19 Minutes - Jodi Picoult
Although this is the first Picoult novel I have read, it seems obvious 19 Minutes follows a pre-set pattern with a socially controversial issue, a legal battle with a twist as a climax and a single career woman who needs to get back in touch with life. While the post-Columbine look at a school shooting from multiple perspectives is intriguing, many of the sub plots and characters in the story were forced or clichéd. Jocks are bullies, the smart girl wants so much to be popular she is willing to withstand an abusive relationship, the newly appointed judge is focused on success to the point where she has no relationship her daughter and the school officials have overlooked repetitive acts of cruelty why?
The thought provoking aspect of 19 Minutes is not the story itself but rather the perspective of how seemingly small incidences compound overtime and the power of real friendship over fitting in. Many teens (and adults) don’t understand how much power actions and words have over others. The parallel between Josie and her mother seeking validation from their peer groups to the point alienating those who should be the people in their lives that truly matter is as significant a social commentary as the main plot of cruelty to those who are outside the “norm”.