Review Detail

"This is who we are now, terrified and unafraid."

I've never read a book like this before. Situations like the ones here portrayed are not very common where I live so I've always seen them happening very far away from me.

This book is set in a school under the siege of a teenage boy who's brought guns with him. It is told from the different perspectives of those who are trapped in the building and those who instead remained outside. None of the POVs belongs to the shooter. I really liked how each character had his/her own voice. They all felt different from one another and each one of them had had a relation of some sorts with the shooter so it gave the story several facets worth discovering. I really liked the diversity as well: POC characters, disabled ones, lesbians, really, well done there Ms Nijkamp!
Mine is a 3 star rating though because I didn't feel much attached to the story. I felt like the shooter's (Tyler) motivations were weak. It's awkward commenting on it since the issue presented is a serious one and people who go on a killing spree just because they're going through hard times are a real threat but for the sake of the narration I think that Tyler should have been given a much more in depth look. Maybe even a POV of his own, even though I do understand that the story is narrated from the perspective of the victims and Tyler deserved none.

Nonetheless I spent the last few chapters of it cocooned in my bed crying, it gives you a lot to think about and a great deal of empathy to exercise so if you're into that I'd recommend it. It is very short so it is really worth reading!