Review: Violent Ends

TITLE: Violent Ends
AUTHORS: Shaun David Hutchinson, Kendare Blake, Steve Brezenott, Delilah S. Dawson, Trish Doller, Margie Gelbwasser, E.M. Kokie, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Tom Leveen, Hannah Moskowitz, Elisa Nader, Beth Revis, Mindi Scott, Neal Schusterman, Brandon Schusterman, Courtney Summers, Blythe Woolston, Christine Johnson
PUBLISHER: Simon Pulse
PUBLICATION DATE: 9/1/2015
FORMAT: Hardcover
PAGES: 352
SOURCE: Library

INSIDE COVER BLURB: It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others.

But this isn't a story about the shooting itself. This isn't about recounting that one unforgettable day.

This is about Kirby and how one boy--who had friends, enjoyed reading, played saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before--became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing on his classmates.

Each chapter is told from a different viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he'd become. Some are sweet, some are dark some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties. This is a book of perspectives--with one character and one event drawing them all together.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was so interested in the idea behind this book. The subject matter is one that is really interest me, but the idea of 17 perspectives all written by different authors was really intriguing to me.

I could not stop reading this book. It was so gripping and intense. I loved all of the different perspectives and how they tied together so well to make one complete story. The whole story was so tragic and sad, but all so good and captivating.


I like how you didn't know which author wrote which perspective as you were reading it (unless you flipped to the back to find out). It made me enjoy the story more as a whole instead of going in to each chapter with a bias based on my like or dislike of any specific author.

The chapter written from the gun's perspective was really interesting. I've never read anything from the perspective of an inanimate object before, and I thought it was a unique spin.

I thought the book ended in a weird place. I'm not really sure there was a good moment to end this book though, so I don't know how it could have been done any different.


COVER: The cover is haunting. Something about an empty school is just spooky on it's own, but when you have a subject matter like this, it just makes it all the more chilling.

MY RATING: