Nineteen Minutes

I placed Nineteen Minutes on hold at the library after reading a review on someone's blog. I am not sure who, but I know they had received an ARC and it sounded so good I decided to try it out. I am so glad I did, and this book for me was a 4.5 out of 5.

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by the dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five... In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world or you can jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge...

Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens- until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenager daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.

I just absolutely adored this book. It was truly a page turner and I feel Ms. Picoult really did a great job of recovering emotions that all of those involved in the tragedy go through. I loved the way the book kept going back in time, whether it be 18 years ago or the day before the tragedy occurred. I felt so torn between the different characters in the story and it was just so well written. The author wrote it so well and I almost gave it a five out of five except for the ending, which kind of made me disappointed. I almost felt like it was a little rushed, but it could have been me who was just flying through the pages. This book had me up late at night, late for meeting my family for dinner, and putting off homework. I loved it!

I have only read one of Ms. Picoult's other novels, The Pact. If anyone has any of hers to recommend, I look forward to hearing from you.

Up next is a non-fiction book, We The Jury, which is written by some of the jurors of the Scott Peterson trial. That case had me memorized and I have read all of the books written. Happy reading!