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The Trigger: Narratives of the American Shooter
Six moving profiles reveal the human stories behind gun violence in the United States.
A mother's untimely death causes a boy's emotional spiral that culminates in drug-related shooting and twenty-three years in prison; an honor roll student and all-American athlete drunkenly brandishes a shotgun and accidentally shoots a man; a fresh, hopeful Chicago police officer kills an offender while off duty and saves a fellow patrolman; a blue-collar worker suffers a psychotic break and kills his mother. In 2014, there were 8,124 gunshot homicides; the death rate in America from gun homicides is about thirty-one per million people—far higher than almost every other developed nation.
With police incidents, mass shootings, and acts of terrorism, guns remain a controversial and inflammatory topic in the United States. It can be easy to reduce the issue to numbers, or focus on racial tensions or political causes. One quickly forgets that behind each act of gun violence there is a story, a coming together of events that caused it. In The Trigger, Daniel Patinkin brings those stories to the forefront, building moving narratives from exhaustive interviews with six individuals, each of whom have shot and killed someone under different circumstances. In each profile, Patinkin strives to remind us that every perpetrator of gun violence has a face, and that the shooter's story deserves as much attention as the victim’s.
A mother's untimely death causes a boy's emotional spiral that culminates in drug-related shooting and twenty-three years in prison; an honor roll student and all-American athlete drunkenly brandishes a shotgun and accidentally shoots a man; a fresh, hopeful Chicago police officer kills an offender while off duty and saves a fellow patrolman; a blue-collar worker suffers a psychotic break and kills his mother. In 2014, there were 8,124 gunshot homicides; the death rate in America from gun homicides is about thirty-one per million people—far higher than almost every other developed nation.
With police incidents, mass shootings, and acts of terrorism, guns remain a controversial and inflammatory topic in the United States. It can be easy to reduce the issue to numbers, or focus on racial tensions or political causes. One quickly forgets that behind each act of gun violence there is a story, a coming together of events that caused it. In The Trigger, Daniel Patinkin brings those stories to the forefront, building moving narratives from exhaustive interviews with six individuals, each of whom have shot and killed someone under different circumstances. In each profile, Patinkin strives to remind us that every perpetrator of gun violence has a face, and that the shooter's story deserves as much attention as the victim’s.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published June 19, 2018
58 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Daniel J. Patinkin
3 books21 followersDaniel J. Patinkin is a Chicago-based author. He has published two narrative nonfiction books: The Crippler: Cage Fighting and My Life on the Edge (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016) and The Trigger: Narratives of the American Shooter (Arcade Publishing, 2018). His newest collection of short stories, entitled Vestiges, is set for release in Fall of 2024. Patinkin's work has been featured and/or reviewed in the The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Salon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Vice, Library Journal, and more. He possesses a B.A. from Indiana University and an M.F.A. from the University of Southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
June 11, 2018
This true crime book shares six narratives of shooting situations where gun violence in the US is involved, opening the discussion about the topic and also gun regulation. The author delves into the story behind the headlines of each case to find the human reality of it and bring it to light.
Then the book brings up the mass shooting in Las Vegas in the epilogue too, and how that’s affected things in our country. I’d say equally affecting even since then has been the school shootings, especially the one in Florida recently that has set off marches and protests, along with walkouts in schools. Gun violence is certainly a long-term problem in the US with no simple solution in sight and something we all need to work together on to come up with a solution. The book looks at the issue from different sides and considerations. An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, author Daniel J. Patinkin, and the publisher for my unbiased review. 3.5 stars of 5 stars.
Arcade Publication
Publication: June 10, 2018
Then the book brings up the mass shooting in Las Vegas in the epilogue too, and how that’s affected things in our country. I’d say equally affecting even since then has been the school shootings, especially the one in Florida recently that has set off marches and protests, along with walkouts in schools. Gun violence is certainly a long-term problem in the US with no simple solution in sight and something we all need to work together on to come up with a solution. The book looks at the issue from different sides and considerations. An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, author Daniel J. Patinkin, and the publisher for my unbiased review. 3.5 stars of 5 stars.
Arcade Publication
Publication: June 10, 2018
November 5, 2018
The concept for this book is brilliant, and I don't think anyone has attempted this study in quite the same way. The brilliance ends with the concept, however, and Patinkin takes over and almost blows it.
Let's get the biases out in the open right off the hop: Mr Patinkin is not a big fan of guns, whereas I am quite fond of the shooting sports, so we have to know up front that we are unlikely to agree on most topics relating to firearms. Mr Patinkin got the idea that he should write a book in which people who have actually shot another human being can relate the circumstances leading up to their use of firepower and, presumably, how the gun violence has impacted the triggerman (or woman) post-shooting. Great idea, right? I thought so, too.
I think the book is flawed for a number of reasons. To begin with, his case list is pitifully small...6 shooters, I believe. Surely if the frequency of shooting crimes in the USA is as bad as the media report, a fellow should be able to come up with a greater sampling than six cases! And you won't read much about any good guy shootings, like a cop taking down a serial killer or a granny nailing a rapist who had invaded her bedroom. No, Patinkin carefully selected cases specifically to avoid any positive slant, wanting the world to understand that much misery is caused by gunfire. There is actually one police shooting, but that makes accounts for only a shade over 15% of the cases.
Another problem is that the stories are all told in the author's voice. Apparently he interviewed the shooters, but he tells the stories. Naturally, he is unable to keep his own biases out of the narrative.
Since he put so much of his own voice into the book, it's a pity he didn't read it before it was sent for final printing. It is riddled with mistakes. As an example, on page 139 he can't seem to decide if statues or statutes are responsible for the laws, and on a later page a girl's name switches from Molly to Holly. And let's not forget the purple prose, hardly appropriate for what should be a sober and serious look at a real problem. This gem from page 284:
"The final day of Brandon's sentence, in the spring of 1999, sprang up like a startled deer."
There are a lot of lunatics on both sides of the gun control debate, and I think that this book puts Patinkin left of centre, somewhere past healthy skepticism and encroaching on loony land. I don't dispute that there's a problem; firearms were laughably easy for these shooters to get. It makes no sense to me that someone would have an unsecured operable firearm in a residence, particularly if there were children there. Little oversights like this contributed to the shootings in at least one case in the book.
I think this is still not a bad read, and Patinkin basically admits up front that he couldn't keep his personal beliefs from coloring the narrative. The cases studied in the book are sufficiently interesting to keep you reading. I think that if I were to undertake this project that I would have had a greater number of cases and would have obtained the story in the shooter's own words.
Let's get the biases out in the open right off the hop: Mr Patinkin is not a big fan of guns, whereas I am quite fond of the shooting sports, so we have to know up front that we are unlikely to agree on most topics relating to firearms. Mr Patinkin got the idea that he should write a book in which people who have actually shot another human being can relate the circumstances leading up to their use of firepower and, presumably, how the gun violence has impacted the triggerman (or woman) post-shooting. Great idea, right? I thought so, too.
I think the book is flawed for a number of reasons. To begin with, his case list is pitifully small...6 shooters, I believe. Surely if the frequency of shooting crimes in the USA is as bad as the media report, a fellow should be able to come up with a greater sampling than six cases! And you won't read much about any good guy shootings, like a cop taking down a serial killer or a granny nailing a rapist who had invaded her bedroom. No, Patinkin carefully selected cases specifically to avoid any positive slant, wanting the world to understand that much misery is caused by gunfire. There is actually one police shooting, but that makes accounts for only a shade over 15% of the cases.
Another problem is that the stories are all told in the author's voice. Apparently he interviewed the shooters, but he tells the stories. Naturally, he is unable to keep his own biases out of the narrative.
Since he put so much of his own voice into the book, it's a pity he didn't read it before it was sent for final printing. It is riddled with mistakes. As an example, on page 139 he can't seem to decide if statues or statutes are responsible for the laws, and on a later page a girl's name switches from Molly to Holly. And let's not forget the purple prose, hardly appropriate for what should be a sober and serious look at a real problem. This gem from page 284:
"The final day of Brandon's sentence, in the spring of 1999, sprang up like a startled deer."
There are a lot of lunatics on both sides of the gun control debate, and I think that this book puts Patinkin left of centre, somewhere past healthy skepticism and encroaching on loony land. I don't dispute that there's a problem; firearms were laughably easy for these shooters to get. It makes no sense to me that someone would have an unsecured operable firearm in a residence, particularly if there were children there. Little oversights like this contributed to the shootings in at least one case in the book.
I think this is still not a bad read, and Patinkin basically admits up front that he couldn't keep his personal beliefs from coloring the narrative. The cases studied in the book are sufficiently interesting to keep you reading. I think that if I were to undertake this project that I would have had a greater number of cases and would have obtained the story in the shooter's own words.
August 6, 2018
It's easy to dismiss the gun violence crisis as "oh, they're all gun nuts". This book however asks some tough and uncomfortable questions that should be asked and gives humanity back to 6 of those who shot someone at some point in their lives. Is there redemption for someone who shot his mother? How long should we label someone as a criminal? Are there really second chances? What if you shoot someone so as not to shoot yourself? What if you save a life?
The book walks both into the shoes of the criminal and of the police officer who needs to press the trigger. It's a murky world out there where heroes and villains change places everyday. And this book is great to make one think about it.
The book walks both into the shoes of the criminal and of the police officer who needs to press the trigger. It's a murky world out there where heroes and villains change places everyday. And this book is great to make one think about it.
August 19, 2018
When I first saw this book I was curious to see how Daniel J. Patinkin would execute this since guns are such a major topic currently. The moment you say gun and shooting you have a sever reaction either against all guns or for them. In the very beginning of the book Daniel even talks about how hard it was to try and find a couple people that would be willing to share their shooting stories.
The Trigger is well executed in how it presents six stories of shootings, what happened, and how it changes the people’s lives afterwards. You will read about a young man that got into selling drugs then had to shoot someone, a man that shoots and kills his own mother, a man that hat to shoot someone in self-defense, a police officer, a young woman that killed her abusive father, and a young man that was out partying and a confrontation with another person goes wrong.
Daniel lays the stories out like they happened and gives you room to come to your own conclusions about them. The stories come from all walks of life and a variety of people. I absolutely love how you hear the full story. Usually in the news we just hear about the event and a little bit about the before and after, essentially just enough to explain/justify the shooting.
As a Second Amendment supporter I feel that we have the right to protect ourselves. But I also this is a right and if you don’t feel comfortable/capable of using the gun, it is your right to not have one. But just like anything, whether it is a gun or knife or anything else, there is always someone out there that is going to abuse that right.
But before I get into a whole discussion about gun rights, I will come back to my review. This is a great look at guns, the people that have had to shoot someone, and how it has affected their lives. This is a wonderful book that is well written and one that I recommend everyone to read. There is so much more to the gun debate than just people being shot and killed and this book has a great approach to the bigger picture.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
The Trigger is well executed in how it presents six stories of shootings, what happened, and how it changes the people’s lives afterwards. You will read about a young man that got into selling drugs then had to shoot someone, a man that shoots and kills his own mother, a man that hat to shoot someone in self-defense, a police officer, a young woman that killed her abusive father, and a young man that was out partying and a confrontation with another person goes wrong.
Daniel lays the stories out like they happened and gives you room to come to your own conclusions about them. The stories come from all walks of life and a variety of people. I absolutely love how you hear the full story. Usually in the news we just hear about the event and a little bit about the before and after, essentially just enough to explain/justify the shooting.
As a Second Amendment supporter I feel that we have the right to protect ourselves. But I also this is a right and if you don’t feel comfortable/capable of using the gun, it is your right to not have one. But just like anything, whether it is a gun or knife or anything else, there is always someone out there that is going to abuse that right.
But before I get into a whole discussion about gun rights, I will come back to my review. This is a great look at guns, the people that have had to shoot someone, and how it has affected their lives. This is a wonderful book that is well written and one that I recommend everyone to read. There is so much more to the gun debate than just people being shot and killed and this book has a great approach to the bigger picture.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
August 25, 2018
In the United States in the last 50 years more than 1.5 million people have been killed by gunshots, more than all the soldiers dead in all the wars since 1775. Some of the reasons are the easy availability of guns, poverty, drug use, domestic violence, mental issues, among others. The author presents in this book the stories of six completely different people who shot somebody in their lives. He helps us to see that behind every shooter there is a human being, some wicked but others who are the result of their circumstances. Obviously, their lives took a plunge and they explain their terrible conditions they had to live in prison and how they had to struggle every single day simply to survive. Hopes lost, lives destroyed, not only theirs but of family members, friends, and colleagues. A very sad situation for which no solution is seen in the horizon, unfortunately.
August 1, 2018
Interesting, detailed and personal stories of individuals who used a gun to kill somebody. Insightful perspective inside each persons reasons and detailed follow through as to what happened to them after. I did not find the book 'politically leaning' or pro/con gun control in any way. Just stories about how people's lives were changed both good and bad by their actions. The book was not a page turner but I truly enjoyed the authors dedication to telling the whole story, whether good or bad and he made me feel an emotional connection to the individuals he writes about. Good author!
July 18, 2018
The book is a window offering a very fleshed out view of the gun culture in the United States of America by presenting several, completely different life experiences that have been shaped by the shortcomings of the American Dream then transformed by the pull of a trigger.
The author is exceptionally proficient at writing from the point of view of the killer while also completing the picture with researched facts surrounding the life of the perpetrators. The vocabulary and the pace change to embody the subject, making it impossible to not start the next chapter on completion of the previous riveting story.
The book will leave you with an all important question that the author preferred to not answer as it is not his opinion that matter, but rather the attention that each human being should pay to engage in the discussion.
On my part, I have pondered much more informed after the reading and I came to one simple conclusion: without guns, no killer can pull a trigger! But the United States of America are far from this simple solution and the whole country will need to be creative to catch up with the rest of the world!
The author is exceptionally proficient at writing from the point of view of the killer while also completing the picture with researched facts surrounding the life of the perpetrators. The vocabulary and the pace change to embody the subject, making it impossible to not start the next chapter on completion of the previous riveting story.
The book will leave you with an all important question that the author preferred to not answer as it is not his opinion that matter, but rather the attention that each human being should pay to engage in the discussion.
On my part, I have pondered much more informed after the reading and I came to one simple conclusion: without guns, no killer can pull a trigger! But the United States of America are far from this simple solution and the whole country will need to be creative to catch up with the rest of the world!
August 9, 2019
When I look and read this book I realize it is a juxtaposition to “Another Day in the Death of America” by Gary Younge, so go read that too! Written about the perpetrators of shootings, “The Trigger” really makes one consider what is a criminal. It emphasizes what I have known for years, that crime is more than an act, it is that persons years of personal history that led to a single (sometimes unfairly) defining moment. This book does an excellent job of following the shooters before and after to show the humanity, on both sides, of the situation. If you want a full understanding of what gun crime is, you need to read this book.
June 27, 2018
This book succeeds in achieving its intended purpose, which is NOT to make a statement either way in favor of or against guns or gun control. The purpose is to add another meaningful piece to the vast and intricate puzzle of America, and America is a country of guns.
When Time magazine put that bomber kid's face on their cover, there was a huge backlash, and rightly so. Because that gave the kid attention and glory. There is no glory for the perpetrators of violence in The Trigger. Nor is the reader asked for empathy. The reader is simply given the stories of humans and left to decide on their own what it all means, which is the best way these stories could possibly be prevented.
When Time magazine put that bomber kid's face on their cover, there was a huge backlash, and rightly so. Because that gave the kid attention and glory. There is no glory for the perpetrators of violence in The Trigger. Nor is the reader asked for empathy. The reader is simply given the stories of humans and left to decide on their own what it all means, which is the best way these stories could possibly be prevented.
July 16, 2018
Absolutely fascinating book that highlights the nuanced and complex reality of one the major American issues of our time. The author illuminates six stories from the perspective and experience of a person who has shot and killed another human being - skillfully describing the circumstances that led to those events and the repercussions the shooter must face as consequence for those actions. It's rarely as black and white as we so often believe.
This book is written with an instinctive flair for storytelling and often reads as if it were fiction. The stories are fascinating and the author is an adept translator of the depth and complexity of circumstance that led to unthinkable realities. This book is not only a page turner - I could not put it down - it requires and inspires its reader to take a deep personal dive to uncover and accept the reality of situations and people we so quickly condemn.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
This book is written with an instinctive flair for storytelling and often reads as if it were fiction. The stories are fascinating and the author is an adept translator of the depth and complexity of circumstance that led to unthinkable realities. This book is not only a page turner - I could not put it down - it requires and inspires its reader to take a deep personal dive to uncover and accept the reality of situations and people we so quickly condemn.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
July 8, 2018
Overwritten, but Necessary
Six shooters, and so many lives impacted.
While reading through this, I found myself becoming overwhelmed with what oft felt like unnecessary and overdone details about the times, circumstances, and lives of of those involved in each incident. The reading straddles between sharing the narrative of the times and telling the stories of these men and women. I would have appreciated the reading much more if it were constructed differently, focusing more on the individuals and their situations while including the sidebar information in separate chapters, or a separate volume altogether.
Each unique situation was described in a way that allowed readers to truly understand the person behind the trigger. The non-judgemental approach to each of these must not have been an easy undertaking, given how vastly different they all are. It's admirable that the author was able, and willing, to set aside prejudice and emotion to bring the voices of these possessions to those unfamiliar with them.
I enjoyed the read, and I would recommend it to others.
Six shooters, and so many lives impacted.
While reading through this, I found myself becoming overwhelmed with what oft felt like unnecessary and overdone details about the times, circumstances, and lives of of those involved in each incident. The reading straddles between sharing the narrative of the times and telling the stories of these men and women. I would have appreciated the reading much more if it were constructed differently, focusing more on the individuals and their situations while including the sidebar information in separate chapters, or a separate volume altogether.
Each unique situation was described in a way that allowed readers to truly understand the person behind the trigger. The non-judgemental approach to each of these must not have been an easy undertaking, given how vastly different they all are. It's admirable that the author was able, and willing, to set aside prejudice and emotion to bring the voices of these possessions to those unfamiliar with them.
I enjoyed the read, and I would recommend it to others.
December 23, 2018
Chapter 6, An All-American Boy: Brandon Clancy, should be required reading for all high school students. Clancy was a good kid who needlessly took an innocent life and ruined the lives of countless others. All due to a reckless incident caused by alcohol fueled machismo while in possession of a gun.
Reading about what Clancy goes through in the aftermath of killing someone should terrify teenagers and possibly make them think about the consequences when they are looking for trouble.
Reading about what Clancy goes through in the aftermath of killing someone should terrify teenagers and possibly make them think about the consequences when they are looking for trouble.
July 12, 2018
"The Trigger" is a well-researched, unbiased look at six vastly different people in the U.S. that have one thing in common - they've shot someone to death. The author states in the prologue that his goal was to remain from making any political statements about gun violence or gun control. I personally wish the author had taken more of a stance or had further explored what opportunities were missed by us/our society that encouraged or allowed the shooting to take place versus spending much of the novel describing each person's prison experience. Regardless, a step in the right direction of opening up conversations that are much-needed in our country.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2019
Mr. Patinkin shows the complexities, emotions, and moral ambiguities of his subject with fairness and depth. Overall, an excellent portrayal of real people experiencing real tragedies. He does not condemn or exalt; he allows his readers to draw their own conclusions. Perhaps the most valuable part of the experience was leaving with the sense that I could see myself in each story and ended up wanting both justice and empathy for everyone.
June 26, 2018
I could not put this book down. Each story drew me in and held my attention. I also thought it was very well written, I actually had to look up two words in the dictionary! I love that bc it doesnt happen that often. I also thought the writer took a courageous look into lives that the ordinary person would never come across and present them in a very non judgmental way. So often we jump to conclusions quickly and do not know the whole story. I am looking forward to Dan's next book!
June 30, 2018
I found The Trigger captivating from the first page. It offers a view of guns and violence that is rarely seen - the true and honest perspective of the shooter. The stories were well written and left me wanting more. I'm curious to see what the author's follow up will be to this book.
July 16, 2018
True Crime Story
This is a sensitive and touching review of six people who shot someone. The author explains the circumstances and the life conditions that led to the shooting. It is worth them reader's time and effort to learn about these stories.
This is a sensitive and touching review of six people who shot someone. The author explains the circumstances and the life conditions that led to the shooting. It is worth them reader's time and effort to learn about these stories.
July 17, 2018
Interesting book !
This book narrates the stories of six people who killed other individuals as well as the reasons they pulled the triggers. This narrative shows that crime is not always cut and dried. This book gives an entirely different viewpoint concerning crime. I recommend this book to other true crime readers.
This book narrates the stories of six people who killed other individuals as well as the reasons they pulled the triggers. This narrative shows that crime is not always cut and dried. This book gives an entirely different viewpoint concerning crime. I recommend this book to other true crime readers.
June 18, 2018
This book was really gripping. It contains the personal stories of six different people who have all shot someone. It was very detailed, well written, and goes deep into each individual's background and life story well before the shootings ever took place.
The stories are really varied to offer a wide scope of perspective. One story was about a cop who shot someone to save a life. One was about a young woman who had suffered years of abuse. Others were hardened criminals, and some had no criminal background at all. I enjoyed this diversity because it showed that all kinds of people COULD find themselves in such a difficult situation.
All of the stories were excellent. Each time I was in the midst of one, I would declare it as my favorite of the bunch... until I was reading the next one and declared THAT one my favorite... and on and on.
Very eye-opening narrative. The author gets a BIT into political talk which I don't typically enjoy, but all in all, I found the book to be incredibly informative and interesting. This is one I'd highly recommend.
The stories are really varied to offer a wide scope of perspective. One story was about a cop who shot someone to save a life. One was about a young woman who had suffered years of abuse. Others were hardened criminals, and some had no criminal background at all. I enjoyed this diversity because it showed that all kinds of people COULD find themselves in such a difficult situation.
All of the stories were excellent. Each time I was in the midst of one, I would declare it as my favorite of the bunch... until I was reading the next one and declared THAT one my favorite... and on and on.
Very eye-opening narrative. The author gets a BIT into political talk which I don't typically enjoy, but all in all, I found the book to be incredibly informative and interesting. This is one I'd highly recommend.
August 22, 2018
No matter where you sit on the stance of guns in America, The Trigger is a great read. I was really drawn to the book's human approach to its fascinating but flawed subjects. Definitely recommended!
March 3, 2019
Amazing book! It’s a must read for everyone!
March 18, 2020
An interesting perspective into the lives of people who have killed someone with a gun and the thoughts going on in their minds. Worth the read.
June 30, 2018
I love this book. It's very different from the books I'm used to reading. The author actually interviewed six people who shot and killed other people and he is telling their stories, experiences and background. We get to know about these shooters' lives before the crime and experience it all through them. You don't meet people like that and hear their stories everyday! It's such an interesting book. Hard to put down.
June 25, 2018
While this book was interesting and I learned some things I didn't know about gun violence in America, I felt that the stories were relayed in a somewhat confusing manner. It was an easy read and good for true crime lovers.
June 28, 2018
A must read! Daniel Patinkin tells the true life stories of six american shooters.
Like me, you will be hooked after the first one but keep reading, it gets better and better.
The descriptive details of the narratives are told in an unbiased fashion and are truly Captivating and thought - provoking! These are the true stories behind the American shooter.
Like me, you will be hooked after the first one but keep reading, it gets better and better.
The descriptive details of the narratives are told in an unbiased fashion and are truly Captivating and thought - provoking! These are the true stories behind the American shooter.
June 27, 2018
The Trigger is one of the most compelling books I have read this year. Each narrative is told in a unique format as to get a better understanding of the shooter. This book has so many talking points and will be added to my book club list!
November 7, 2018
An empathic and revealing look into the lives and circumstances of six Americans who have shot another person. For the most part, Patinkin does well in laying out the chronological events that led to his subjects acquiring a gun and having a reason to use it, whether that reason was the perpetuation of a criminal lifestyle, anger, psychosis or self-defense. My biggest complaint is with the third chapter of the book, where Patinkin begins with his subject's trial and prison sentence, then flashes back to the immediate aftermath of the shooting, then continues with the remainder of the subject's incarceration before briefly describing the actual shooting at the very end of the chapter. Compared to the straightforward organization of the other five chapters, I found this fractured storyline rather jarring.
That concern aside, The Trigger is an extremely useful book for understanding the vast majority of American gun violence which does not attract major media coverage. I was also surprised by the depth at which the book describes problems in America's penal system. And as a Chicago resident, I especially appreciated Patinkin's breakdown of the Laquan McDonald murder and other recent police-involved shootings in comparison to the justified police shooting in this book. Read The Trigger for a look at the myriad factors that contribute to gun violence and for a better grasp of the entire criminal justice system.
That concern aside, The Trigger is an extremely useful book for understanding the vast majority of American gun violence which does not attract major media coverage. I was also surprised by the depth at which the book describes problems in America's penal system. And as a Chicago resident, I especially appreciated Patinkin's breakdown of the Laquan McDonald murder and other recent police-involved shootings in comparison to the justified police shooting in this book. Read The Trigger for a look at the myriad factors that contribute to gun violence and for a better grasp of the entire criminal justice system.
May 18, 2018
This book is a captivating read that really delves into the mindset of each shooter; I didn't put it down for days. The author's writing style takes care to humanize the people in each situation vs. a typical news report that only focuses on buzzwords. If you're looking for an honest, objective, first-hand account of these kinds of stories, you must read The Trigger.
January 31, 2019
Amazing. Couldn't put it down. I could easily see myself in each of the shooter's shoes if I had lived the circumstances of their lives.
March 26, 2018
Thank you Net Gallery and Skyhorse Publishing to give me a chance to read this fantastic book. It certainly kept my attention from beginning to end. I would like to read more by this author.
Like I wrote above this is a fantastic read and I know it will be a bestseller and I hope my review helps it along.
Here we see 6 different powerful stories of the perspective of the actually shooter and why, how, and what of why they did what they did it. No discrimination in these stories, anyone can pull the Trigger. It must of been hard for the author to only pick 6 stories. There are plenty out there.
Whether you are abused, someone close to you dies, drug-related, or the best person in the town. You can find yourself in these situations. A lot of research is put in this book and the statistics are unbelievable. This book even throws in the many shootings by law enforcement. You will find yourself shaking your head at the things people do.
Every story is fantastic. I felt sorry for the abused girl that tried so hard to get away from her father and no one would listen. They say there are other things she could of done but really there wasn't. She did the only thing she could. I felt it justified. Courts thought differently.
Every one of these stories are wonderfully written and shocking. I really want to read it again.
Thanks again for the ARC
Cherie'
Like I wrote above this is a fantastic read and I know it will be a bestseller and I hope my review helps it along.
Here we see 6 different powerful stories of the perspective of the actually shooter and why, how, and what of why they did what they did it. No discrimination in these stories, anyone can pull the Trigger. It must of been hard for the author to only pick 6 stories. There are plenty out there.
Whether you are abused, someone close to you dies, drug-related, or the best person in the town. You can find yourself in these situations. A lot of research is put in this book and the statistics are unbelievable. This book even throws in the many shootings by law enforcement. You will find yourself shaking your head at the things people do.
Every story is fantastic. I felt sorry for the abused girl that tried so hard to get away from her father and no one would listen. They say there are other things she could of done but really there wasn't. She did the only thing she could. I felt it justified. Courts thought differently.
Every one of these stories are wonderfully written and shocking. I really want to read it again.
Thanks again for the ARC
Cherie'
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