Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Book Review: Columbine


When I saw that there was a book written about the Columbine High School shooting of 1999, I just had to read it. The horrific school shooting happened when I was in middle school and definitely changed the way my peers and I felt about our safety in school and "outsiders" on the fringes of our school's social structure. I feel like I certainly learned a lot about the shootings. Actually, pretty much everything I thought I knew was pretty much false (thanks to the media).

This book was super educational and it took a totally unbiased approach. Eric and Dylan, the two boys responsible for the school massacre, were brilliant to be honest. They were true masterminds and masters of deception. They weren't goths or fans of Marilyn Manson. They weren't even necessarily unpopular. They were just two regular guys, maybe a little on the shy side, but still totally normal. The book really does a great job at portraying this.

The author also has a unique writing style, especially in the sections dedicated to Eric and Dylan. He takes on the tone of an angsty teenage boy, it's almost like he's one of them. In the book you see the shooting, both the planning leading up to it and the aftermath, from the perspectives of the shooters, the victims, the survivors, the school system, law enforcement, and the media. It paints a very intricate and intriguing picture. 

I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of true crime novels or have a fascination with what drives seemingly normal people to kill. I give Columbine 4 out of 5 stars. It was VERY interesting.

3 comments:

  1. I remember Columbine very well. I will be reading this shortly. Thank you for the recommendation. True crime books are very interesting to me. Ann Rule is my favorite author. She has updated her books into ebook format. http://www.planetannrule.com/ She is an amazing woman. I am reading "The Stranger Beside Me" It is a newly updated reprint of the chilling story behind one of the most notorious serial killers in history. My mom is eager to read this book as well since she swears that Ted Bundy lived in our small town in Utah for a short time!

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  2. I appreciate the fact that this book takes an unbiased approach and I really look forward to reading Columbine. Thank you for such a wonderful review! I will also check out Ann Rule's website, Robyn. She is one of my top authors that I read and it's great that her books are now in ebook format :-).

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  3. You are welcome Leesa. She is an amazing author who has the training to tackle difficult stories.

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