She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall [Mass Market Paperback]

Misty Bernall (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 1, 2000

"One of the most gripping stories to come out of the shooting at Columbine High School"

is told in the acclaimed national bestseller that illuminates the most remarkable aspect of 17-year-old Cassie Bernall's tragic death: her life.

She Said Yes is an "intense and fascinating memoir" (Publishers Weekly) of an ordinary teenager growing up in suburban Colorado, and faced -- as all teenagers are -- with difficult choices and pressures. It is only now, when the world knows Cassie Bernall as one of the Columbine High students killed by two rampaging schoolmates, that the choices she made offer a profound relevance for us all. Once a rage-filled young woman who walked a path similar to that of her killers, Cassie found a way out of her personal snares and, through her faith and a family's love, chose to embrace life with courage and conviction.

Told with unflinching honesty by her mother, Misty Bernall, Cassie's story is "a profoundly human story that should be read by every parent and every teenager" (New York Post).

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the aftermath of the Columbine High School tragedy, a story came out about Cassie Bernall, a young woman who allegedly professed her belief in God in the moments before she was shot dead. Hailed a modern-day martyr by Christian groups and the media, detectives revealed months later that she may never have had such an exchange with her killer. Bernall's parents responded to the news with a statement:

"Our intent was to share Cassie's story in an effort to encourage parents and teenagers. If any of our actions have hurt or offended anyone, we sincerely apologize."

In She Said Yes, a moving memoir written by Cassie's mother, Misty Bernall, we meet the real Cassie, a typical adolescent who struggles with peer pressure and her relationship with her parents. Once headed down the common teenage path of self-loathing and depression, Cassie turned her life around through her faith and the support of a group of people who helped her find peace and purpose--her youth group at church. Though Cassie was far from the perfect child, She Said Yes tells the story of how Cassie's faith gave her the strength to overcome the obstacles she faced in her young life. Regardless of what happened at Columbine, She Said Yes is a moving tribute to an extraordinary young woman and a lesson for both parents and teenagers alike. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

One of the most gripping stories to come out of the shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., is that of Cassie Bernall: when asked by the gunmen whether she believed in God, she answered yes and then was shot point-blank. Hours after the story emerged, Cassie was hailed a martyr by news media and Christian groups around the world. Her mother's smoothly written account of that day, and of the years that preceded it, provides a fuller picture of a girl who was once very troubled and, ironically, had been for a time as much of a Goth-loving outsider as her killers. Bernall relates how she and her husband intervened after finding letters in Cassie's room that described occult spells and ways to murder one's parents. In describing her daughter's turnaround, spurred by adjustments at school and a Christian youth group, Bernall also details her own emotional difficulties before and after the shooting. Her remarkable candor about her relationship with her daughter makes this an intense and fascinating memoir. Comments from Cassie's father and schoolmates add depth and, by her own admission, allow even Bernall to learn more about Cassie than she had known before the shooting. Through the Bernall family's example, the book shows how a troubled teenager can be helped, though Bernall doesn't hold back when describing the emotional toll the process can take. Although she doesn't see her daughter as a martyr, Bernall concludes that Cassie's death was, indeed, a triumph of honesty and courage. This powerful memoir honors that courage and reveals Misty Bernall's own. 10 b&w photos. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; Illustrated. edition (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743400526
• ISBN-13: 978-0743400527
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.4 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (453 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Educators

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 109 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars She never said yes; Seek the real truth April 1, 2009

By diasaah

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I remember getting this book as birthday gift when I was 12 or 13, as the shootings occurred near my birthday (April 17) and initially I was moved by the book; little did I know it was a fabrication. But honestly, when I was that young, everything I knew about the Columbine tragedy was misconstrued by the media's false doings; I didn't know what REALLY happened. But now, I'm nearly 21, I'm doing a research paper on Columbine and I'm discovering what really happened. Yes, it's a tragedy that she died but why base a book on a complete fabricated LIE. She never said yes and she wasn't sitting in the library, but hiding underneath the tables. Also, as another reviewer mentioned, another girl (Valeen) said yes and wasn't killed. Harris and Klebold didn't kill her because she was christian, they simply killed her b/c she they felt like killing anybody that day; she was just one of their innocent victims. I find it utterly disgusting that her parents capitalized on her death based on a lie. Cassie was an innocent victim, NOT a martyr. I recommend reading any work by Dave Cullen, who was a reporter the day the incident occurred. He also has a new book coming out called 'Columbine.' I can't wait to read it to finally discover the REAL truth.

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A Nonpartisan Review June 2, 2009

By Alexander J. Hayfever

Format:Hardcover

I am a devout Christian with a particular hatred for dishonesty, both from myself & others. If a gun was shoved in my face & I was asked whether I believed in God, I would be bound both to my creator & to my own sense of honor to answer "yes." That said, I am not here to repeat what has already been discovered regarding the actual events at Columbine High School. I am not here to review the news coverage of the tragedy. I am not here to review the motives of two psychopaths. I am not here to review the life of Cassie Bernall. I am here to review the BOOK "She Said Yes," & I am here to review it HONESTLY.

This is not a good book. The narrative is disjointed & awkward, often taking long tangents that have little to do with the subject. The point-of-view changes between Misty Bernall & the other people who contributed to the book are often unclear. The timeline is hard to follow. Many descriptions are overly-detailed for their minor relevance to the story, while other descriptions are far too vague for their major relevance. Misty egrigiously abuses hindsight & foreshadowing in her account of her daughter's life, treating Cassie's every action for 17 years as a significant contribution to her last moments. Several ridiculously fallacious assumptions are made, most importantly the idea that the shooters would not have killed somebody who answered "No", when ALL accounts of the massacre (from the day it happened onward) indicate that they were slaughtering indiscriminately. The prose is mechanically & grammatically poor as well. To put it plainly; the book is a painful chore to read.

Now, I understand that the author was under incomprehensible emotional distress at the time; I cannot & do not pretend to be able to know what the loss of one's child is like. I also understand that she is not a professional writer. But the book was published by a professional company which I would assume employs professional editors whose job it is to revise manuscripts such as this. Perhaps they should have. Or perhaps Misty Bernall should have waited another year or two to focus her thoughts before publishing. There is a moving story in there somewhere, but "She Said Yes" is so poorly-written that it undermines any effectiveness it might have otherwise had.

[Postscript Note: My review has been written specifically to avoid the fact that Cassie Bernall was not the student asked about her belief in God even being an issue, since the book was published before the confusion was definitively sorted out. The author & published legitimately believed it to be true at the time, so they are not to be faulted for that error.]

113 of 137 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars The even MORE unlikely martyrdom November 1, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This book is not moving well in the neighborhood bookstores around the Columbine area, because everyone knows the truth is not contained between its covers. The girl who really DID say "Yes." has suffered for the printing of this book. It was dishonest for the publisher to proceed with publication once the police informed them of the truth. This book does a grave disservice to the memory of Cassie Bernall, trying to force her into false martyrdom.