Picoult pens a taunt psychological suspense with "Nineteen Minutes.
" Peter Houghton grows up in a small New Hampshire town called Sterling.
Since the age of six, Peter has suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of school bullies.
His older brother, Joey, is just as abusive as the bullies, and his parents seem oblivious to what's happening to him.
Peter's only friend is Josie Cormier, a girl his own age who gives him hope.
Josie grows up in a single parent home.
Her mother, Alex, is a judge for the superior courts.
Alex never feels quite comfortable in her role as Josie's mother, but she tries hard to connect with Josie.
Josie's only friend is Peter until the sixth grade.
Josie succumbs to the peer pressure of being popular and distances herself from Peter.
Considered a nerd, Peter descends into his own world.
As the bullying continues into high school, his frustration grows.
Josie take a different path in high school.
She's "in" with the popular crowd, and has an "uber" boyfriend, Matt Royston.
Her relationship with Matt gets serious when they begin having sex.
Matt also has a dark side.
He's very possessive of Josie, and she hates how he bullies Peter.
Finally tormented to the breaking point, Peter snaps.
He brings two guns to his high school and starts shooting.
In the end, after nineteen minutes of terror, ten kids are dead, including Matt.
The aftermath of Peter's actions rocks Sterling, but where does it leave Peter? Josie? When Peter chooses to keep Josie's secret, what repercussions will it have for both of them? Picoult jumps back and forth between the present day and Josie and Peter's past to tell the story.
While I didn't mind, some readers might find this disconcerting.
Picoult's plot is tight and her pacing is superb, slowing down in just the right places to let the reader catch their breath.
The characters in "Nineteen Minutes" are fascinating, and well developed.
Alex, Josie, Matt, Peter, and Det.
Ducsharme are everyday people who meet every day challenges in different ways.
Peter and Josie, especially, are full of complexities as their story plays out against the map of peer pressure.
There's a good blend of dialogue and narration, showing the reader just how rich the characters are.
Picoult uses the setting of Sterling to her advantage, painting crisp, clean descriptions with a good economy of words.
The ending has a twist that will stun the reader.
Picoult writes with knowledge and depth, subtly drawing in the reader until they've realized they've turned more pages than they've thought.
"Nineteen Minutes," is a thought provoking, poignant read that will run the reader through a gambit of emotions.
Book Review for "Nineteen Minutes" Written by Jodi Picoult Washington Square Press ISBN: 978-0-7434-9673-5 455 pages $16.
00 5 Stars