Picoult's most raw, honest, and important novel asks Can your own child become a mystery to you? What does it mean to be different in our society? Is it ever okay for a victim to strike back and who, if anyone, has the right to judge someone else? Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens - until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. After years of cruel bullying from his classmates, Peter Houghton snaps one morning, and in 19 minutes, 10 residents of the town are dead. When the case goes to trial, the reeling town is determined to seek justice for the innocents Peter killed. Josie, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes, and as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families. As the trial unfolds, Peter's testimony casts light on the terrible role the residents have played in turning a sweet, loving boy into a killer. 565pp, paperback.
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