Explore my reviews of these novels about school violence you should add to your reading list if you enjoyed the best-selling novel, This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. Each of these books explores a different viewpoint on school violence: the best friend, the mother of the shooter, the girlfriend of the shooter, the best friend of a deceased victim, and multiple viewpoints.
Unquiet Riot by Khristina Chess
Best Friend of the Killer
“When you’re the smallest and ugliest kid in third grade, you can’t stare blankly out the window like an alien pod person awaiting the return of the mother ship; that was a fast jaunt to a bloody playground brawl.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from Unquiet Riot
Riley’s life is filled with mind-numbing boredom until Henry arrives at his school.
Henry’s amazing! Henry believes the world is populated by robots posing as humans. He believes the shadows in his room are monsters escaping from the electrical wires, and he sleeps with knives under his mattresses. For Riley, visiting Henry’s world is like being a tourist in a foreign land.
Henry’s strangeness makes him a target for the same slander, harassment, and assault that Riley has been suffering for most of his school life.
But when the bullies take it too far, Henry decides to strike back.
Exhilarating and mind-bending! What I love most about Unquiet Riot is the slow unfolding of the friendship between the boys and the way Henry’s mental illness becomes revealed a little at a time. I worried for him. Riley is a great unreliable narrator who is witty and scary. This is the kind of authentic novel that really shows how factors like bullying, mental illness, and lack of teacher and parental involvement can allow an environment for a mass school violence event to occur.
If you liked This Is Where It Ends, you won’t want to miss this YA psychological thriller that shows unique perspectives of friends of the killer.
We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Mother of the Shooter
“Had I catalogued the downsides of parenthood, ‘son might turn out to be a killer’ would never have turned up on the list.” ― Lionel Shriver, quote from We Need to Talk about Kevin
Told through a series of letters, this novel tells the story from a mother’s point of view. Eva isn’t a particularly likeable mother, and she portrays her son, Kevin, as a bad seed from birth. As events unfold, however, the reader is left wondering about the difference between nature and nurture. Was Kevin born a psychopath who would bring violence to his classmates? Or was he made into a sociopath because of the way he was raised and the failure of his mother to love him?
This novel includes a dramatic crescendo to the actual events at the school, and although I’ve read this book twice now, I could read it again and still find is as chilling as the first time. Shriver deftly manages to create nuanced characters that I simultaneously felt empathy for and utter disgust and loathing.
Though not a YA novel because of the viewpoint, don’t miss this devastatingly powerful book that tackles important issues of school violence, parenting, and the problem of silence. You’ll want to pick it up if you enjoyed This Is Where It Ends as much as I did!
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Girlfriend of the Shooter
“I was both the monster and the sad girl. I couldn't separate the two.” ― Jennifer Brown, quote from Hate List
This novel is told from the viewpoint of the school shooter’s girlfriend Valerie. She is shot trying to stop him from killing some of their classmates, but unfortunately, she is also implicated in his crime because they created a “hate list” of people and things that they hated.
The title of this book is ironic because Hate List is about forgiveness and healing. As the story unfolds, Valerie exchanges enemies for friends, and even in her own family, there is a softening around the hard edges. Both Nick and Valerie's father betray her; she loves them, but they do terrible things. In the end, she must reconcile herself with the ambiguity of human relationships. People are usually not who we think they are.
One thing I really liked about this novel is that the author allows us to see Valerie grieve her boyfriend’s death. The Nick she loved wasn’t the same person who killed their classmates, and the Nick she loved is gone.
Check out this thought-provoking and heartbreaking novel that wrestles with the aftermath of a school shooting and the impact on the people left behind. If you enjoyed the best-selling novel, This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp, I know you will like Hate List.
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult
Multiple Viewpoints
“If you gave someone your heart and they died, did they take it with them? Did you spend the rest of forever with a hole inside you that couldn't be filled?” ― Jodi Picoult, quote from Nineteen Minutes
Josie Cormier is a survivor of the school shooting and a former friend of the shooter. She knows how much he was bullied. In fact, her boyfriend Matt was one of the bullies. And now Matt’s dead.
Alex Cormier is the judge of the case, until she has to recuse herself because her daughter Josie is called as a witness for the defense.
Peter is the boy who went into the school with a gun and a list. Josie was on the list too, but her name was circled and noted, “Don’t Kill.”
Lucy is Peter’s mother. She’s already lost one son, and now she’s about to lose another.
Patrick is the first responding police officer at the school. He found Josie. At first he thought she was dead, but she wasn’t. And now he’s dating her mother.
As with all Jodi Piccoult novels, none of the circumstances are black and white or one-dimensional. There are many individuals involved, and it’s messy. It’s hard to find someone to blame because the tragedy pulls everyone in.
If you enjoy books with multiple viewpoints like This Is Where It Ends, you will love Nineteen Minutes.
That’s Not What Happened by Jodi Keplinger
Best Friend of Deceased Victim
“It’s a good story. And you know what people like way more than the truth? A good story.“ ― Jodi Keplinger, quote from That’s Not What Happened
This novel has an interesting approach to viewpoint by showing the reader how the victims lose their voices and their ability to tell their side of the story. The concept is that Lee’s best friend died during a school shooting, and because she was wearing a cross and proclaimed her faith to her assailant, she became a martyr. Except, that’s not the truth.
As a trauma survivor, Lee is not an especially likeable protagonist. Her motives for telling the truth and pushing the others to do so are muddy at times, and I struggled to have emotional investment in her character. At the same time, the concept of this story makes That’s Not What Happened an important title in the collection of novels about high school mass shootings.
There are so many viewpoints in these tragedies. Even the viewpoints of the victims.
Other Books If You Liked This Is Where It Ends
What about you? There are many other books about school shootings. You will find some other great lists on Goodreads (links): Readers Who Enjoyed This Is Where It Ends, School Shooting Fiction (82 books), and School Shooting Books (149). You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic, including mental illness and bullying.
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.