0
I picked up this book on a whim and was so glad I did. It's a terrifyingly intimate account of the Columbine massacre written in a narrative style that feels like a story but is all truth. A large portion of this book is spent characterizing and questioning the infamous shooters, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. What was true about what the media wrote and said? What wasn't? Dave Cullen, a journalist, reporting at the time of the massacre, dedicated years of his life to this book, and it shows.
HPB Staff ReviewI wasn't sure what to expect from this book at first, but Dave Cullen does a very good job at telling the story of Columbine. He is objective and informative, but you don't feel like you're reading from a textbook. He offers stories and perspectives that weren't necessarily represented in the news, and adds more detail to what the news did show. #SummerReading
Unlike any other piece of long-form journalism, Columbine is thriller-like in its complexity and tone while remaining loyal to the many interviews, news sources, tapes, journals, and testimonies surrounding the horrific events of April 20th, 1999. Cullen describes the combustible characters of Eric and Dylan in great detail thanks to their journals, recordings, and family accounts, but spends just as much time discussing the officers, reporters, school officials, and parents that were swept up in the barrage of misconceptions and accusations. Harrowing in its depth, Columbine provides a picture of peer pressure and madness that will educate you, move you, and haunt you. This book will be with me forever.
HPB Staff Review