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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Very heavy
A school shooting — depicted in detail; graphic violence
Language
Some
Contemporary language; some strong words
Sexual Content
A lot
Sexual assault — depicted; teen sexual content
Substance Use
Barely any
Teen drinking
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
A school shooting — depicted in significant detail; not softened; Sustained bullying — specific and brutal; the novel traces how it shaped Peter; Sexual assault — depicted; Moral complexity — the reader is positioned to understand Peter without approving of what he did; This is not easy to read
What this book is about
Peter Houghton has been bullied his entire school life. On a March morning, he brings guns to Sterling High School and kills ten people in nineteen minutes. Nineteen Minutes is told from multiple perspectives—Peter's, the students and parents affected, the detective investigating, and Josie Cormier, who was Peter's childhood best friend. Picoult's most controversial novel asks readers to hold complexity about a perpetrator.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
A school shooting — depicted in graphic detail
Sustained bullying — specific, brutal, and the novel's moral foundation
Sexual assault — depicted
Moral complexity — the reader is positioned to understand the perpetrator
Reader Verification
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