Jodi Picoult's 14th novel, Nineteen Minutes, deals with the truth and consequences of a smalltown high-school shooting. Set in Sterling, New Hampshire, Picoult offers reads a glimpse of what would cause a 17-year-old to wake up one day, load his backpack with four guns, and kill nine students and one teacher in the span of nineteen minutes. As with any Picoult novel, the answers are never black and white, and it is her exceptional ability to blur the lines between right and wrong that make this author such a captivating storyteller.

On Peter Houghton's first day of kindergarten, he watched helplessly as an older boy ripped his lunch box out of his hands and threw it out the window. From that day on, his life was a series of humiliations, from having his pants pulled down in the cafeteria, to being called a freak at every turn. But can endless bullying justify murder? As Picoult attempts to answer this question, she shows us all sides of the equation, from the ruthless jock who loses his ability to speak after being shot in the head, to the mother who both blames and pities herself for producing what most would call a monster. Surrounding Peter's story is that of Josie Cornier, a former friend whose acceptance into the popular crowd hangs on a string that makes it impossible for her to reconcile her beliefs with her actions.

After reading it, I was very impressed. It was hard to put down. Here's what I was left thinking about:

What I was amazed with was the entire book I sympathized for the "killer". You couldn't help but hate the kids who bullied him, leading up to the shooting. Probably because most people can relate to being teased, more than being the bully. Or at least I do. More people can relate to being in a group at school, but not necessarily the most-popular crowd. And, as long as you're not in that most popular crowd, you're bound to be teased now and again, if even for stupid things. I know I was. Thank god it was only here and there, I don't know how someone could live with being one of "those kids"; the ones that are the very least popular. Their lives must be made so unbearable.

It makes me think back to when I was in grade school and I was sort of in the middle type group. I think it was 4th grade about that I decided that I didn't like some of my friends so much, so being a small class, I pretty much befriended the couple of "least popular" girls. I remember my one BFF asking why and being so upset with me. But you know, I had so much more fun, so much more in common, with the other girls: that was WHY. What I should have asked was, "why not?" Or, why do we have to have these barriers and labels, as early as second grade, that I can remember.

You know, I still think about that to this day. As much as I think about being in 6th grade in a new school and finding a new friend right away, but then finding out she was "one of those kids". And then deciding I couldn't be her friend, because in a new school, I just couldn't choose that side. I couldn't right off the bat exclude myself from everyone else. I didn't have enough of an open mind, I wasn't strong enough, maybe. In the end, up until the 8th grade I teased her like everyone else. Sure, she wasn't clean, but maybe I shouldn't have cared. Is that a reason, or an excuse?

The other thing about this book that resonates with me, is why am I left feeling like the shooter, who was teased by everyone but then brought a gun to school and started shooting....why do I feel like in some ways he was justified, or those other kids had it coming?

The similarity I draw here is this: A mother whose child was murdered, and so she goes out and finds a way to kill her son's murderer. Isn't it what most of us would want to do, if in that situation? Instinctually it feels right, but it's wrong. But he had it coming...but at the same time society has to have rules. These kids that are bullied to death, why are there no rules to protect them? Why are there no consequences for the bullies? These school shootings are happening more and more, and it's horrible. But, I think we as a society have to really start examining WHY. And working to prevent it, not only with metal detectors, but with teachers and staff who are helping the bullied kids fight back- withOUT a gun.