Summary Of Peter Houghton's Nineteen Minutes

Who are you? Who are you as a person? A friend? We all struggle with the idea of identity. And in Peter Houghton's case, he tried figuring out his. Nineteen Minutes tells the tragic story of parents’ and students’ worst nightmare: school shootings. Following an array of characters, the book shows the emotions and thoughts that run through their heads–pulling you to think deeper into each situation.
At Sterlington High School, Peter Houghton killed ten students and injured nine others. We learn that Peter was bullied a dangerously large amount, and he struggled in many aspects of his life. In a home with the “perfect” brother and parents he felt hated him, he slowly spiraled out of control. Although I don’t in any way condone what Peter did, it makes you question whether he was a monster or just a kid. As a human, it is inevitable that mistakes are going to be made and feelings are going to be felt. I find that the majority of people try to
It served as a wake up call to me that everybody is just as lost as you. People have become experts at hiding it. Life is a series of ups, downs, and sideways that we try to navigate through. Empathy should be served to all you meet for they are struggling just the same. Even when we don’t understand a person’s actions or they don’t deserve it, such as in Peter’s case, the only thing we can do to change our future is to be compassionate.
We question ourselves and each other in our own lives. Especially in a society where everyone is told how to look or act. I would recommend Nineteen Minutes because it makes you question what lies beneath the surface. It makes you ask, what makes a person unique to themselves? Ultimately, this book helps the reader understand the concept of finding who we are. And that, in the end, none of us really know who we are; we live our lives searching–in hopes to find