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No Right to Remain Silent: The Tragedy at Virginia Tech
The world watched in horror in April 2007 when Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho went on a killing rampage that resulted in the deaths of thirty-two students and faculty members before he ended his own life.
Former Virginia Tech English department chair and distinguished professor Lucinda Roy saw the tragedy unfold on the TV screen in her home and had a terrible realization. Cho was the student she had struggled to get to know–the loner who found speech torturous. After he had been formally asked to leave a poetry class in which he had shared incendiary work that seemed directed at his classmates and teacher, Roy began the difficult task of working one-on-one with him in a poetry tutorial. During those months, a year and a half before the massacre, Roy came to realize that Cho was more than just a disgruntled young adult experimenting with poetic license; he was, in her opinion, seriously depressed and in urgent need of intervention.
But when Roy approached campus counseling as well as others in the university about Cho, she was repeatedly told that they could not intervene unless a student sought counseling voluntarily. Eventually, Roy’s efforts to persuade Cho to seek help worked. Unbelievably, on the three occasions he contacted the counseling center staff, he did not receive a comprehensive evaluation by them–a startling discovery Roy learned about after Cho’s death. More revelations were to follow. After responding to questions from the media and handing over information to law enforcement as instructed by Virginia Tech, Roy was shunned by the administration. Papers documenting Cho’s interactions with campus counseling were lost. The university was suddenly on the defensive.
Was the university, in fact, partially responsible for the tragedy because of the bureaucratic red tape involved in obtaining assistance for students with mental illness, or was it just, like many colleges, woefully underfunded and therefore underequipped to respond to such cases? Who was Seung-Hui Cho? Was he fully protected under the constitutional right to freedom of speech, or did his writing and behavior present serious potential threats that should have resulted in immediate intervention? How can we balance students’ individual freedom with the need to protect the community? These are the questions that have haunted Roy since that terrible day.
No Right to Remain Silent is one teacher’s cri de coeur–her dire warning that given the same situation today, two years later, the ending would be no less terrifying and no less tragic.
Former Virginia Tech English department chair and distinguished professor Lucinda Roy saw the tragedy unfold on the TV screen in her home and had a terrible realization. Cho was the student she had struggled to get to know–the loner who found speech torturous. After he had been formally asked to leave a poetry class in which he had shared incendiary work that seemed directed at his classmates and teacher, Roy began the difficult task of working one-on-one with him in a poetry tutorial. During those months, a year and a half before the massacre, Roy came to realize that Cho was more than just a disgruntled young adult experimenting with poetic license; he was, in her opinion, seriously depressed and in urgent need of intervention.
But when Roy approached campus counseling as well as others in the university about Cho, she was repeatedly told that they could not intervene unless a student sought counseling voluntarily. Eventually, Roy’s efforts to persuade Cho to seek help worked. Unbelievably, on the three occasions he contacted the counseling center staff, he did not receive a comprehensive evaluation by them–a startling discovery Roy learned about after Cho’s death. More revelations were to follow. After responding to questions from the media and handing over information to law enforcement as instructed by Virginia Tech, Roy was shunned by the administration. Papers documenting Cho’s interactions with campus counseling were lost. The university was suddenly on the defensive.
Was the university, in fact, partially responsible for the tragedy because of the bureaucratic red tape involved in obtaining assistance for students with mental illness, or was it just, like many colleges, woefully underfunded and therefore underequipped to respond to such cases? Who was Seung-Hui Cho? Was he fully protected under the constitutional right to freedom of speech, or did his writing and behavior present serious potential threats that should have resulted in immediate intervention? How can we balance students’ individual freedom with the need to protect the community? These are the questions that have haunted Roy since that terrible day.
No Right to Remain Silent is one teacher’s cri de coeur–her dire warning that given the same situation today, two years later, the ending would be no less terrifying and no less tragic.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
19 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
Lucinda Roy
14 books49 followersLucinda Roy is an award-winning novelist, poet, and memoirist and author of the speculative slave narrative novel trilogy entitled THE DREAMBIRD CHRONICLES (Tor Books/Macmillan). THE FREEDOM RACE, the first novel in the trilogy, was published in July 2021. FLYING THE COOP, the second novel in the series, is out in July 2022.
Lucinda Roy, Alumni Distinguished Professor in Creative Writing at Virginia Tech gives keynotes and addresses on race and racism, creative writing, education, and campus safety. One of the most pervasive refrains in her writing and painting is slavery and the miracles that accompanied it--survival and the ability to translate suffering into something rich and rare and strange.
Born in the U.K. in Battersea, South London to Namba Roy, Jamaican writer, artist, and factory worker, and Yvonne Roy, an English actor and teacher, Lucinda Roy has lived and taught in the U.S., the U.K., and West Africa.
Her first two novels Lady Moses, a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, and Hotel Alleluia were published by HarperCollins. In 1995, Roy's poetry collection, The Hummingbirds, was selected by Lucille Clifton as the winner of the Eighth Mountain Poetry Prize. Her most recent poetry collection Fabric(Willow Books) appeared in 2017. She won the Baxter Hathaway Poetry Prize for her long slave narrative poem "Needlework."
In 2009, following the mass shootings at Virginia Tech, her memoir-critique NO RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT: WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE TRAGEDY AT VIRGINIA TECH was published by Random House.
She has appeared on many television, radio, and online venues, and her prose and poetry have been published in numerous magazines and journals. Professor Roy is working on the third novel in THE DREAMBIRD CHRONICLES series, an illustrated children's book, and, as time permits, a series of oil paintings depicting the Middle Passage. She lives with her husband in Blacksburg and teaches in the undergraduate and graduate creative writing programs at Virginia Tech.
Lucinda Roy, Alumni Distinguished Professor in Creative Writing at Virginia Tech gives keynotes and addresses on race and racism, creative writing, education, and campus safety. One of the most pervasive refrains in her writing and painting is slavery and the miracles that accompanied it--survival and the ability to translate suffering into something rich and rare and strange.
Born in the U.K. in Battersea, South London to Namba Roy, Jamaican writer, artist, and factory worker, and Yvonne Roy, an English actor and teacher, Lucinda Roy has lived and taught in the U.S., the U.K., and West Africa.
Her first two novels Lady Moses, a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection, and Hotel Alleluia were published by HarperCollins. In 1995, Roy's poetry collection, The Hummingbirds, was selected by Lucille Clifton as the winner of the Eighth Mountain Poetry Prize. Her most recent poetry collection Fabric(Willow Books) appeared in 2017. She won the Baxter Hathaway Poetry Prize for her long slave narrative poem "Needlework."
In 2009, following the mass shootings at Virginia Tech, her memoir-critique NO RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT: WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE TRAGEDY AT VIRGINIA TECH was published by Random House.
She has appeared on many television, radio, and online venues, and her prose and poetry have been published in numerous magazines and journals. Professor Roy is working on the third novel in THE DREAMBIRD CHRONICLES series, an illustrated children's book, and, as time permits, a series of oil paintings depicting the Middle Passage. She lives with her husband in Blacksburg and teaches in the undergraduate and graduate creative writing programs at Virginia Tech.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 28, 2009
Read up to page 96. Didn't like the personal thoughts and feelings that kept encroaching in the narrative. Unlike a historical perspective, the author is too close to the details of this story to create a compelling book. This just felt like a continuous diatribe against the people in charge of investigating the shooting at Virginia Tech. This was not what I wanted to read.
June 8, 2009
Heartfelt but disjointed analysis of issues arising from the Virginia Tech mass murder of 4/16/07 by the English professor who had tutored/counseled the murderer a year or so previously. Makes some interesting points about how the university administration handled explaining (covering up) the exact details of their emergency response procedures that morning.
In general, though, it read like a brief magazine article trapped inside a long cathartic-for-the-author screed about every even tangentially related topic, usually to no particular conclusion. Freedom of expression in creative writing vs. duty to warn others when a student's writing seems ominous -- tough issue. Most kids who play violent video games end up fine, but they coarsen the culture -- tough questions. Football is a rallying point for the community at Va. Tech but maybe takes away from academic emphasis -- there's good and bad in it, etc. etc. etc. Just one issue after another raised, briefly elaborated as being difficult with no especially novel insights on it, and then dropped.
In general, though, it read like a brief magazine article trapped inside a long cathartic-for-the-author screed about every even tangentially related topic, usually to no particular conclusion. Freedom of expression in creative writing vs. duty to warn others when a student's writing seems ominous -- tough issue. Most kids who play violent video games end up fine, but they coarsen the culture -- tough questions. Football is a rallying point for the community at Va. Tech but maybe takes away from academic emphasis -- there's good and bad in it, etc. etc. etc. Just one issue after another raised, briefly elaborated as being difficult with no especially novel insights on it, and then dropped.
June 1, 2014
This should really be 2.5 stars. I think this book overall suffered from a lack of focus. I was a bit annoyed by Roy's seeming need to place as much blame as possible on others. I respect her frustration with the bureaucracy that made the aftermath of this event particularly challenging but it think she comes off as sounding like she thinks everyone screwed up but her. I'm sure there are many sides of this story to tell and her motivation to write the book may have been partially due to her story having been silenced in the official documentation. Obviously this event is not as personal to me as it is to her but I am deeply connected to this story as a higher education professional who was working in VA at the time. I am sure things could have been done better but these situations, unfortunately, are unpredictable. We can prepare but we can't ever be fully prepared for every eventuality.
The other elements of the book, which are more focussed on reflection and dialogue around related issues like mental health, gun control, and security protocols, is definitely thought-provoking, particularly recognizing the date of publication. I appreciated the book but frankly wish it were better organized.
The other elements of the book, which are more focussed on reflection and dialogue around related issues like mental health, gun control, and security protocols, is definitely thought-provoking, particularly recognizing the date of publication. I appreciated the book but frankly wish it were better organized.
April 24, 2009
This is a fascinating book of the events at Virginia Tech by the English professor who tried to get help for the shooter. Her perspective of the unfolding events is eye opening and calls for a re-examination of so called "privacy laws" protecting college students from revealing medical and psychological issues even to their own families. Having one child in college, and one about to start, I would want to know if my child was in trouble, but some schools prefer to treat the students as adults at the age of 18, in such mundane matters as access to grades, financial notification, etc., as well as more serious events. A very interesting read and I applaud Lucinda Roy for writing this book, even though it may have cost her some friendships and professional status at VT.
October 29, 2012
This book was super frustrating mainly because this teacher didn't do much at all but maybe it was all that she could do. I think it was written too early because they're still trying to figure out Cho's motive but the fact that she was just disturbed by him wasn't enough. She should've called the police or someone and followed through to show that she cared because that's what it takes 100%. I would recommend this to teachers but I'd encourage them to research more into mental illness and take what Roy says at face value. She wrote this to make sense of a tragedy but her interpretation is close after the fact. There's way more to Cho than just his teacher's perspective.
July 21, 2009
I feel like my rating for this book is pretty meaningless; I hate that there's a reason this book needed to be written, but the author showed a lot of courage writing it (and wrote well). Heartbreaking.
April 23, 2016
Could not finish it. Too tedious and more of a finger pointing the blame book. Not wasting anymore time on it.
July 3, 2021
A little repeitive. Too much preaching, not enough reporting.
November 16, 2025
Heavy on poetry and light on insight. The first half chronicles the author’s experience working with the student who would later commit mass murder at VA Tech and her struggle to get him the mental health resources he obviously needed. Then it drifts into meandering commentary on violence in media, race relations, helicopter parenting and other topics mingled with numerous literary references.
The author chose not to focus on the victims of the shooting and instead focus on the shooter, the system that failed to intervene before he committed his crime, and the leaders who refused to own their mistakes afterwards. If the book remained focused on those topics and provided concrete suggestions for improving the system, it would be a valuable addition to the gun violence debate. It would also justify omitting the victims from the narrative. However, the book gives so much time and sympathy to the shooter and the author that omitting the victims’ stories feels unnecessary and tone deaf.
While the author seems intelligent and well-educated, she also comes across as too nerdy about English to relate to a mass audience. Literature obviously plays a big role in her life and shapes her worldview. However, most readers who pick up this book won’t know or care about the mechanics of poetry or the works of Robert Frost. Most readers will want to know what went wrong at VA Tech and how we might prevent future shootings. The book offers some answers to the first question but very few for the second.
Most of the facts the author shared on school shootings come from a single book called Rampage. More research and less poetry would have gone a long way.
The author chose not to focus on the victims of the shooting and instead focus on the shooter, the system that failed to intervene before he committed his crime, and the leaders who refused to own their mistakes afterwards. If the book remained focused on those topics and provided concrete suggestions for improving the system, it would be a valuable addition to the gun violence debate. It would also justify omitting the victims from the narrative. However, the book gives so much time and sympathy to the shooter and the author that omitting the victims’ stories feels unnecessary and tone deaf.
While the author seems intelligent and well-educated, she also comes across as too nerdy about English to relate to a mass audience. Literature obviously plays a big role in her life and shapes her worldview. However, most readers who pick up this book won’t know or care about the mechanics of poetry or the works of Robert Frost. Most readers will want to know what went wrong at VA Tech and how we might prevent future shootings. The book offers some answers to the first question but very few for the second.
Most of the facts the author shared on school shootings come from a single book called Rampage. More research and less poetry would have gone a long way.
April 10, 2023
Roy admits upfront that this book is partly autobiographical, as she was one of Cho's tutors and combines her life experience into dealing with the tragedy that unfolded at Virginia Tech. Much of the book seems to simmer with rage about what wasn't done, what actions were actively prevented, and the fact that there has been very little change, mostly attributed to lack of budget.
However, don't get confused: this book is not actually a discussion of Virginia Tech. This book is a discussion of a lot of things, some of which, probably don't need to be in here. Roy borders on preachy half the time and large sections of the book read like independent essays rather than part of a book that should, to some degree, show some connection to itself. It's all interesting - but is it relevant? The most clear cut description of what happened at Virginia Tech is actually in the epilogue of the book, although section one does offer some time line of the day and some discussion of what happened after. The rest of the book is a muddy, disconnected series of critiques on the state of the world with some history of Blacksburg thrown in.
Roy definitely flexes her skills as a writer, describing Cho in ways that make him seem like a dark void or a monster of a person, even as she poses the question of empathy and forgiveness.
There is much in here that is worth reading. Certainly Roy gifts readers a lot of food for thought. But, I don't know if this book is what it presents itself as.
However, don't get confused: this book is not actually a discussion of Virginia Tech. This book is a discussion of a lot of things, some of which, probably don't need to be in here. Roy borders on preachy half the time and large sections of the book read like independent essays rather than part of a book that should, to some degree, show some connection to itself. It's all interesting - but is it relevant? The most clear cut description of what happened at Virginia Tech is actually in the epilogue of the book, although section one does offer some time line of the day and some discussion of what happened after. The rest of the book is a muddy, disconnected series of critiques on the state of the world with some history of Blacksburg thrown in.
Roy definitely flexes her skills as a writer, describing Cho in ways that make him seem like a dark void or a monster of a person, even as she poses the question of empathy and forgiveness.
There is much in here that is worth reading. Certainly Roy gifts readers a lot of food for thought. But, I don't know if this book is what it presents itself as.
June 22, 2018
Debbie, Elkton patron, June 2018, 4 stars:
The Va. Tech Shootings were big news, tragic news. This author's perspective reveals that even though we protest guns, the real issue is we do not have any approved system for dealing with the mentally ill. The range of illness could be depression to selective mutism to psychosis. These conditions are discovered earlier in life many times but because of 'silence' often they are undertreated or followed. The book awakens you to what you should be looking for in your own children, your neighbors, and relatives. We all have a role to play. Don't be surprised if you are shunned!
The Va. Tech Shootings were big news, tragic news. This author's perspective reveals that even though we protest guns, the real issue is we do not have any approved system for dealing with the mentally ill. The range of illness could be depression to selective mutism to psychosis. These conditions are discovered earlier in life many times but because of 'silence' often they are undertreated or followed. The book awakens you to what you should be looking for in your own children, your neighbors, and relatives. We all have a role to play. Don't be surprised if you are shunned!
August 8, 2024
Holy cats. I wish I could review a book as neatly and completely as this book was written. Dr. Roy is an expert wordsmith and it was a terrible privilege to be granted access to her experiences.
I do, however, hate it that she made him human. It was so much easier when he was just a monster. Simpler to put him in the box labeled "bad guy" and leave him there.
I do, however, hate it that she made him human. It was so much easier when he was just a monster. Simpler to put him in the box labeled "bad guy" and leave him there.
August 31, 2019
I read the governor’s report years ago, but this tells
a much different story in many ways. So sad that so many lessons have not yet been learned.
a much different story in many ways. So sad that so many lessons have not yet been learned.
February 28, 2013
When Nikki Giovanni went to her department chair to discuss a creative writing student whose poetry was so filled with rage that it frightened her and his classmates, that chair was Lucinda Roy. Removing Seung-Hui Cho from the class, Roy tutored him herself for the rest of the semester. As well as working with him on his writing, she repeatedly encouraged him to see help at the university's counseling center. She also wrote to the counseling center, the campus police, and others to say that she thought Cho was disturbed and possibly dangerous.
After she stepped down as chair and took a leave of absence, Roy thought that Cho had graduated. He had not, as she learned with the rest of the world when he shot two students in a dormitory and then killed 30 more people and himself in a classroom building.
Roy's book draws from her personal experience, as well as news accounts, the report of the state committee that investigated the shootings, and other works on student violence. As a teacher, an administrator, a writer, and a grieving human being, she offers a nuanced view. Although she was very frustrated by policies that prevented sharing information about this young man (because of privacy concerns) and a counseling center that would only talk to students were went in voluntarily, she does appreciate the values of privacy and autonomy. Cho's writing was scary and was a warning sign, but she knows that the great majority of students who write about violence are not themselves violent. She would like a way for high schools to share information about troubled youth with the colleges they go to -- but doesn't want young people labeled for life because of one minor incident. (She gives examples of schools throwing the book at students under policies that allow zero tolerance for violence -- e.g., a small boy who pretended a chicken wing was a gun.)
After she stepped down as chair and took a leave of absence, Roy thought that Cho had graduated. He had not, as she learned with the rest of the world when he shot two students in a dormitory and then killed 30 more people and himself in a classroom building.
Roy's book draws from her personal experience, as well as news accounts, the report of the state committee that investigated the shootings, and other works on student violence. As a teacher, an administrator, a writer, and a grieving human being, she offers a nuanced view. Although she was very frustrated by policies that prevented sharing information about this young man (because of privacy concerns) and a counseling center that would only talk to students were went in voluntarily, she does appreciate the values of privacy and autonomy. Cho's writing was scary and was a warning sign, but she knows that the great majority of students who write about violence are not themselves violent. She would like a way for high schools to share information about troubled youth with the colleges they go to -- but doesn't want young people labeled for life because of one minor incident. (She gives examples of schools throwing the book at students under policies that allow zero tolerance for violence -- e.g., a small boy who pretended a chicken wing was a gun.)
November 30, 2016
Virginia Tech is arguably the worst school massacre of our lives, yet there has not been enough written about it. This work doesn't help.
Cho was described as "creepy," so he got thrown out of his class. He was a repugnant human being, but he was also a mentally ill kid who was isolated further by his mental illness. Sadly, there's not much we can do to prevent these massacres without full-scale confinement of the mentally ill. The bare minimum--preventing mentally ill people from buying handguns--was not done here. The first serious crime that Choi committed was the murder of 33 of the VT community.
Roy manages to make the entire tragedy largely about her, as she speculates what Cho was thinking when he was killing, a creative decision that is incredibly gross and ill-informed. Meanwhile, buried in the book is the fact that Roy was not even on campus when the murders occured, making the threat to her own life approximately zero. An English professor, we are treated to her hackneyed description of the beauty of the VT campus and the nobility of the student body while glossing over Cho himself.
Above all, this tome is a spin attempt to justify Roy's actions and deflect all blame for this tragedy to the media, the VT administrators and Cho himself.
History deserves a better study than THIS.
Cho was described as "creepy," so he got thrown out of his class. He was a repugnant human being, but he was also a mentally ill kid who was isolated further by his mental illness. Sadly, there's not much we can do to prevent these massacres without full-scale confinement of the mentally ill. The bare minimum--preventing mentally ill people from buying handguns--was not done here. The first serious crime that Choi committed was the murder of 33 of the VT community.
Roy manages to make the entire tragedy largely about her, as she speculates what Cho was thinking when he was killing, a creative decision that is incredibly gross and ill-informed. Meanwhile, buried in the book is the fact that Roy was not even on campus when the murders occured, making the threat to her own life approximately zero. An English professor, we are treated to her hackneyed description of the beauty of the VT campus and the nobility of the student body while glossing over Cho himself.
Above all, this tome is a spin attempt to justify Roy's actions and deflect all blame for this tragedy to the media, the VT administrators and Cho himself.
History deserves a better study than THIS.
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September 17, 2009I'm not rating this book. It just doesn't fit into one of these neat little categories. Although it was difficult to do at times, I'm glad that I read it. Ever since the tragedy at Columbine in 1998, two months after I left Denver, CO and a few kids who could have been Eric and Dylan...I've been unnaturally interested in school shootings and their various relationships to mental health.
Did anyone know that Nikki Giovanni was the professor that originally was concerned about her student, Cho? Why didn't the media tell us that part when they played the reading of her poem again and again? Did you know that Cho's mental health records were missing from the Cook Counseling Center during the state's entire investigation? So much beneath the surface, so much.
I wouldn't be surprised if English professor Lucinda Roy has been asked to leave Tech since the publication of this book. Her work is that of an honest, compassionate teacher.
Did anyone know that Nikki Giovanni was the professor that originally was concerned about her student, Cho? Why didn't the media tell us that part when they played the reading of her poem again and again? Did you know that Cho's mental health records were missing from the Cook Counseling Center during the state's entire investigation? So much beneath the surface, so much.
I wouldn't be surprised if English professor Lucinda Roy has been asked to leave Tech since the publication of this book. Her work is that of an honest, compassionate teacher.
July 16, 2009
Tragic. Dr. Roy asks some really tough questions concerning the safety of our college campuses and school adminstrations' responsiblity regarding privacy and mental health. Dr. Roy actualy tutored the Tech gunman after he "fell through the gaps" of the school's mental health system. I'm sure this haunts her, but her dedication to teaching is evident. Her account of the time she spent with Cho prior to the shooting is very interesting. Her struggles to get him the medical help he obviously needed are simply put: tragic. Lots of "what if?" type questions remain forever unanswered. Dr. Roy seems to have found a way to find beauty again in her beloved Blacksburg, despite everyday reminders of such a tragic occurance...More a memrior of her experience as a teacher than an account of that tragic day.
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July 28, 2011If you want details about what happened at Virginia Tech go someplace else. The book is about 1/4 of her experience with Cho and her failure to get the people above her concerned about the possible danger. Another 1/4 concerns her own experiences growing up in Sierra Leone, educated and teaching in England and then coming to America and teaching 25 years at Tech. It is about 1/4 a description of the internal bureaucratic politics of Tech as an institution. For example I did not know until after reading the book that the current President of Tech, five of his inner cabinet and Frank Beamer, the football coach are all members of 67 Tech graduating class as undergraduates. Finally another 1/4 is a summary of the current pop psychology and pop sociology literature on the recent school shootings from Columbine to Tech.
January 7, 2010
I highly recommend this book for anyone who teaches in a public school. Roy details the steps she took in addressing the concerns of faculty about Seung-Hui Cho's disturbing behavior. As chair of the English Dept., she gave Cho an independent study in poetry because she had to remove him from a class in which he frightened and intimidated classmates. As she got to know him, she suggested he seek counseling. But she was prevented by FERPA from finding out whether or not he did that. She believes VT was not prepared to act on the day of the shooting and handled the aftermath badly. It is a riveting story. The last 1/4 drags a bit, but it deserves more attention than it has gotten.
May 23, 2013
This book is hard to review because of simply how much it contains. Virginia tech was just the tip of the iceberg for discussions, which also heavily include racism, the educational system in the united states, and our overall rights to privacy. My favorite chapters were those on creative writing, and the questions of it going beyond artistic expression and into autobiographical territory. This book asked more questions than it answered, but they are important topics that we all should be thinking about.
March 12, 2014
I commend this author for her uncompromising honesty, fairness and objectivity in the writing of this book. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to write about these events after living through them and facing much opposition. She gives us much to think about, and hopefully, she will help us all to change. I recommend this book highly two parents, educators, and just human beings. In addition, the writing is beautiful.
November 12, 2009
I read this book in hopes of finding answers to the terrible event. It was a fascinating read in many respects. However, I still have many unanswered questions. I got a strong sense of Lucinda Roy being a caring teacher who went out of her way to help the shooter. Too bad, other people at the university did not give her the support she needed. It might have made a difference in the outcome
July 13, 2011
Roy asks the questions that many find difficult to ask in the wake of a tragedy with frank honesty and openness. How could this have been averted? What can we do to prevent such occurrences in the future? There are no concrete answers to these and other questions, but Roy examines what the Virginia Tech admisintration might have done better and what secrets they may be keeping.
April 23, 2010
This book was not a page turner nor kept my attention. I didn't even finish it, although I tried to stick with it. I felt as though the author felt the need to talk more about herself then the actual events. I would not recommend this book.
August 19, 2011
I lend this book out every opportunity I get. It's not like Cullen's Columbine; it was written too early to offer such an encyclopedic understanding of a tragedy. But it really helps the reader understand the frustration felt by those of us who were directly affected by the Virginia Tech shootings.
October 11, 2009
I was hoping for an overview and insight into the tragedy from all angles, but I didn't find it here.
August 25, 2010
Kind of a boring book given how interesting the topic was; I thought Columbine was much better-written.
October 25, 2010
Didnt finish it. I stoped reading after the second part.
May 1, 2011
Lucinda Roy is a personal heroine.
December 3, 2012
Very thought-provoking. The book discusses issues of censorship, the roles and responsibilites of teachers and students and how we address issues of privacy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews