Wild Things: YA Grown-Up discussion

I just finished Columbine. While I definitely wouldn't consider this a YA book, it's about young adults and it continues to impact young adults. I think anyone who works with or knows young adults should read this book. I was a junior in high school when it happened. This book showed me that everything I thought I knew was wrong, but it also showed how these things got distorted and then presented to the public as truth. I highly recommend this book.

A teacher I work with mentioned this book and that is was quite eye-opening based on the public perception of the event. I am definitely planning on checking this out.

this looks good, I want to get it and read it. I live about an hour away from where it happened. It impacted us so much. I remember watching TV that day and the news broke in telling us what happened and then they showed it live. I cried and cried watching it and still have horrible memories of what I saw on TV. I sat and worried about my kids even though they were no where near it.

Colombine did not hit me as hard as the shootings at Northern Il University. I went to school and taught there for a time. I want to read Colombine because so much of what was beleived as truth on that was media manufatured.

I just want to learn as much to see why these things happen

Renee, my son goes to NIU and he was a freshman at the time of the shootings. He also had a class in Cole Hall at the time. I remember the December before this happened, my son had been very concerned because of the threats written on that bathroom wall. When this happened he told me, "I told you this would happen." Of course later on we found out who did the shootings but at the time my husband and I felt so guilty because we had told him not to worry, that nothing would happen. It's a horrible fact of life to learn that you can't protect your kids. Luckily my son had reached me by phone before I turned on the news that day because all I knew was that he had a class in Cole Hall but I didn't know his schedule, so I didn't know what time/day he was in there. Unfortunately, Aaron's birthday is 2/14. What classes did you teach? And when did you leave NIU?

Ahhh Beth tight hugs. I know the terror for me with just friends there. Its something that haunts you. I don't know if the way it haunts one ever trully goes away.Be well

Renee wrote: "...so much of what was believed as truth on that was media manufactured..."

Unfortunately, that's the case with most "news" these days. Everything is sensationalized for ratings, regardless of what the truth may be.

Yes its part why I have begun to pick up more non fiction with more non-fiction.

Mind you you have to watch that too. Frenomics disapointed me in misinformation, They made a statement in regards to the prevalance on C'sections that was incorrect. I know because I was on the team that did the research. 5 seperate years with 5 different answers then what they wrote

These days, everything has to be taken with a grain (or tablespoon) of salt. It's a shame...

Thank you Renee. It does still haunt me. And of course I felt guilty when I thought "Thank God Aaron is alright" because the family and friends of 5 people didn't get to say that. Those five students and their families/friends will always be in my heart. I hope all is well with you.

I finished this recently and thought it was an excellent book. There were so many misconceptions about the two teens who contemplated and followed through on the school shooting in the media.

Spoiler...

The part that sickened me was how long the one boy (David, I think?) layed outside the school dead and how his father found out that he was still out there in the newspaper article the following morning.

Angela, that was the hardest part for me in the whole book, too. It wasn't just one person, either, they left everyone there overnight, afraid the bodies could be booby-trapped.

I am not sure how many people have read Wally Lamb but his book The Hour I First Believed is on Columbine (fictional and not YA) but a really awesome book. I highly recommend it.