The '' Associated Press '' acknowledged that although Peter 's guilt can not be in doubt from a legal perspective , it is hard for readers to know where to put the blame as the story unfolds . '' Rocky Mountain News '' agreed , stating that while the beginning shooting scene makes it " painfully clear who the victims and killer are . As the novel unfolds , Picoult succeeds in lifting those assumptions up for scrutiny , until villains and victims seem to blend into a motley jumble of alliances and rejection . " The '' Free Lance-Star '' mentioned that '' Nineteen Minutes '' created a two-sided story that helps readers understand everything about the school shooting , which is more than what normal media coverage will provide about this type of tragedy . The '' New York Times '' praised Picoult 's writing , commenting that she " writes articulately and clearly , making her all too much of a rarity among popular authors . " The '' Washington Post '' called the book not only a thriller that is " complete with dismaying carnage , urgent discoveries and 11th-hour revelations " , but also a source of serious moral questions about relationships between children and adult , and among children themselves . The '' Boston Globe '' considered '' Nineteen Minutes '' " an insightful deconstruction of youthful alienation , of the shattering repercussions of bullying , and the disturbing effects of benign neglect . " An ambiguous point in the story is the identity of the author of the handwritten journal entries at the start of the book chapters , with '' New York Times '' saying this writer may or may not be Peter , although " it does n't sound like him " , and '' Hippo Press '' analyzing that whether or not the writer is identified " does n’t matter " ; the author maybe either Josie or Peter , and the point is that the diary pieces " provide insight into the workings of the teenage mind " , showing that they are " not all that different . " Peter , the shooter , is also noted by '' USA Today '' as a lonely bullied student more similar to the offender in Heath High School shooting in Paducah , Kentucky than the offenders in Columbine High School massacre ( Both shooting incidents are mentioned in the story and used by Picoult as materials for research )
Heath High School shooting
Heath High School shooting
Nineteen Minutes