Book: Columbine

 

Author: Dave Cullen

 

Genre: Nonfiction/True Crime

 

Summary: On April 20, 1999, two boys went to their high school with bombs and guns. Their goal was to leave "a lasting impression on the world." The horror they inflicted left an indelible stamp on the American psyche. Now in this definitive account, Dave Cullen presents a compelling and utterly human profile of teenage killers. With a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen, he draws on hundreds of interviews, thousands of pages of police files, FBI psychologists, and the boys' tapes and diaries. This close-up portrait of violence, a community rendered helpless, and police blunders and cover-ups is an unforgettable cautionary tale for our time. In the tradition of Helter Skelter and In Cold Blood, Columbine is a revelatory work destined to be a classic. -Twelve, 2009.

Well rounded and very interesting. Avoided telling the story from any 1 perspective and gives much more detail/info than what you can find in the news.

I had to constantly remind myself while reading Columbine that this was Not Fiction.

I vaguely remember hearing about this massacre on the news back in the late 1990s but this has made me realise how little attention I pay to media reports as only while reading this book did I realise how devastating and shocking April 20th was for a whole community of people in Colorado.

On 20th April 1999 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold drove to their school, planted two bombs and took up stance outside the entrance door to the school in order to shoot fleeing students. The bombs failed but the massacre that these boys inflicted on their fellow students and their families and communities will never be forgotten.
This book paints a very vivid account of before and after the shootings and the author Dave cullen was one of the Colorado journalists covering the story as it unfolded and he certainly seems to have done his research when putting this book together.

At first I was disappointed the there was an absence of photos in the Book but the more I read the more I realized the book didn't need them, the only image is the photo on the cover of the actural school and I didn't even bother googling images of Harris or Klebold until I had finished the book.

As a mother who does the school run every day, it is the last thing on my mind that something of this nature could every possibly occur in my sugar coated little world and this book really made me sit up and take notice. I was shocked at how these two boys could plan and bring about such devastation without their families or friends finding out about their plans.
I felt so sorry for all the families involved and the whole community as how do you put the like of this behind you. I also felt for the families of Harris and Klebold as no parent brings up their kids to become monsters like these two. I am so aware while writing this review that so many of the students, teachers, families, and wider community will spend their lives trying to come to terms with what happened on April 20th and no amount of books will right the wrongs of that day or even begin to expalin to those involved why.

This is a very detailed account of the massare at Comumbine and some readers may find it perhaps too detailed and difficult to read. Its an extremely well researched and well written book and while I found it difficult reading it is certainly informative and an eye opener. Not a book I am likely to forget in a hurry.

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided by NetGalley & IDW in exchange for an honest review.

 

It’s been years since monsters destroyed Earth. There are pockets of human survivors who scavenge for supplies and try to stay alive. Hiroshi is one of the few left who remembers the time before. Many call them gods, but Hiroshi knows they are just monsters and one day they will be back.

 

This Godzilla tale is a bit weak. It follows Hiroshi and his grandson as well as a few others as they scramble to find a safe place when the monsters come back. Hiroshi’s story is slowly revealed and how he is connected to the monsters, Godzilla in particular. I’m not a huge fan of Godzilla, but my son is and I enjoyed the newest movie incarnation, so I thought this might be a good read. I can’t say I was all that excited about it. Although I did enjoy seeing all the various monsters shown in this book.

 

The artwork is very detailed and beautifully drawn. However, it was a bit too dismal and dreary for me with the few bright colors given to the monster fighting. Yes, I know this is a post-apocalyptic story and I will say the colors are perfect for it. However, I have to judge on what I like and it wasn’t my mug o’tea. Fans of Godzilla will most likely enjoy it though.

I saw a couple of the old Godzilla movies in my more movie watching years (back when I saw at least one movie a day) and honestly I never saw the charm with them. I have also seen the one with Jean Reno and half of the new one (got bored).

 

So actually this is probably the best experience I had with Godzilla (although I like Jean Reno the movie was not that good). The art was good, the story, not that bad, Godzilla, Mothra and many other monsters fighting each other, and of course the humans caught in between,

 

3 stars

 

Thank you Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!