Review for Violent Ends by Various Authors!
Quick View Review
Characters: ***** (5/5)
Plot: ***** (5/5)
Writing Quality: depended on the story, but I would say the average was **** (4/5)
Full Review
Twenty two minutes. Twenty two minutes that changed the lives of so many. Twenty two minutes that broke the hearts of people everywhere.Twenty two minutes… That’s how long it took for Kirby Matheson to make his name known… Although not in the way you might think.
This book doesn’t tell the story of that awful day, though. Besides, who would want to have to re-experience the fear, no, the pure terror, and absolute grief Kirby caused?
No, this book is about how Kirby, a boy who was seemingly fine: he had friends, participated in band, and liked to read. So how did Kirby become the monster capable of killing his classmates?
In this incredibly powerful and impactful novel, every chapter is told from a different unique perspective, providing the reader with almost every viewpoint imaginable. And although some seem completely unrelated, they allow us to get a sense of what Kirby was going through without actually hearing his thoughts.
I first picked up this book because I was curious: school shootings is a current crisis, and I wanted to find out more and perhaps understand the committers a little bit more.
If you’ve read a few of my past reviews, you might know that I usually adore getting multiple perspectives in the books I read. Obviously, this book would not at all been the same without the multiple points of view the reader received, and I absolutely loved it. And, if I’m being perfectly honest, the multiple viewpoints caused me to feel a little pitiful and sympathetic towards Kirby when I was done. Of course, I did not think his actions were justified, but I was constantly and desperately wishing for the people around him to just listen and notice that he wasn’t okay.
Some chapters I liked more than others. My favorite was probably the one by Neal & Brendan Shusterman. Neal has been one of my favorite authors for a while now, and I had high expectations when I got to his and his son’s chapter. I was a little confused at first, but it turned out to be the most unique and one of the more powerful chapters.
I’m sure I missed some of the connections I was supposed to make, but I don’t think this affected my reading experience in the slightest. Although I really wanted to hear Kirby’s point of view and truly understand what he was feeling, I kind of enjoyed the sense of mystery the author’s left the reader with: I was left with things to ponder and think about, still slightly questioning what Kirby’s reasoning was. I also think the authors’ styles melded seamlessly while also remaining distinct and distinguishable, which united the book but also created a separate story out of every chapter.
Overall, this is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read, and I think that it could really have an important impact a lot of people. It allowed me to become more attentive to my surroundings and the people around me, and I feel like it is one of the rare diamonds that can change perspectives everywhere. I recommend this to absolutely anyone, as this book is a read that was destined for any reader.
Make sure to come back next Wednesday for a new review!
Happy reading!
Jordan
