Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

"Children didn't make their own mistakes. They plunged into the pits they'd been led by their parents." (pg 319)

This is a huge controversy in society, do you blame children for their own wrongdoings, or do you point fingers at their parents for not raising them properly? In Nineteen Minutes, one of the main characters Peter Houghton, has been getting bullied all of his life. Since he lives in Sterling, a small town in New Hampshire, he's been going to school with the same kids ever since he's been in kindergarten. Getting shoved into lockers, and getting his pants pulled down in front of a crowed of people was an every day routine. Peter had enough, it was time he stuck up for himself. After being bullied for over 11 years, he came up with a plan. To get revenge, and the only way was to cost those kids their lives.

Should parents be held responsible for the actions their children decide to take? In many cases yes. A child is the reflection of their parents. Depending on how they were raised they're going to act a certain way. They'll make decisions for themselves once they reach a certain age. Mainly decisions their parents would have done as well.

After a certain age, mainly once a pre-teen becomes a teenager, people start making decisions based upon their own judgements. Whether or not they're good or bad decisions, they're based upon the person's wants/needs. Many times the only person to blame is yourself. Your parents aren't going to hold your hand throughout your lifetime. They can do the best they can in guiding you to make the right decisions but ultimately it is up to you. In Nineteen Minutes, Peter's mother Lacy, is being blamed for the decision Peter took in killing ten students who bullied him throughout his lifetime. She is being blamed because in many people's opinion she was a negligent parent who didn't raise her children well. This is a huge controversy because in her opinion she did the best she could to raise Peter with proper love, care and respect. There is only so much a parent can do, so that their children won't make bad decisions. We are all capable of doing what we want despite what anyone says.

Overall the book was amazing. It involves a bit of mystery, romance, and certainly drama. It was extremely difficult to put down. I read 500 + pages within two weeks. This jaw dropping novel will have your emotions racing. I recommend it to everyone who loves thrillers.