one of the ever so thorough character introductions, making sure it was unexpected. Also, she discussed it with so much detail that close to nothing was left to the imagination. The detail of Picoult’s writing forced me to imagine what it would be like if that was my school, with my friends laying unconscious on the floor of the gym.
I’ve always believed that nothing as forceful as a school shooting would ever happen at Hoover, but reading the description of the students at Sterling High School, I could mindlessly name off 5 people at Hoover that matched the personality of each of the characters. This proves that it could happen anywhere, because the bullying that causes this type of situation doesn’t stop simply because a district has money and dresses their kid’s respectively, without holes in their jean, and mid-drifts showing. The behavior of students, to this extent, can never be fully controlled or avoided. It’s something that has to be prepared for, and instead of trying to prevent it with all kinds of avoidable rules, needs to be expected and have a created plan of action to react with.
It scares me a bit, thinking that this could happen, and as comical as it may sound, it makes me want to be nicer to people so that no one feels unloved enough to carry out such an act.
457 words
At the beginning of the book, when Jodi Picoult is jumping from character to character, introducing everyone, it was baffling. It was difficult for me to follow, and I was dreading that I would be spending the entire book reading at snail speed to make sure I didn’t miss anything and that I understood all of what was going on. It seemed like every time I had a grasp on everyone, a new character would come into play. I tried to figure how they would all be tied together eventually, but my guesses came nowhere close.
Once I hit page 21 or so, the light at the end of the tunnel became crystal clear. It was a surprise to me, which contributed to what made this particular part so good. I thought that not only was Picoult’s idea of a creating a school shooting brilliant, but I also very much enjoyed the way she wrote about it. To introduce us to it, she creatively placed it right in the middle of another one of the ever so thorough character introductions, making sure it was unexpected. Also, she discussed it with so much detail that close to nothing was left to the imagination. The detail of Picoult’s writing forced me to imagine what it would be like if that was my school, with my friends laying unconscious on the floor of the gym.
I’ve always believed that nothing as forceful as a school shooting would ever happen at Hoover, but reading the description of the students at Sterling High School, I could mindlessly name off 5 people at Hoover that matched the personality of each of the characters. This proves that it could happen anywhere, because the bullying that causes this type of situation doesn’t stop simply because a district has money and dresses their kid’s respectively, without holes in their jean, and mid-drifts showing. The behavior of students, to this extent, can never be fully controlled or avoided. It’s something that has to be prepared for, and instead of trying to prevent it with all kinds of avoidable rules, needs to be expected and have a created plan of action to react with.
It scares me a bit, thinking that this could happen, and as comical as it may sound, it makes me want to be nicer to people so that no one feels unloved enough to carry out such an act.
457 words
Part One
Thus far “Nineteen Minutes” has been a real page-turner. When I checked to see how far I was supposed to read for the first section I was mad that it was just until page eighty-nine—I didn’t want to have to stop to blog. But, I suppose that’s ok because there is already so much to talk about.
What stands out the most to me is the way that Jodi Picoult is able to create so many well-developed characters and that everyone, I think, would be able to relate to at least one if not many. At first the sheer number of characters was daunting, I didn’t know how I would remember them all, but Picoult does such a great job of making her characters seem real that it’s hard to mix them up like it would be hard to mix your family members up. I really feel like I know her characters and if one of them simply walked into the room and sat down I could tell you who it was.
I’m also amazed with the sheer content in “Nineteen Minutes.” Before I began reading I assumed like many “trendy” books, reading Picoult would be exciting but as sometimes is the case, lacking literarily. However, she does an amazing job in providing meaningful and detailed back-stories that add great depth to her characters as well as connecting them in obvious but not always readily apparent ways.
After reading the synopsis from Miss Walker’s list I wasn’t prepared for the full onslaught of what happens in the story. I assumed that someone would simply kill their life long bully, end of story, but what Peter Houghton did, massacring classmates, some of whom obviously did not have anything to do with his torment, really freaked me out. I think living in the world we do has made us, for the most part, rather numb to freakish violence, but after reading just eighty-nine pages it has allowed me to become more akin to the people involved than I think just hearing about on the news could ever provide. Because of this this tragedy, even though, fictional seems more real and disturbing than Virginia Tech or Columbine and it really makes me wonder about the world we live in and my place in it.
382 Words
What stands out the most to me is the way that Jodi Picoult is able to create so many well-developed characters and that everyone, I think, would be able to relate to at least one if not many. At first the sheer number of characters was daunting, I didn’t know how I would remember them all, but Picoult does such a great job of making her characters seem real that it’s hard to mix them up like it would be hard to mix your family members up. I really feel like I know her characters and if one of them simply walked into the room and sat down I could tell you who it was.
I’m also amazed with the sheer content in “Nineteen Minutes.” Before I began reading I assumed like many “trendy” books, reading Picoult would be exciting but as sometimes is the case, lacking literarily. However, she does an amazing job in providing meaningful and detailed back-stories that add great depth to her characters as well as connecting them in obvious but not always readily apparent ways.
After reading the synopsis from Miss Walker’s list I wasn’t prepared for the full onslaught of what happens in the story. I assumed that someone would simply kill their life long bully, end of story, but what Peter Houghton did, massacring classmates, some of whom obviously did not have anything to do with his torment, really freaked me out. I think living in the world we do has made us, for the most part, rather numb to freakish violence, but after reading just eighty-nine pages it has allowed me to become more akin to the people involved than I think just hearing about on the news could ever provide. Because of this this tragedy, even though, fictional seems more real and disturbing than Virginia Tech or Columbine and it really makes me wonder about the world we live in and my place in it.
382 Words
First Blog
All I can say is wow! The first impression is beyond what I have imagined. Miss Walker was right about these books being “page-turners.” Each paragraph is the satisfaction of figuring out or concluding what’s going to happen next. Wow is the best word to sum it all up.
At first, I was completely confused. When the narrator has dialogue said between Josie and her mother, both “technical” names are used. It would refer to “Josie said” and “Alex said.” In the beginning I was mixing up the mother’s and daughter’s names. I am use to when a mother talks in a book, it would be referred to as “mom said” instead of her formal name. That got me completely confused. Besides this minor mind-mixer, I was wondering how I was going to keep the plot line and characters in the correct part of the story. I had to constantly go back and look up characters and their story in the book. This was mostly confusing when Lacy Houghton came into the picture. I was getting Alex and Lacy confused when each other’s lives when they were brought together by Alex’s pregnancy. In general, the characters get me very confused when I read. I even went to the extreme of writing out character plots and their relationships with the other characters to look back on.
After getting past the main concern of character interactions, I couldn’t put the book down. As soon as the book got to the school shooting, I couldn’t stop gasping. I look to this school shooting as something that could happen at Hoover. As Patrick, the police detective, described each step he took through the school, I couldn’t help but think he was walking through our school. Each body lying on the floor I imagined as people I knew. As he walked through the cafeteria and gym, I could practically see the blood on the walls of Hoover. I could see all the books scattered from every hallway to the nearest exits. I am sad to think this, but I realized that at anytime, this could happen to us. I could be the one sitting at lunch, when a student starts to shoot. I could be the one lying dead on the floor near my dearest friends. Picturing Hoover helped my need to keep turning the pages.
Overall, I am very impressed with the book. I can’t wait to read more.
(406)
At first, I was completely confused. When the narrator has dialogue said between Josie and her mother, both “technical” names are used. It would refer to “Josie said” and “Alex said.” In the beginning I was mixing up the mother’s and daughter’s names. I am use to when a mother talks in a book, it would be referred to as “mom said” instead of her formal name. That got me completely confused. Besides this minor mind-mixer, I was wondering how I was going to keep the plot line and characters in the correct part of the story. I had to constantly go back and look up characters and their story in the book. This was mostly confusing when Lacy Houghton came into the picture. I was getting Alex and Lacy confused when each other’s lives when they were brought together by Alex’s pregnancy. In general, the characters get me very confused when I read. I even went to the extreme of writing out character plots and their relationships with the other characters to look back on.
After getting past the main concern of character interactions, I couldn’t put the book down. As soon as the book got to the school shooting, I couldn’t stop gasping. I look to this school shooting as something that could happen at Hoover. As Patrick, the police detective, described each step he took through the school, I couldn’t help but think he was walking through our school. Each body lying on the floor I imagined as people I knew. As he walked through the cafeteria and gym, I could practically see the blood on the walls of Hoover. I could see all the books scattered from every hallway to the nearest exits. I am sad to think this, but I realized that at anytime, this could happen to us. I could be the one sitting at lunch, when a student starts to shoot. I could be the one lying dead on the floor near my dearest friends. Picturing Hoover helped my need to keep turning the pages.
Overall, I am very impressed with the book. I can’t wait to read more.
(406)
1st Assignment
Nineteen Minutes has so far been an amazing book. I can’t put it down! I guess I didn’t read the book synopsis very well because I thought it was going to be about a boy committing suicide, and needless to say I was thoroughly surprised when I learned it was the exact opposite. I love how Jodi Picoult chooses to tell the majority of the story through flashbacks. You learn a lot more about each character and the kind of person they were, and who they have become.
I have no idea what Peter was thinking killing all of those people. Did he really think it would make everything better? Just thinking about that day makes me shiver. I know it sounds horrible, but I’m not all that sad that Peter killed Matt. He was a real jerk, and I hate the fact that Josie actually put up with him. I think she just liked being liked. Her dysfunctional relationship with Matt was similar to her mother’s relationship with Logan Rourke. Josie and Alex are a lot alike. I guess I will never understand how some girls think so lowly of themselves, that think they’re lucky to have a guy like Matt. I see the same type of thing in the hallways at school. I just don’t get it.
I really can’t relate to Josie very much. I don’t understand how she could just leave Peter for the “glamorous” world of popularity. She even says it herself that she doesn’t have any real friends, just alliances. I think she should just get out, and not by killing herself.
However, I do understand how she feels when she says that she’s afraid to be the real Josie. Instead she just dresses and acts exactly the same as the others to feel accepted. I think most people change who they are just to “fit in” sometimes.
I still want to know what was on Peter’s computer screen the morning he killed his classmates, and why he killed the math teacher. I can’t even imagine how Lacy is feeling throughout the novel. One minute she’s setting out Peter’s cereal, and the next she finds out he’s a killer. It’s weird that even though Peter shot ten of his classmates, and injured even more, I still don’t hate him. The way Jodi Picoult writes, makes you feel sorry for Peter even though what he did was sickening and horrifying. I kind of want all of the bad things to go away (or never have happened), and Josie to come to her senses, so she and Peter can fall in love and ride off into the sunset.
(442 words)
I have no idea what Peter was thinking killing all of those people. Did he really think it would make everything better? Just thinking about that day makes me shiver. I know it sounds horrible, but I’m not all that sad that Peter killed Matt. He was a real jerk, and I hate the fact that Josie actually put up with him. I think she just liked being liked. Her dysfunctional relationship with Matt was similar to her mother’s relationship with Logan Rourke. Josie and Alex are a lot alike. I guess I will never understand how some girls think so lowly of themselves, that think they’re lucky to have a guy like Matt. I see the same type of thing in the hallways at school. I just don’t get it.
I really can’t relate to Josie very much. I don’t understand how she could just leave Peter for the “glamorous” world of popularity. She even says it herself that she doesn’t have any real friends, just alliances. I think she should just get out, and not by killing herself.
However, I do understand how she feels when she says that she’s afraid to be the real Josie. Instead she just dresses and acts exactly the same as the others to feel accepted. I think most people change who they are just to “fit in” sometimes.
I still want to know what was on Peter’s computer screen the morning he killed his classmates, and why he killed the math teacher. I can’t even imagine how Lacy is feeling throughout the novel. One minute she’s setting out Peter’s cereal, and the next she finds out he’s a killer. It’s weird that even though Peter shot ten of his classmates, and injured even more, I still don’t hate him. The way Jodi Picoult writes, makes you feel sorry for Peter even though what he did was sickening and horrifying. I kind of want all of the bad things to go away (or never have happened), and Josie to come to her senses, so she and Peter can fall in love and ride off into the sunset.
(442 words)
First Impressions
The introduction to this book is awesome. There's something thats just, well, exciting about a book that begins with gunfire. Then it follows up the gunfire with a flashback, creating a a "Tarantino" effect (and I love Tarantino movies). You can already see the alternating "chapters" between the past and the present, and you know that somewhere the two will collide, and we, the reader, will have the full story.
This makes me think that, the shooting, or at least the point of view we saw it from, is not the climax. We saw the result, the finished product, and now we start to see the beginning. Somewhere in the middle lies the heart of this tragic story, and I really want to uncover it. Along the way, I like how the author doesn't focus on one character. She has a few set characters, but they all seem typecast to me. There are the two mothers, one focused solely on work, the other overbearing; there's Peter, the outcast, the sad, lonely nerd; and there's Josie, the popular girl who is all depressed because nobody "gets" her. Like those are anything new. What I really enjoy are the supposedly "minor" characters. People like Patrick, the detective, and Jordan, Peter's attorney. Those are the people I really enjoy viewing the story from.
In fact, I wish that the author incorporated them into the flashback sections. All we see are the main characters, the kids and their mothers. What I would like to see are things like Patrick's first homicide investigation, or Jordan's first acquittal. Sure those perspectives are not as important when the shooting hasn't happened yet, but who likes to eat cake with no frosting. Frosting is amazing!
So in short, I hope the author throws in more minor characters. I already know how the regulars think, how they act.
On a side note, the suicide note before each chapter is haunting, but it is my personal opinion that the note isn't Peter's. It's Josie's. Peter had ample opportunity to kill himself, but he couldn't do it. Josie has the pills, let's see if she uses them.....
First Section
I really like this book so far and am already well past the first mark. But I can't seem to figure out what makes the book so enticing. Perhaps it's because the book is nothing like anything I have ever really encountered before, the characters, their thoughts, ideas, emotions, and actions are all things that I am not used to. Or maybe its because the book is so depressing and horrifying, that I just can't seem to put it down.
I can't really seem to relate to any of the characters. I don't understand why Josie is so depressed. I can understand feeling like you have to put up a front and nobody likes you for the real you (what girl has honestly never felt that?), but I don't understand how she can have a backup suicide plan. You would think that if you were that unhappy with the life you are living, you would do something to change it. To me, it seems like Josie killing herself would just be taking the easy way out. And I can't help but wonder if the fact that Josie's mom didn't want to have her in the first place has anything to do with how the two treat each other now.
I cannot even begin to comprehend anything that was going through Peter's mind as he ran around the school shooting and killing ten people and afterwards showing no remorse whatsoever. It's really unsettling and unnerving to me think that people can actually have the capability to live with themselves after killing ten people.
The first section has already left me full of questions. I think the biggest question is what the heck made Peter want to kill a bunch of people? What made him so ticked off? I am also really curious as to why he didn't kill himself. The first italicized entry of the book I assumed was written by Peter, to Josie. It seemed like he was blaming everything on Josie and in a way it seemed like he didn't want to kill her because it would serve her right. Like somehow he thought that if he let her live, then she would have to suffer like he did and he would be teaching her a lesson. But it sounded like he wanted to die, and I am curious as to why he changed his mind. I also think that it is strange that Peter and Josie still have some weird suicidal connection even though Josie doesn't talk to Peter anymore. And one other thing that is really bothering me is Peter's brother, Joey. I thought that he was the poster child, but then Lacy keeps talking about how she has already lost one son and couldn't bear to lose another. But what happened to him?
I can't really seem to relate to any of the characters. I don't understand why Josie is so depressed. I can understand feeling like you have to put up a front and nobody likes you for the real you (what girl has honestly never felt that?), but I don't understand how she can have a backup suicide plan. You would think that if you were that unhappy with the life you are living, you would do something to change it. To me, it seems like Josie killing herself would just be taking the easy way out. And I can't help but wonder if the fact that Josie's mom didn't want to have her in the first place has anything to do with how the two treat each other now.
I cannot even begin to comprehend anything that was going through Peter's mind as he ran around the school shooting and killing ten people and afterwards showing no remorse whatsoever. It's really unsettling and unnerving to me think that people can actually have the capability to live with themselves after killing ten people.
The first section has already left me full of questions. I think the biggest question is what the heck made Peter want to kill a bunch of people? What made him so ticked off? I am also really curious as to why he didn't kill himself. The first italicized entry of the book I assumed was written by Peter, to Josie. It seemed like he was blaming everything on Josie and in a way it seemed like he didn't want to kill her because it would serve her right. Like somehow he thought that if he let her live, then she would have to suffer like he did and he would be teaching her a lesson. But it sounded like he wanted to die, and I am curious as to why he changed his mind. I also think that it is strange that Peter and Josie still have some weird suicidal connection even though Josie doesn't talk to Peter anymore. And one other thing that is really bothering me is Peter's brother, Joey. I thought that he was the poster child, but then Lacy keeps talking about how she has already lost one son and couldn't bear to lose another. But what happened to him?
Nineteen Minutes (1-89)
To start, I can’t deny that I’m totally enjoying every minute of this book so far. It’s undeniably fast-paced and the characters are dynamic. While the central, main action of the school shooting has passed, I’m still curious about the ramifications. I wonder if she’ll (she being Jodi Piccoult) make him out to be some sort of dispossessed saint, or if he really will just end up being the murderous fiend. I can’t tell which way this is leaning right now. Some instances, like with Lacy and Lewis, make it seem like Peter might turn out okay, at least in terms of the trial. When dealing with the past and other things though, it’s a tougher call.
Additionally: I would like to believe that Alex Cormier is going to hook up with Patrick, but that’s just random speculation based on one or two interactions.
I really like the use of flashbacks, although sometimes they seem over the top. At times, I’m having a hard time believing that Peter Houghton (or any kid) could really be THAT victimized by any society. Just from personal experiences at St. Paul’s, I know that most kids who are bullied (even on an irregular basis) usually found not only friends, but usually a more accepting school system. So I find it hard to believe that Peter would actually a.) Be so consistently picked on in the first place and b.) Not tell anyone.
And Josie Cormier, hello, why don’t you have a soul? If you were going to inherit anything from your mother…why is it this soullessness? She can’t even acknowledge Peter in the hallway or give him some sort of inch? It’s really obnoxious Josie. It really is. Of course, I have to partially (wholly) blame your mother for how you’ve turned out.
Alex Cormier is borderline insane, if you ask me.
Additionally: I would like to believe that Alex Cormier is going to hook up with Patrick, but that’s just random speculation based on one or two interactions.
I really like the use of flashbacks, although sometimes they seem over the top. At times, I’m having a hard time believing that Peter Houghton (or any kid) could really be THAT victimized by any society. Just from personal experiences at St. Paul’s, I know that most kids who are bullied (even on an irregular basis) usually found not only friends, but usually a more accepting school system. So I find it hard to believe that Peter would actually a.) Be so consistently picked on in the first place and b.) Not tell anyone.
And Josie Cormier, hello, why don’t you have a soul? If you were going to inherit anything from your mother…why is it this soullessness? She can’t even acknowledge Peter in the hallway or give him some sort of inch? It’s really obnoxious Josie. It really is. Of course, I have to partially (wholly) blame your mother for how you’ve turned out.
Alex Cormier is borderline insane, if you ask me.
19 Mins. Blog 1 - Similarities With One Big Difference
To be completely honest, the first response I had to reading this book was, how am I ever going to remember all these characters? The beginning of the book introduces a plethora of different persona's amongst a variety of settings. Though, as I continued to swim through the pages- gradually piecing together how the characters would play a role in the novel- it became apparent that their lives were all intertwined like a weave in a basket. The way the author describes the setting of the school and uses description relating to the reader, is clearly a brilliant method of developing a connection between the story and it's audience.
Ironically, the characters possessed qualities or dealt with situations that I've had to deal with during the seventeen years I've walked this earth. Looking back to most recent years, Josie is probably the character I can relate to the most. Her feeling of putting up a front and hiding her inner feelings and conflicts- afraid of what people would think of her in the end- is as if I was looking into a mirror three years ago.
When first purchasing the book, I didn't know exactly what it would be about. Let's just say I was so unaware of this, I thought the book was a recluse adolescent boy. Thus, once the first chapter swept by me, as do ripples in a lake vacillate against the sandy shore, I was on the verge of tears and pure mortal terror. How could one person- such a young one at that- inflict so much damage? Being invisible to others is very emotionally distressing, yet having a little voice in your head calling out for revenge by gun fire is just simply ludicrous! Could one child retain so much anger and vehemence toward others that such an act having occurred cause not even a flutter of the eye?
(313 words)
Ironically, the characters possessed qualities or dealt with situations that I've had to deal with during the seventeen years I've walked this earth. Looking back to most recent years, Josie is probably the character I can relate to the most. Her feeling of putting up a front and hiding her inner feelings and conflicts- afraid of what people would think of her in the end- is as if I was looking into a mirror three years ago.
When first purchasing the book, I didn't know exactly what it would be about. Let's just say I was so unaware of this, I thought the book was a recluse adolescent boy. Thus, once the first chapter swept by me, as do ripples in a lake vacillate against the sandy shore, I was on the verge of tears and pure mortal terror. How could one person- such a young one at that- inflict so much damage? Being invisible to others is very emotionally distressing, yet having a little voice in your head calling out for revenge by gun fire is just simply ludicrous! Could one child retain so much anger and vehemence toward others that such an act having occurred cause not even a flutter of the eye?
(313 words)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
ASSIGNMENT
I've divided the book into three sections which will correspond with your postings.
By midnight of Sun. Sept. 21 read through page 89 and write one 200-word blog. After everyone has posted, you need to write a 100-word blog response to one of the postings sometime before midnight of Wed. Sept. 24.
By midnight of Sun. Sept. 28 read through page 330 and write one 200-word blog. After everyone has posted, you need to write a 100-word blog response to one of the postings by midnight of Wed. Oct. 1.
By midnight of Sun. Oct. 5read through the end and write one 200-word blog. After everyone has posted, you need to write a 100-word blog response to one of the postings by midnight of Wed. Oct. 8.
Remember this is the minimum. Feel free to respond to more than one posting.
ENJOY!
By midnight of Sun. Sept. 21 read through page 89 and write one 200-word blog. After everyone has posted, you need to write a 100-word blog response to one of the postings sometime before midnight of Wed. Sept. 24.
By midnight of Sun. Sept. 28 read through page 330 and write one 200-word blog. After everyone has posted, you need to write a 100-word blog response to one of the postings by midnight of Wed. Oct. 1.
By midnight of Sun. Oct. 5read through the end and write one 200-word blog. After everyone has posted, you need to write a 100-word blog response to one of the postings by midnight of Wed. Oct. 8.
Remember this is the minimum. Feel free to respond to more than one posting.
ENJOY!
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