Nineteen Minutes (Paperback) By (author) Jodi Picoult

Full bibliographic data for Nineteen Minutes

Title

Nineteen Minutes

Authors and contributors

By (author) Jodi Picoult

Physical properties

Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 608
Width: 137 mm
Height: 38 mm
Thickness: 197 mm
Weight: 420 g

Audience

General/trade

Language

English

ISBN

ISBN 13: 9780340935798
ISBN 10: 0340935790

Classifications

Dewey: 813.54
Nielsen BookScan Product Class: F1.1
BISAC category code: FIC000000
BICMainSubject: FA

Publisher

Hodder & Stoughton General Division

Imprint name

Hodder Paperback

Publication date

03 April 2008

Publication City/Country

London/GB

Review quote

Jodi Picoult is not one to shy away from fictional controversy; in fact, the more tangled and messy a moral dilemma appears, the better she likes it. -- Daily Mail 'Picoult, once again, grabs a razor-sharp issue and uses her brilliantly intricate pen to expose all the shades of grey with PERFECTION.' -- Cosmopolitan 'As usual Jodi Picoult manages to bring us a hard-hitting, heartbreaking story. Its brilliantly written with feeling and understanding The characters are believable and you can almost feel their emotions as you read.' -- New Books Picoult has been incredibly successful in dissecting the pain that family members go through when faced with sensitive and emotive issues -- Daily Express 'This book makes for uncomfortable reading in light of real life school shootings, but the author's meticulous research at Columbine in the USA makes the book all the more powerful and authentic. An outstanding read.' -- My Weekly Picoult, once again, grabs a razor-sharp issue and uses her brilliantly intricate pen to expose all the shades of grey with PERFECTION. -- Cosmopolitan 'As usual Jodi Picoult manages to bring us a hard-hitting, heartbreaking story. It's brilliantly written with feeling and understanding of how all those involved react to what has happened ... I love Jodi Picoult's writing and would highly recommend it for both personal and reading groups' -- newbooksmag

Biographical note

Jodi Picoult grew up in Nesconset, New York. She received an A.B. in creative writing from Princeton and a master's degree in education from Harvard. Her previous novels include Keeping Faith, The Pact, and Mercy. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children.

Review text

Picoult's 14th novel (after The Tenth Circle, 2006, etc.) of a school shooting begins with high-voltage excitement, then slows by the middle, never regaining its initial pace or appeal.Peter Houghton, 17, has been the victim of bullying since his first day of kindergarten, made all the more difficult by two factors: In small-town Sterling, N.H., Peter is in high school with the kids who've tormented him all his life; and his all-American older brother eggs the bullies on. Peter retreats into a world of video games and computer programming, but he's never able to attain the safety of invisibility. And then one day he walks into Sterling High with a knapsack full of guns, kills ten students and wounds many others. Peter is caught and thrown in jail, but with over a thousand witnesses and video tape of the day, it will be hard work for the defense to clear him. His attorney, Jordan McAfee, hits on the only approach that might save the unlikable kid - a variation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by bullying. Thrown into the story is Judge Alex Cormier, and her daughter Josie, who used to be best friends with Peter until the popular crowd forced the limits of her loyalty. Also found dead was her boyfriend Matt, but Josie claims she can't remember anything from that day. Picoult mixes McAfee's attempt to build a defense with the mending relationship of Alex and Josie, but what proves a more intriguing premise is the response of Peter's parents to the tragedy. How do you keep loving your son when he becomes a mass murderer? Unfortunately, this question, and others, remain, as the novel relies on repetition (the countless flashbacks of Peter's victimization) rather than fresh insight. Peter fits the profile, but is never fully fleshed out beyond stereotype. Usually so adept at shaping the big stories with nuance, Picoult here takes a tragically familiar event, pads it with plot, but leaves out the subtleties of character.Though all the surface elements are in place, Picoult falters in her exploration of what turns a quiet kid into a murderer. (Kirkus Reviews)

Main description

Paperback edition of Picoult's controversial and heartbreaking novel about a school shooting. Picoult's 3 most recent paperbacks, "Keeping Faith", "The Tenth Circle" and "Mercy", were all number one bestsellers, published in one record-breaking year. This novel launches a brand new look for Picoult, the result of a 6 month long consumer research project, with her full backlist repackaged to coincide. 'Picoult has been incredibly successful in dissecting the pain that family members go through when faced with sensitive and emotive issues.' "Daily Express"