Beyond Broken Pencils: A School Shooting Tale of Heartbreak and Healing

by Julie C. Gilbert

He has a goal and a plan.

If he carries through with the plan, his sister will die first. His ex will die next, and he will die last. In between, he’ll take out as many people as he can.

Students. Security guards. Teachers. First responders. They are all fair game.

Who will live, and who will die?

How will those who live go on when their world is shattered by unthinkable tragedy?

***
This is a standalone story about a tough topic. There's also an audiobook version performed by Curt Bonnem. If you're looking for something more light-hearted, try the Shadow Council series.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2018

About the author

Julie C. Gilbert teaches high school chemistry and writes Young Adult, science fiction, fantasy, mystery/thriller, poetry, and Christian stories.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best way to describe this book; absolutely chilling. As a reader, one is taken into the minds of the teachers, students, parents, and first responders involved in a shooting at a high school. As well, the mind of the shooter himself is exposed; a mind that has become completely calloused to the sanctity of human life.
This was so profoundly heartbreaking to read, in light of the rampant school shootings that have occurred in the last decade. As I write this review, my oldest son is at teacher inservice, preparing to fulfill his dream of making history come alive for middle-schoolers, starting next week. I am very proud of him, but as his mama, I can’t help but worry… Might not have been the best point in my life to have read “Beyond Broken Pencils”…
I would recommend this to readers who would not be brought down by possible “triggers” in this book, such as gun violence with graphic details, and teen suicide. Definitely for adult readers only.***

[Lollie George · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had trouble reading this because it was too realistic in the depiction of the kid with the gun and his thinking. It showed a side of human life that I don't want to think about. The revenge seeking young person. The story follows a male student heading into the school to kill. He is intent on killing several people, a sister, and ex, himself and as many others as he can take down. There is dramatic pacing as the killer goes through the school, down halls, into classrooms. A teacher is shot and wounded. I actually couldn't finish the book. Maybe someday.

[Tara Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a heartbreaking story. I like that we got to see several points of view, from students, to teachers, to first responders, and how each of them were impacted by that terrible day.

[Mercy Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond Broken Pencils is a fictional story that talks about one of the most heart-breaking realities of our time - school shootings in America. Julie Gilbert related a tale that was based on events that have been making the whole world sad and everyone wondering why such madness happens. I, personally, was moved by this book because I have children who goes to school and I worry for their safety everyday. We are not in America and I hope that no such thing will ever happen to our schools here.

I like the book because it gave each characters their own highlights, particularly the main one. I cried a few times, and have asked myself if I am doing everything I can to support and love my kids. This book will do that to you, make you analyze how you are dealing with the children and teens in your life. They are the most vulnerable individuals in our society and it is about time to focus, not just on what, but also on HOW they are doing.

[Lectus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nah! Perhaps I’ve read a few books about school shootings and already know what to expect. This one didn’t offer anything new or different. If anything, it made even less sense about why he did it. Did I miss the part where he was bullied?

The story is kind of trivial which took away from the seriousness of the subject.

Since when a teacher who has been wounded by the shooter is used by the police to try get the shooter to surrender?

The conversations between the police officers at the shooting took me out of the scene, like, they were out of place.

And in the middle of the shooting, this teacher (Naomi?), sends a text/letter to her significant other (the husband, I think it is), that starts (I kid you not), “Dear Xxx...” For real?

[Tonya Bryant Gillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So touching

I love this book, it was so thorough and touching, yet terrible and frightening all at the same time. This is something that needs to be fixed. Hopefully something will come along sooner rather than later.

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

missing something

So much time spent on trivial stuff. Didn’t flow. Such a sensitive subject and I didn’t feel like it was treated as such

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was twelve years old when Dylan and Eric walked into Columbine High School and changed everything. The date April 20, 1999 became seared into my generation's consciousness. For my thirteenth birthday, my aunty gave me a book that would profoundly shape how I understood that tragedy: Rachel's Tears, the diary of Rachel Scott, one of the students killed that day. Rachel had written about sensing she wouldn't have a future, words that haunt me still.

As someone who endured bullying throughout my school years, I understood something complicated and uncomfortable: I could see how the bullied might snap, how they might overpower those who made their lives unbearable. When you're a teenager, trapped in what feels like an endless cycle of torment, life can seem genuinely hopeless. Coming from a country where guns aren't readily available, I've found myself drawn to true crime, particularly school shootings not in a macabre way, but from a place of trying to understand. Books like Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes and Jennifer Brown's The Hate List have become touchstones for me, exploring the complexity of these tragedies beyond simple narratives of good and evil.

Julie C. Gilbert's Beyond Broken Pencils joins these essential works. The novel takes us into the life of Ian Foster, following him through a single devastating day as he executes a list of victims that includes even his own family. But Julie C. Gilbert doesn't stop at the shooting itself she shows us the aftermath through the eyes of survivors, including Ian's sister, who must somehow continue living in the wreckage her brother created.

Told through multiple perspectives, the novel unfolds from beginning to end of that terrible day. As the cover promises, this is genuinely "a school shooting tale of heartbreak and healing." Julie C. Gilbert captures both the destruction and the painstaking work of putting lives back together. She doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable questions or offer easy answers about why these tragedies happen.

For readers like me, who've carried Columbine with us for decades, who remember where we were when we heard the news, Beyond Broken Pencils offers something vital: a compassionate, unflinching examination of how violence ripples outward, shattering not just lives but entire communities. It's a difficult read, but an important one , one that Julie C. Gilbert reminds us that behind every statistic is a person, a family, a future that will never be.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

School shooting story of a boy who just decided he had enough. The book didn't go into the background much of him being bullied it instead concentrated on his free time playing shooter games. He became obsessed with taking people out and had a set number of people he wanted to kill. While he did have a list of names only a few actual names were on the list and he compromised with the list wanting more of a kill shot number then killing the specific people. It didn't explain where or how he got all the ammunition and guns he had it just bounced from his views to the class rooms as students sheltered in place hoping for the best.

As he counted down the bullets he realized it was the end killing himself and not reaching his ultimate goal but still killing 17 students and injuring a few more (including his sister no. 1 target). Its sad that as the book came to a close we learned his sister survived and how her life changed the most. She lost her father previously, lost her brother from this event, lost her mother also from this event, and her best friend and will have to recover from life threatening injuries at her random grandmothers house. I wish this fictional character the best.

[Lacey Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one really got to me. I wish there had been more about what happened after. I get the intention and I think it was written well. It was just grueling, which I think it is supposed to be, because of the subject matter and how realistic it is. It’s a tough read and I had to power through because it got to me a lot more than I expected. I genuinely don’t know how people send their kids to school or work in them.

I’ve read a lot of books like this but this was one of the most taxing. I think that’s because this focuses more on what happened during the tragedy and less about the kids navigating developmental challenges in the midst of trauma from the tragedy. I don’t know how anybody could read this book and not be devastated. I’ve never read a book that made me feel physically ill almost the entire time I was reading it, which is exactly how I feel every time I read a news article about one more of these awful, horrific situations. I worry for my nephew who is in school and all the other kids and adults who have to be there with the uncertainty that that could be the day at their school.

It’s truly devastating.

[Nancy Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very realistic view of school shooting; in fact, it feels like that's exactly how something like that would go down. Unfortunately, the realness of the story was also its downfall for me. We spend chapter upon chapter listening to teachers chat about difficult kids and class schedules, watching cops discuss strategies until this intense scene becomes tedious. I wish we could've spent more time on the emotions and goals of the characters instead of describing every mundane detail, no matter how realistic.

I also didn't feel that the "heartbreak and healing" part of the story got more than a couple lines. I was expecting to travel through this terrible journey of working through loss with the characters, but the book ends at the hospital the night of the shooting.

Overall, the author is clearly skilled and knowledgeable, but it felt like I was watching a news report, not reading a story.

[Desiree Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly written

This book was a whirlwind of emotions. I absolutely loved the multiple perspectives of how such tragedy affects everyone differently. I honestly couldn’t put it down and wanted to know more after finishing it. Such tragedies have become so commonplace in our society and so many questions still go unanswered, however I think Julie made amazing headway into the way we should all think about not only the tragedy itself and the things we hear and read about in the news and other media sources, but the people affected by this tragedy. As well as the person who has enacted such terror. There is always a motive, whether that be childhood trauma, bullying, or mental illness, sadly there is always a reason behind these actions. Known or unknown by the public these tragedies will unfortunately never end until we as a society can change the way we treat others and treat ourselves.

[BJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about an ordinary school, in an ordinary town, with ordinary people, some of whom you might know. Julie Gilbert is an experienced teacher, who writes with such great technical and insightful words, that you will find yourself right there, along with teachers, students, parents and first responders. You’ll ask yourself if you would follow your intuition, if you would respond to certain clues in your everyday life, if you, perhaps, have been in similar situations. I’m heartened by the descriptions of the inventiveness of first responders, of teachers, even of some teens. Disturbing? Yes. Can we learn from this novel? Definitely! This should be in every public library, in every first responder station library, in every school library. It should be read by every teacher, parent, first responder, and, yes, probably every teenager.

[wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a tale about an average school that experiences a tragic shooting. We will see it through the eyes of the shooter and the victims while it occurs. The author allows us to see just how easy it is to miss the signs. We cannot easily pick out the ones and if we could, could we stop them from doing what they have set up in their mind?
This book should be a coffee table book as well as a must read for every student in America. It is fictional but it says so much about the truth of the matter. We need to be proactive about active shooters on the premises. (both especially with students and teachers).
You need to read this book! I have read it twice and given to numerous friends for them to read. It is still being passed around.

[Amanda- LateNightReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book because I thought would be interesting. and different. And I wasn't wrong. This book was crazy! I grew up in NJ around the time of Columbine. I think I was in like 7th grade when that happened. It was the school shooting that started all school shootings. I remember how much fear happened because of it. This book brought back a lot of memories from that time. But I did really enjoy reading/listening to this. It was very well written and it did what a good book is supposed to do. It brought a bunch of memories and feeling to the surface. The narrator was awesome also. I definitely recommend it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: This story was riveting. Once the audiobook started, I couldn't draw myself away until it ended. The story featured a boy who made a plan and fixed a goal to take out as many people as he could, starting with his sister. The story was heartbreaking. The story was tragic. This story reflected events that have been seen in America's national news. As I listened to the audiobook, I couldn't help but wonder, when will school shootings stop being news? Curt Bonnem's narration was great, and his performance reflected the seriousness of the subject. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[A M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really over all enjoyed the book. I thought the story was compelling as well as heart breaking. I loved that it was from the viewpoint of the shooter, his family, teachers and the first responders.

My biggest issue with the book and only was how the first responders were characterized. It seemed like the police officers were made out to be dipshits and making comical mistakes. One young officer was making comments that didn’t seem appropriate for the situation and I can’t see fellow officers making light of a fellow officer being shot. I would have rather see them as the hero’s they truly are.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad I graduated high school back in the day. We never had to drill for things like school shootings luckily. Sure, there were bullies of course, but nothing compared to what is in this book. It is very haunting to read this book through the minds of the teachers, students, and even the shooter himself. It's sad to think kids have to worry about being sent off to school with the threat of one day being shot by a fellow classmate. This book does a great job at describing the events that take place, the thoughts of everyone involved, etc.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond broken pencils

This book was written in a style that brings the reality of the way life changes in a heartbeat and how normal can go to unthinkable in a matter of seconds. The author doesn’t preach or endorse solutions,but rather leaves ample food for thought on trying to find solutions and or help. A very thought provoking book and exceptional handling of a horrible event.

[Audrey Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could be Straight from the Headlines

Unfortunately this story brings back all the memories of school shootings and the complexity of the issues that arise from it.

The story starts of slow but picked up until the point that I didn't want to put it down.

Thankfully the author didn't preach nor push either side of the political argument but weaved in the fact that hurting people hurt people.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficult to read

This was a very realistic look at an incident that resembles too many incidents in our country today. Ms. Gilbert given new insight into these situations. And though it was a tough read it was well done and brought to mind the reality of what really goes on during such an incident. The book gave the perspective many different people involved and not just the victims and their families. It was a well-written book.

[katelyn ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

sadly a realistic depiction of both what most likely goes through school shooters heads whilst they kill others and what those victims experience while trying to fight for their lives.

it’s a depressing fact that school shootings aren’t something rare, but they’re incredibly frequent primarily because there are little to no restrictions on gun laws. despite the countless deaths, little is ever done to fix this reoccurring problem we face.

[Ann237 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Audible book, The narrator was very easy to listen to. I found the book to be one that hits to the very heart & soul for all those involved with such horrific actions. It’s a huge reminder of how fleeting life can be, and that the thoughts of another can truly go from just thoughts to action without anyone noticing before it’s to late.

[kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intending to rate this 4 stars until the end. it was a captivating story and quick read. the ending was disappointing to me because of the quickness and format. I did not like the random news article/interview format. I also think the ending was sprung on quickly and without emotion while the rest of the book really spent time explaining scenarios and characters feelings.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very hard read. It covers a subject that is all too real in America. Because of the nature of this book, despite how short it was, it took me several weeks to finish.

It follows the POVs of teachers, first responders, students, and the shooter. At times little makes sense, but that's the truth of these situations.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book edition of Beyond Broken Pencils, and it is a sad but excellent book about what can occur when a school shooting is happening.
It contains much information that might be helpful to know, both before and after such a terrible event. Very well written.

[Deedra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible:Well written and timely piece on what happens daily in our gun loving society.It is sad,but it is a good book.Curt Bonnem was a fine narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'

[timj26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately this story is ripped from today’s headlines
A well researched and realistic telling of a high school shooting
Well narrated and an excellent learning tool highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavy Read but Good

This got into the mind of a school shooter and everyone involved. Theres many POVs for the short time frame which was hard to think about as there's so much happening in that traumatic time

[Katarina Marie]

I’m not sure if I feel comfortable rating this book because of the subject matter so I’m going to not rate it.

This was not an easy read, which I expected from the bio, but it is a super powerful read. I’m not sure I can say more than that but it is such a scary world that we live in.