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Nineteen Minutes [Paperback]

Jodi Picoult
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (841 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 5, 2008
Jodi Picoult, bestselling author of My Sister's Keeper and The Tenth Circle, pens her most riveting book yet, with a startling and poignant story about the devastating aftermath of a small-town tragedy.

Sterling is an ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens--until the day its complacency is shattered by an act of violence. Josie Cormier, the daughter of the judge sitting on the case, should be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened before her very own eyes--or can she? As the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show--destroying the closest of friendships and families. Nineteen Minutes asks what it means to be different in our society, who has the right to judge someone else, and whether anyone is ever really who they seem to be.


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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Best known for tackling controversial issues through richly told fictional accounts, 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 Cormier, 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.

At times, Nineteen Minutes can seem tediously stereotypical-- jocks versus nerds, parent versus child, teacher versus student. Part of Picoult's gift is showing us the subtleties of these common dynamics, and the startling effects they often have on the moral landscape. As Peter's mother says at the end of this spellbinding novel, "Everyone would remember Peter for nineteen minutes of his life, but what about the other nine million?" --Gisele Toueg --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Bestseller Picoult (My Sister's Keeper) takes on another contemporary hot-button issue in her brilliantly told new thriller, about a high school shooting. Peter Houghton, an alienated teen who has been bullied for years by the popular crowd, brings weapons to his high school in Sterling, N.H., one day and opens fire, killing 10 people. Flashbacks reveal how bullying caused Peter to retreat into a world of violent computer games. Alex Cormier, the judge assigned to Peter's case, tries to maintain her objectivity as she struggles to understand her daughter, Josie, one of the surviving witnesses of the shooting. The author's insights into her characters' deep-seated emotions brings this ripped-from-the-headlines read chillingly alive. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Washington Square Press; 1ST edition (February 5, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743496736
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743496735
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (841 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up on Long Island with my parents and my little brother, the product of a ridiculously happy childhood. My mom says I've been writing as long as she remembers - my first masterpiece was "The Lobster That Was Misunderstood," at age 5. I honed my writing skills beyond that, one hopes, before I headed off to Princeton, where I wanted to work with living, breathing authors in their creative writing program. Mary Morris was my teacher/mentor, and I really do believe I wouldn't be where I am today if not for her guidance and expertise. I had two short stories published in SEVENTEEN magazine when I was in college. However, when I graduated, a desire to not eat ramen noodles exclusively and to be able to pay my rent led me to take a job on Wall Street (not a great idea, since I can't even balance my checkbook). When the stock market crashed in 1987, I moved to Massachusetts and over the course of two years, worked at a textbook publishing company, taught creative writing at a private school, became an ad copywriter, got a master's in education at Harvard, got married, taught at a public school, and had a baby. My first novel was published shortly after my son was born, and I've always said that the reason I kept writing is because it's so much easier than teaching English.

In fourteen years, I've published thirteen novels: Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Second Glance, My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, and the upcoming The Tenth Circle, this March. Two of my books (Plain Truth and The Pact) were made into Lifetime TV movies; Keeping Faith will be another. My Sister's Keeper is in development at New Line Cinema to be a feature film. And there isn't a single day that I don't stop and marvel at the fact that when I go to work, I get to do what I love the most.

My husband Tim and I live in Hanover, NH with our three kids, a dog, a rabbit, and the occasional donkey or cow.

Customer Reviews

This book held my interest to the very end. N. Herlihy  |  116 reviewers made a similar statement
I good not put down the book, I finished it in one day. Melissa F. Miller  |  85 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
317 of 338 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This time around, Picoult finally lived up to my hopes and she did so by tackling a difficult subject, one that has been in many novels thus far...a school shooting, a look at both the victims' world and that of the shooter (who is also a victim, in his own way), the alienation of kids who are on the outside and the interconnection between the popular kids and those who aren't. Although the novel is graphic, it would certainly provoke plenty of discussion and understanding between parents and teens, although parents may want to consider how ready their teen is to read a book so detailed and so complex and with graphic sexuality (including rough sex).

As a long-time reader of her books, my one disappointment with Picoult has always been how often her endings seemed to fall apart into stereotypical or "pat" solutions, when the rest of her writing, up to that point, would be so very, very strong. And yet, I KEPT buying her books, because she did everything else so well - solid, compelling characters, great plots (until those endings), riveting events. I kept rooting for her. I knew she had the chops to produce a solid book, from start to finish, without those letdowns at the end (and I'm sure others will disagree with me about the endings, as she IS a popular writer).

This time,with Nineteen Minutes, she pulls it off, does everything right...and I'm delighted to be able to say so. I wasn't able to stop reading, except for short periods when I had to stop and think about WHAT I was reading. I have raised three teenagers and her portrayal of teenage life, the cruelties of the bullies, the fears and insecurities suffered by even the most popular kids, was eerily accurate.
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59 of 62 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars "they started it" March 14, 2007
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
These are the words that seventeen-year-old Peter Houghton says when he is found after a school shooting spree huddling with a gun in his hand by Detective Patrick Ducharme. An outcast who had been bullied since kindergarten, Peter kills ten, including a teacher, and injures many more.

At first glance, it looks like a straightforward act of revenge, but things are revealed to be more complex. One of his victims is Matt Royston, the boyfriend of his former childhood friend, Josie Cormier, and others are members of the in-crowd, but others have seemingly no relation. In the days before the trial, and in the days leading up to the shooting, we are given the backstory, told mostly from Josie's, Peter's, and their mothers' viewpoint. We learn of the incessant teasing this boy received, adults' unsuccessful attempts to help him fit in, and of the stormy relationship between Josie and Matt. During the trial, we hear from the victims who survived and the devastation the crime has wrought on their lives. In the end, the reader may still be undecided whether Peter is primarily a victim, perpetrator, loyal friend, or all three, but that is the point.

What this book has that others like it often don't is compassion not just for the bullying victims, but for the "in-crowd" as well. It is more complex than "We Need to Talk About Kevin" because Peter is capable of love and not just a run-of-the-mill sociopath. The end is a little odd, but not as jolting as the one in "My Sister's Keeper." Highly recommended.
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71 of 83 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than the last book... March 16, 2007
Format:Hardcover
After a very disappointing THE TENTH CIRCLE, Jodi Picoult rebounds with the excellent NINETEEN MINUTES. This book, which centers on a school shooting, is one of her best yet.

Picoult really knows how to develop her characters. Each one is well defined and real. I totally believed the way the characters were portrayed, especially Lacy and Peter. And yes, I found myself having a great deal of sympathy for Peter. Some could say that the characters were a bit clichéd (Matt, the abusive boyfriend, Josie, the wanna-be, Lacy, the mother without a clue, etc.), but I think these characters are reflective of a great many people in the real world. I also liked the way Picoult used Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a defense for Peter. Wonderfully done. I give credit to Picoult for always addressing issues in her books that are topical and thought provoking.

I've read some reviews that criticize Picoult for not having the character of Alex recuse herself as judge at the trial. This is totally becomes a non-issue as you will see as your continue reading. Also, regarding the "twist" ending I've seen some complaints about, it's not such a twist if you are paying attention as you read. It's actually quite obvious from very early on in the story.

I enjoy the fact that Picoult brought back characters from previous books (Patrick from PERFECT MATCH and Jordan from SALEM FALLS and THE PACT.) I understand that Ian from KEEPING FAITH makes an appearance in her next book. I definitely look forward to it.
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62 of 72 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Readable But Not a Barn Burner! June 27, 2007
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Jodi Picoult is generally a good storyteller. She does not let us down in her latest novel, Nineteen Minutes. This is solid writing and gives the reader one glimpse into the minds and lives of some young folks who wind up on the cutting room floor. Jodi deftly shows how its not always the ones you think will wind up in trouble that often get overlooked and in the process run adrift of the world, winding up in terrible circumstances that even the most vigilant parent may not see coming.

I felt Josie's mother's character seemed a bit shallow for a judge and didn't symbolize the career woman that she was representing--changing her clothes three times before her first day on the bench and then throwing up twice before going to the courthouse. No one knows what she's wearing under her robes! She's supposed to be an accomplished attorney who has tried hundreds of cases! Also, not immediately recusing herself from this case was another stretch too far. And, what about Peter's brother? This was an area that could have been delved into deeper and may have helped with the overall understanding of Peter's actions. Since it was not developed, it may have been better let out??

The stereotypes of the various cliques were probably a bit pedantic but characteristic of what goes on in schools. I can still remember the ones who were picked on and made fun of when I went to school. But I actually believe, with all the litigation and the restraints on teachers, children today could actually be crueler than in years gone by. And, with all the blended families and dysfunction in general, it's fortunate that children are more resilient than we truly know or this could be an even greater problem than it already is.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars great read
This book does not disappoint. Picoult does it again, with a difficult topic. She paints detailed, emotional pictures of each key character and intertwines their tales into a... Read more
Published 10 hours ago by Catherine Hawkins
4.0 out of 5 stars Jodi Picoult
This writer keeps you interested is hard to put down. Very realistic and very scarey, similar situations have occurred in schools in America.
Published 1 day ago by Joan Martin
2.0 out of 5 stars GLACIAL
This is a prime example of an author taking a perfectly reasonable 250 page book and stretching it out to 650 pages. The book dragged in a tedious and trying way. Read more
Published 6 days ago by D. Meyers
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read.
Awesome book. Anyone in education should read this. I have recommended this book to many of my co-workers and to my
son who will graduate college with a degree in education.
Published 8 days ago by Teresa
5.0 out of 5 stars I Was Hooked
This was the 1st book by Ms Picoult, that I read. I couldn't put it down and I became an instant fan. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Pat Benfield
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing End to a Big Buildup
I appreciate the depth of research put into Nineteen Minutes. It's a compelling look into a difficult subject with complex, realistic characters and a brilliant portrayal of... Read more
Published 15 days ago by Berenice Freedome
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
I like that Jodi approaches this subject from all angles. There are no winners, just survivors. It's easy to point a finger and assume there is a clear cut villian when we see a... Read more
Published 15 days ago by SUE
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
Surprise ending! Always love her books. I can't wait to pick another one to read. With this being about a school shooting, many parts were hard to read but we'll written.
Published 17 days ago by Karissa Beaver
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book
This was only the second Jodi Picoult novel I've read, the first being The Pact. I loved this book to the point where I could barely put it down to do something else. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Deborah J. Pfiffner
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Read!
Amazing book! I couldn't put it down. It speaks so well to current times and what adolescents are going through in public schools. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Martha S.
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I LIKED Peter
I TOTALLY agree with you Thomas. I have to say, when I first started reading this book, I assumed that Peter would be the stereotypical monster but I absolutely loved his character. I damn near cried myself to sleep as I read his story. All I could think of was a sweet little boy who wanted to... Read more
Apr 25, 2008 by Khadija Brewington |  See all 50 posts
The End (SPOILERS!!)
She didn't kill her boyfriend by accident. She killed him on purpose because she hated him. It goes back to all the things her boyfriend had been doing to her like calling her a slut, telling her she'd get fat if she ate the french fries, hitting her.
Matt screamed at her "Are you f***... Read more
Sep 5, 2007 by Goldie |  See all 153 posts
Is 19 Minutes suitable for middle school English class?
Gosh no, I don't think it would be suitable reading for 13-year-olds, for many reasons. It is about older teens, teens who are openly having sex, teens who are disparaging about others who are different (ie homosexual) teens who are playing violent computer games, males who are abusive and power... Read more
Sep 5, 2009 by Belle du Jour |  See all 10 posts
realistic? (warning: reference to violence)
I think you may be right that Peter was not really a realistic character in that particular aspect.
I don't know if there are any people like him who snap to that extent because of school bullying. I think the character of Peter was too much of a sensitive person to do what the character... Read more
Feb 28, 2008 by Goldie |  See all 5 posts
Peter-Suicide?
Sorry but you have posted a spoiler in the thread title that anyone can see and might ruin the book for them. If you can edit the thread title that would be a good idea. I would answer your question but I read the book to long ago to remember that bit. :-)
Sep 16, 2008 by Goldie |  See all 3 posts
How many chapters does this book have? Be the first to reply
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