Buy a cheap copy of nineteen minutes book by jodi picoult. This lesson is very valuable and can inspire you to be a better person towards others. He recognized the pistolsthey were the ones found in the locker roomone held by peter houghton, the other one a short distance away on the tile floor. Nineteen minutes is how long it took the tennessee titans to sell out of tickets to the playoffs. In just nineteen minutes, peter drastically changes the lives of many of the members of his sterling, new hampshire community. Peter houghton, picked on by school mates from the first day of kindergarten, enters sterling high, and in nineteen minutes kills ten and wounds another nineteen students. Considers suicide after her release from the hospital but decides against it. We meet his loving but hapless family and the students that made peter s life a living hell. Jodi picoult nineteen minutes book trailer youtube. Josie cormier, daughter of the judge sitting on the case, claims she cant remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of peter s rampage.
Rich with psychological and social insight, nineteen minutes is a riveting, poignant, and thoughtprovoking novel that has at its center a haunting question. She is a judge at the superior court in grafton county. And peter s parents, lacy and lewis houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes. Nineteen minutes are all it takes to turn the small town of sterling upside down. The beginning certainly grabs the readers attention as peter goes on a shooting rampage in his high school, and the resulting conflicts keep it. Peter houghton didnt fit in at sterling high, and he knew it. Peter had one best friend growing up like normal other kids. The offender who shot and killed ten people and injured nineteen at his school. Jodi picoults latest topical novel, nineteen minutes, takes its title from. Nineteen minutes book by jodi picoult official publisher. To your right, it said, and peter slowly got to his feet and walked to a corner of the cell. Then author jodie picoult gently takes us back in time so that we can understand the why of peter s horrific deed. Everyone thinks they are above him and picks on him 247.
Nineteen minutes by jodi picoult book club discussion. Flashback all of the chapters in nineteen minutes have dates referring to the massacre at the. At the end, ten people had been killed and several more wounded. At the beginning of this book, peter houghton pulls a trigger on his fellow classmates, yet we see only its aftermath. As for josie, she was bullied in her relationship with matt.
Click below to download the full study guide for nineteen minutes. One of those students is josie cormier, the daughter of district judge alex cormier, who is a single mother. Youve been charged with ten counts of firstdegree murder and nineteen counts of attempted firstdegree murder. Dianan opening statement talked about how peter knew what he was doing and he could have done many other things in 19 minutes. Nineteen minutes jodi picoult read online free books. The novel explores the damaging effects of bullying, peer pressure and. Lacy peter s mother is a midwife and assists alex josies mother deliver her baby girl. Plot summary nineteen minutes are all it takes to turn the small town of sterling upside down. Nineteen minutes 2007 is the fourteenth novel by the american author, jodi picoult. Peter houghton takes on a life where he is a victim of bullying and violence. I feel like throughout the book peter himself is his biggest conflict.
Peter houghton, a victim of bullying since kindergarten, decided to get revenge on all the people that had ever bullied him. Peter houghton was a skinny, freckled, foureyed student at sterling high. Jodi picoult in sterling, new hampshire, 17yearold high school student peter houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. In nineteen minutes the twist was apparent from quite early on and to me seemed rather unrealistic given the information in the book. The character of peter houghton in nineteen minutes from litcharts. The voice sounded like wind passing over snowbleak, a whisper. When she was younger, her best friend was peter houghton and he was the child who was always.
Nineteen minutes teaches to never bully anyone, because it could scar everyone around you. Surrounding peters story is that of josie cormier, a former friend whose acceptance into the popular crowd hangs on a string that makes it impossible for her to. Finds and visits her father only to be rejected by him. He takes on peter s case because he believes that peter. Teasing, bullying and torment are the driving force behind the actions of seventeen yearold peter houghton. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist. After years of cruel bullying from his classmates, peter houghton snaps one morning, and in nineteen minutes, ten residents of the town of sterling are dead. And peters parents, lacy and lewis houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes. Peter is an awkward teenage boy who has been bullied his whole life. In nineteen minutes, picoult writes, you can order a pizza and get it delivered. Bullying is portrayed as the main cause for peter houghtons mass shooting at sterling high.
The pull of a trigger changed not only his life, but many others that lived in sterling, new hampshire. Mar 16, 2007 jodi picoults latest topical novel, nineteen minutes, takes its title from the duration of a highschool shooting rampage perpetrated by peter houghton, a muchbullied new hampshire teenager. Nineteen minutes by jodi picoult fiction novel nineteen minutes by jodi picoult is a novel based on a school shooting in the small town of sterling, but focuses more importantly on the feelings of the main characters, peter houghton and josie cormier, who experience insecurities and social acceptance, or lack of. One day, he brings a gun to school and shoots 10 people, an episode of violence that lasts exactly 19 minutes. Peter and josie are very close friends as small children and really best friends. Once josie found other friends and left him he was on his own. Nineteen minutes is a harrowing, suspenseful narrative about a high school shooting and its aftermath. Ends her friendship with peter in middle school to join the popular group. When the case goes to trial, the reeling town is determined to seek justice for the innocents peter killed. Peter hides in his his room and turns to his computer to give him comfort where he designs computer games with a lot of violence. Jodi picoult s latest topical novel, nineteen minutes, takes its title from the duration of a highschool shooting rampage perpetrated by peter houghton, a muchbullied new hampshire teenager. Feb 05, 2008 and peter s parents, lacy and lewis houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes.
The nineteen minutes quotes below are all either spoken by peter houghton or refer to peter houghton. Some may take a different path than others in life. In sterling, new hampshire, 17yearold high school student peter houghton commits an act of violence that forever changes the lives of sterlings residents. He knew it because the popular kids never let him forget it. May 19, 2015 nineteen minutes film opening in sterling, new hampshire, 17yearold high school student peter houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. Peter houghton, the seventeenyearold school shooter, changes the lives of many people on march 6, 2007. For nineteen minutes you can to revenge sterling is the average american town where nothing happens until one day his peace is not disturbed by shocking act of violence.
Detective on the sterling police force and alexs love interest a. Feeling like an outsider and a social misfit, peter loses sight of the value of life. He is a recurring character, appeared before in the pact and salem falls. Jordan gave peter a new pair of glasses to make him look professional before the trial. Nineteen minutes jodi picoult page 7 read online free books. The main character in the novel and the perpetrator of the school shooting around which the. The title nineteen minutes refers to how long it takes the shooter, peter houghton, to complete a bloody rampage through his new hampshire high school. The mass shooting takes place at sterling high, in new hampshire, and lasts for the nineteen minutes of the book s titular namesake. Peter s exbest friend and matts current girlfriend. The offender who shot and killed people and injured nineteen at his school, sterling high. He used to be best friends with josie when they were younger, but she got caught up in popularity.
When joey is killed in a car accident in 2006, lacy and lewis houghton are too upset to pay attention to their remaining son, causing a. The book begins one morning, when peter houghton enters his high school with a gun, killing 10 people, and injuring 19 others. Peter houghton has been bullied his entire life, and nineteen minutes shows us what happens when he finally snaps. You can read a story to a child or have your oil changed. Peter was a victim throughout his whole life and at the ends he killed 10 students, which was the consequence. Nineteen minutes was the second book ive ever read by her the first being, the pact when i was fifteen. Nineteen minutes jodi picoult introduction in this emotionally charged novel, jodi picoult delves beneath the surface of a small town to explore what it means to be different in our society. Peter had tried to help himself, take his mothers advice, or do anything to save himself from the torture, but nothing would work. He takes on peter s case because he believes that peter deserves a fair trial.
The book starts with peter rampaging through his high school killing fellow classmates and others. Has a baby son and an older son thomas also appears in the pact and salem falls and is married to selena mcafee. Its like the saying we have all heard before, everyone is different. In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game.
Or, as peter houghton knows in nineteen minutes, you can bring the world to a screeching halt. In just nineteen minutes, peter drastically changes the. This timely, provocative novelpicoults 14thfocuses on a shooting incident that takes place at a high school in sterling, new hampshire. Peter houghtonpeter houghton is one of two main characters in nineteen minutes. Nineteen minutes psychological thrillers movies, books. Best known for tackling controversial issues through richly told fictional accounts, jodi picoults 14th novel, nineteen minutes, deals with the truth and. Dec 02, 2015 in nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. This book shows a consequence that could possibly happen in reallife. The main character of jodi picoults book nineteen minutes is a 17 year old named peter houghton. He always got bullied and he was a very quiet kid, resulting in little to no friends.
About nineteen minutes in this emotionally charged novel, jodi picoult delves beneath the surface of a small town to explore what it means to be different in our society. Peter is one of two primary characters within the book nineteen minutes, he is an awkward 17 year old boy who has been bullied majority of his life. The character of peter houghton in nineteen minutes from. There is one obvious main conflict that peter faces is being bullied in his life. Peter swung his feet to the cement floor and stared at the camera, but it wasnt giving up any secrets. Mar 19, 2007 jodi picoults latest topical novel, nineteen minutes, takes its title from the duration of a highschool shooting rampage perpetrated by peter houghton, a muchbullied new hampshire teenager. Jordan talked about how peter was bullied by his peers since the first day of kindergarten.
Jodi picoults latest topical novel, nineteen minutes, takes its title from the duration of a highschool shooting rampage perpetrated by peter houghton, a muchbullied new hampshire teenager. In sterling, new hampshire, seventeenyearold high school student peter houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of his. Peter houghton, an alienated teen who has been bullied for years by the popular crowd, brings weapons to his high school in sterling, n. The mass shooting takes place at sterling high, in new hampshire, and lasts for the nineteen minutes of the books titular namesake. Lacy peters mother is a midwife and assists alex josies mother deliver her baby girl. As in house rules the main character in nineteen minutes, peter, is a teenage boy who is different from his peers and suffers for it. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Nineteen minutes is jodi picoults most recent novel, and i predict it will become her best seller to date. Peter houghton enters sterling high and goes on a killing spree that leaves 10 dead and many others wounded both physically and emotionally.
Josie, his friend stood up for him when he got picked on and bullied at a young age. Nineteen minutes summary and study guide supersummary. Diana leven, who had left her job as an assistant attorney general in boston two years ago to join a department that was a little kinder and gentler, walked into the sterling high gym and stopped beside the body of a boy who had fallen directly on the threepoint line after being shot in the neck. You can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist. It focuses on the events leading up to and following a high school shooting. Peter thinks to stop the bullying that hes endured since the first day of kindergarten, yet his. This novel follows the unfolding of a school shooting, including the events leading up to the incident and the aftermath of the incident. Peter houghton is a lonely outsider taunted by the popular kids. The international bestseller incredibly thoughtprovoking sun after years of cruel bullying from his classmates, peter houghton snaps one morning, and in nineteen minutes, ten residents of the town of sterling are dead.
In typical fashion, picoult shapes her story by providing various perspectives. He plays a main role in the book as the school target. Alex and lacys friendship comes to an end when they discover peter and josie playing with guns in the houghton house. In nineteen minutes, law is not the main message of literary work, it is an indirect reference that helps the audience better understand the theme of the story. The friendship between josie and peter was not detailed enough at all, we didnt get an insight into peter s thoughts and the idea that josie would accept her friends bullying just for the sake of popularity. The rest of the book bounces between flashback and the present. Peter went into an armed rampage at the school aiming to hurt the ones that had harassed him over the years. Peter was frequently the target of severe bullying at school, and josie often stuck up for him. Peter thinks to stop the bullying that hes endured since the first day of kindergarten, yet his actions upend the entire town of sterling and beyond.
He has never be aware of the fact that he does act differently than most in social situations, which becomes obvious on pg 210 after he made a graph of popularity in his freshman math class. He faces having to be compared to his older brother joey who even participates in bullying peter at school. Peter houghton, the seventeenyearold school shooter, changes the lives of many people on march 6, 2007, when he opens fire on his fellow classmates. Bullying is portrayed as the main cause for peter houghton s mass shooting at sterling high. Hed been bullied by the same people since kindergarten, and there was never any justice for them. When 17year old high school student peter houghton comes to high school and starts shooting at his peers and thereby kill nine students and teacher while the injured will. Peter houghton peter houghton is one of two main characters in nineteen minutes. There is no way to make this act justifiable, but peter did have his motives. Sterling, new hampshire was known as the safe town until march 6, 2007.
1093 31 151 257 810 674 96 131 706 737 1463 1004 863 937 745 90 1247 902 452 209 1074 829 513 426 646 227 991 88 787 1388 758 67 1397 849 905 704 999 364 553 394 185 433 652 725 376