Silence Shattered [Paperback]

Heidi Johnson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Insight Publishing Group (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930027435
• ISBN-13: 978-1930027435
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,971,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, August 14, 2003

By 

"kpr187" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silence Shattered (Paperback)

I bought the book, because in the subtitle it claimed to be "An Eyewitness Account of the Columbine Tragedy". Very disappointingly, though, it deals more with how the author found her way to Jesus than with the Columbine tragedy. The book offers no analysis whatsoever of the circumstances that led to the tragic events at Columbine High, April 20, 1999. The two perpetrators, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, are barely even mentioned and Heidi Johnson makes no effort in trying to understand how two seemingly normal teenagers could commit such a terrible crime. The tragic school killing is seen as the work of the devil and faith in Jesus, who died at the cross for our sins, is pointed to as the solution that could prevent more Columbines from happening. This message is repeated over and over throughout the book. The most interesting part of the book is Heidi's description of her problems with getting accepted among her peers when she was a new student at Columbine High. Coming from Denmark, I don't know much about American high schools, but if an intelligent and beautiful girl like Heidi can have problems with getting friends at school something definitely must be wrong! And one can, perhaps, better understand how Dylan and Eric, who were isolated and constantly bullied at school, must have felt. Part of the problem is, according to Heidi, that many people today are more concerned with getting social status, money and career than with accepting and caring for each other. Many American teenagers lack a sense of moral direction in their life and are obsessed with alcohol, sex, drugs and violent computer games. Their hedonistic and "sinful" lifestyle represents the "evil forces" in modern society and faith in Jesus is the only true answer. Thus, Heidi tends to look at the world simply as a struggle between "good" and "evil", Jesus and the Devil. This analysis, however, seems a little too simplistic and Heidi's constant repetition of the same religious message gets rather tiresome in the long run. If you want a detailed analysis of the circumstances that led to the shooting at Columbine, Heidi's book is, I'm sorry to say, not the one to pick. Rather, I would recommend Brooks Brown and Rob Merritt: No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind the Murders at Columbine High School (Lantern Books, 2002).

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Fair, August 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Silence Shattered (Paperback)

I enjoyed the book because of her eyewitness account of the shootings in the library.I also thought her earlier experiences in school were interesting.The books talks a LOT about her religion so if you find that a turnoff be forewarned.I think she means well, but she came off a little self righteous at times.
If you are seriously interested in Columbine or are a Christian, this is a book you will want to buy.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars DISSAPOINTED!!, March 10, 2005

By 

J. Gurza "LIFE LOVER" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Silence Shattered (Paperback)

i bought this book because im very interested on columbine's facts etc.

so i thought this book was going to be shocking or exiteing, or at least had something to do with columbine.

well the book starts talking about her, wich u think is ok, because u'll read her side of the story

but she really starts with the God thing, and family support, and being a bad girl, and being a good girl, etc etc.

what she talks a bout columbine is so....nothing....i mean u can even think that she made it up. because she doesn't show her real feelings and she doesnt write about consecuences or so. at the end she just talk about God, her religion etc etc.....