Genre
Contemporary Fiction
Setting and Context
Set in 2007 in Sterling, New Hampshire
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narration
Tone and Mood
Poignant, Stern, Sentimental, Descriptive
Protagonist and Antagonist
Peter Houghton is both the protagonist and the antagonist of the story. Other antagonists include Matt Royston and Drew Girard.
Major Conflict
The narrative delves into the events that took place before and after a school shooting that claims the lives of several students. It tackles the issue of bullying, violence, peer pressure, self-image, and suicide, especially among teenagers in high school. The town tries to seek answers as to why a teenage boy would claim the lives of his peers in a shooting spree.
Climax
The climax occurs during the trial when Josie admits that she is the one who initially shot Matt.
Foreshadowing
In the opening passage, the narrator asserts that in nineteen minutes revenge can take place foreshadowing the school shooting.
Understatement
“They started it”
Peter gives this answer to explain his vicious actions that took the lives of multiple individuals.
Allusions
The novel alludes to the trend of school shootings that have been a major social problem in the current climate.
Imagery
“Patrick pushed against the tide, a salmon swimming upstream. Homework papers were scattered on the floor; shell casings rolled beneath the heels of his shoes. Ceiling tiles had been shot off, and a fine gray dust coated the broken bodies that lay twisted on the floor. Patrick ignored all of this, going against most of his training-running past doors that might hide a perp, disregarding rooms that should have been searched-instead driving forward with his weapon drawn and his heart beating through every inch of his skin.”
Paradox
“Patrick couldn’t help but feel that he was too late. He was a detective, but he didn’t detect anything. It fell into his lap, already broken, every time.”
Parallelism
“In nineteen minutes, you can order a pizza and get it delivered. You can read a story to a child or have your oil changed. You can walk a mile. You can sew a hem.
In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it.
In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.”
Metonymy and Synecdoche
“What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
Personification
“The screams were shattering, decibel-rich, cataclysmic.”
