Thoughts on Setting, Controversy, Style, and Plot Twists

     I am pleased to have chosen to read Nineteen Minutes as my American novel because it is not only suspenseful and entertaining, but extremely thought provoking and controversial. Throughout the novel I was torn between feeling bad for Peter, a victim of extreme bullying, and feeling anger towards him for taking innocent lives in addition to his primary targets. Picoult's style of switching between past and present is intriguing because you're able to slowly piece together the events that are unfolding. My opinions varied throughout the novel when new information would surface and put certain characters in a different light. The characters were all dynamic because once their backgrounds would unfold, they stood out as different people. In my eyes Peter is a monster to set up a sick, intricate plan in order to feel powerful for once in his life. Yet when Picoult detailed the daily suffering he endured in his primary days, I did feel a degree of sympathy. Discovering new details about the character's pasts altered my opinions, and likely caused different readers to react in their own way regarding this complex situation.
     Bullying is a prominent factor that Picoult and fictional defense attorney Jordan use to persuade their audience that Peter is not a monster, but a lonely soul struggling to survive a harsh, judgmental society. I have experienced bullying, but could not imagine daily torment at this level of humiliation. Yet as soon as I feel remorse for him and bullied victims, Picoult changes the setting back to the unnecessary casualties of young teenagers who ended up as the brunt of Peter's pent up anger and desperation. 
     The end of the book primarily details Peter's trial where outbursts from the victim's loved ones unleash my hatred for this pathetic boy who is utterly self absorbed. Picoult's writing style and use of pathos triggered my emotions in a way I never thought a novel could. Upon reaching the final plot twist, where it is revealed that Josie shot her boyfriend Matt in the locker room, surprisingly I was physically affected and could hardly bear the suspense. I was impacted enough to have to sit and think about the fictional events that had just occurred. 
     After completing the book, I questioned myself and contemplated my own emotions and decisions in life. Yes I do feel bad that Peter had a horrible life, but that is not an excuse to kill Kaitlyn Harvey, a special needs student, or any human because they called you names. I wish that Peter's parents had been there for him, because it pains me to see all the lives he ruined, even though it is all fictional!
     I also know a lot about criminal proceedings and watching the trial unfold was very exciting. That also sparked my interest in my own opinion because I was letting the attorneys convince me as if I were actually a jury member. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and loved that it gave me moral insight and allowed me to process my own emotions regarding such a traumatic event.