Dear Charlie by N.D. Gomes

There are plenty of fictional approaches to school shootings and massacres, and quite a few of them are really good.What makes Dear Charlie an interesting read is the fact it is written from a different perspective. Instead of the voice of the victims or the survivors, it's the voice of the killer's family.

In general they tend to be absolutely slated and portrayed in an overwhelmingly negative light by the media, the world and the people around them. In the majority of cases they are just as shocked by the actions of their children, siblings, grandchildren or family members, as every other person. Tragically they are also often the first victims in these kind of situations.

Sam has gone from being the younger brother of the artistic and supposedly happy Charlie, to the brother of a killer. His mother and father are now the parents of a killer. People look to them for answers and they also blame all three of them.

Pair those emotions, projected on them by others, with their own feelings of guilt, inadequacy and shame, and it's no wonder they all begin to fall apart. To top it all off both Sam and his mother have to contend with the reactions of the people they interact with on a daily basis. Sam suffers terribly at the hands of his cruel peers.

In a way you can almost see how someone could be pushed to breaking point, although it does take a specific combination of events, triggers, characteristics and perhaps even mental health issues for a mass-killer to emerge and act upon their dark fantasies.

I enjoyed the way Gomes shows the disintegration and isolation of the family unit, the difficulty Sam experiences and his search for answers, all in equal measure. The reader experiences the confusion and the constant question of why, and of course the realisation that sometimes you don't get the answers you need or want.

It was almost a perfect read except for a slight deviation into an en vogue YA narrative towards the end. Up to that point Gomes keeps it brutally realistic and void of any superfluous information, scenes and emotions. It is a really good read.

Buy Dear Charlie at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Violent Ends

Violent Ends is an anthology written by over fifteen authors (see below for names and links to their Goodreads profiles).

Now they do say that too many cooks spoil the broth, but not in this case, In Violent Ends all those authors make the broth a thing of beauty, in a literary sense of course.

It's been a while since I have been so impressed by a collaboration of this kind. Usually they tend to be disconnected because of the variety voices and writing styles.

Violent Ends is completely seamless and if I hadn't known any better I would have assumed it had been written by just a few or even one author. It is a spectacular way to approach the topic of a mass shooting, especially one committed by a teenager.

Each author gives a voice to a victim, a friend, an acquaintance, the killer, the sister, a neighbour, heck even the gun has its own voice. They tell their own story from their subjective point of view,  be it their experience with Kirby before, during or after the tragic event.

I liked the way none of them focused on the actual event or the gory details. There was no need to do so, because the emotions and descriptions leading up to it sufficed to create the imagery. Each person knows a different facet of Kirby's personality, which is an important aspect, because the perpetrator of a mass shooting isn't just a killer.

Even Kirby has his moments of friendship, the times when he became the saviour for certain individuals. The writers clearly show how he saved people from bullies, had intimate relationships, was the reason some people in his vicinity decided not to give up. Kirby the friend, Kirby the boyfriend and even Kirby the confidante.

They also haven't taken the obvious stereotypical route and described him as an outsider, a moody teenager clad head to toe in black attire with a gun obsession. Instead Kirby is just a normal young man with a happy family. He plays an instrument and marches in the school marching band. There is no apparent reason for his actions.

One of the most intriguing stories is that of Nate. The question of guilt arises, however it isn't necessarily that of Kirby. Was there a reason Kirby became an outsider and filled with enough anger to kill? Could a singular incident have determined his path at a very young age? Nate sees evidence of Kirby's later behaviour, as opposed to viewing the incident as a catalyst to said future behaviour. In fact it places the question of the why, and whether it all could have been avoided, firmly on the shoulders of society.

I really enjoyed this book, it's a great read and one I highly recommend. It gives the reader a different perspective on such an inexplicable tragedy.

This anthology is by the following authors Shaun David Hutchinson (Editor), Kendare Blake, Steve Brezenoff, Delilah S. Dawson, Trish Doller, Margie Gelbwasser, E.M. Kokie, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Tom Leveen, Hannah Moskowitz, Elisa Nader, Beth Revis, Mindi Scott, Neal Shusterman, Brandon Shusterman, Courtney Summers, Blythe Woolston, Christine Johnson.

Buy Violent Ends at AmazonUK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

I think it would have put things into a clearer perspective if some of the info from the last page had been at the beginning, then again perhaps that was intentional. I am talking specifically about the duration of the event.

Time seems to wander by in drip drop moments throughout the story, so much so that I started to wonder why no-one was rushing to their aid. Surely the world outside isn't ignoring the tragedy unfolding in the high school?

Then in the information about the book and promotion of said book it states a specific time-frame, 54 minutes, and it all made much more sense. So I wondered why the time-frame wasn't mentioned as part of the foreword.

Perhaps the author wants the reader to comprehend how time stands still during such an event. Each second and minute seems like an eternity. It also puts the emphasis on how quickly such a tragedy can occur. Lives are lost within mere seconds. Time cannot be stopped nor can it be wound back.

The beginning was a little confusing. Hopping from one person to the other seemed a little arbitrary, until the doors closed on the auditorium.

One thing these events always have in common in hindsight is the why. Why did he or they do it? Why my child, son, daughter or spouse and not someone else? Were there any signs? Could someone have stopped it?

Unfortunately none of us possess the power of being able to see into the future. All we can do is be vigilante and try to pick up on the subtle and not so subtle signs. It is hard to comprehend the kind of anger that festers deep inside and takes over someone, who ends up killing innocent, men, women and children.

Tyler isn't the nice boy next door. He is a troubled young man, with violent tendencies and a penchant for abusing others. Perhaps not such a surprise that he is capable of killing.

It is a powerful story, a frightening one and a nightmare for every parent. There isn't really a moral to the story, but rather a shock of reality for readers. It is more a story about loyalty, love and compassion for others. In times of great fear and need we humans can do the one thing nobody would ever expect us to do. To protect and save others. A selfless and yet such a brave act.

Nijkamp is definitely an author to watch out for.

Buy This is Where it Ends at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.