In the town of Sterling, county of Grafton, State of New Hampshire, not much occurs. However, in Jodi Picoult’s narrative, Nineteen Minutes, a life-changing decision is made by Peter Houghton, a 17-year-old student at Sterling High School, that will have a lasting impact on the town. Peter was pressured to emulate his brother Joey. However, this expectation is unjust. Joey was a beloved individual who excelled in sports, academics, and was universally liked.
Peter stood apart from others and longed for the attention he desired. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to notice him for who he truly was. The sole exception to this was his childhood companion, Josie Cormier, until she betrayed him in the sixth grade. Following this disheartening incident, Peter’s mother enrolled him in soccer as a means to mold him into someone resembling Joey. Despite his efforts and dedication, Peter consistently found himself on the sidelines during every match they played.
Beside Peter on the bench sat Derek Markowitz, who possessed many similarities to Peter. They quickly formed a friendship, but this did not alter the perception others had of Peter. In addition to this, Peter faced another issue: he was a victim of bullying. Ever since his initial day of kindergarten, when an older peer maliciously discarded his pristine Superman lunch box out of a bus window, he endured incessant taunting throughout his years in elementary and high school. Right from the start, he was never regarded as an equal.
The text describes Peter’s journey of building up hurt inside him and planning revenge on those who hurt him, including himself. It portrays how his situation gets worse with each incident of teasing. The story follows Peter’s creation of a computer game called Hide-and-Shriek, where he expresses his true emotions. Eventually, on March 6th, 2007, Peter seeks revenge at Sterling High and completes it within 19 minutes. Months later, his trial takes place at the Grafton County Superior Court, where his lawyer, Jordan McAfee, defends him as a misunderstood teenager who was trying to protect himself. The trial is portrayed as extremely challenging, making it difficult to determine guilt or innocence. The author, Jodi Picoult, successfully evokes empathy for both sides of the story. Overall, the narrative of Nineteen Minutes is captivating and leaves readers in anticipation of its outcome.
