"In a one-of-a-kind collaboration, seventeen of the most recognizable YA writers—including Shaun David Hutchinson, Neal and Brendan Shusterman, and Beth Revis—come together to share the viewpoints of a group of students affected by a school shooting.
It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto the school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others.
But this isn’t a story about the shooting itself. This isn’t about recounting that one unforgettable day.
This is about one boy—who had friends, enjoyed reading, playing saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before—became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing bullets at his classmates.
Each chapter is told from a different victim’s viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he’d become. Some are sweet, some are dark; some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties. This is a book told from multiple perspectives—with one character and one event drawing them all together—by some of YA’s most recognizable names."
It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto the school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others.
But this isn’t a story about the shooting itself. This isn’t about recounting that one unforgettable day.
This is about one boy—who had friends, enjoyed reading, playing saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before—became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing bullets at his classmates.
Each chapter is told from a different victim’s viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he’d become. Some are sweet, some are dark; some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties. This is a book told from multiple perspectives—with one character and one event drawing them all together—by some of YA’s most recognizable names."
A while back I reached out to my former high school librarian to let her know about a really good book series I had read. I suggested that it would be great for her library club to read at school. She, in return, suggested a few books that I might enjoy. One of them was Violent Ends. She said that they had read it in the library club and that many students had had deep and meaningful conversations with her upon finishing it. I knew that I needed to read it if it was causing a stir among high school students.
Violent Ends is written by multiple authors and from the perspective of multiple viewpoints. All of the stories connect back to Kirby Matheson in some way. Kirby went into the gym during a pep rally and killed 5 students, 1 teacher, and injured 5 others before killing himself. The various stories paint a picture of who Kirby really was, and even what could have pushed him to a school shooting.
Where do I even begin with this book? I loved the different viewpoints and getting to see who Kirby was and even the minor things that he did or said that indicated he could one day snap. The media painted him as a monster, but some of the people in the book shared things that made him more of a savior or hero because of the things he did. I think this is interesting because you don't think back on all the things you've done or said to someone until after something drastic happens. It really made me stop and think about all the times that I have lost my temper with someone or I've played a joke on them or even complained about my own life. I have NO idea what they are going through. And something I say or do could be enough to make someone snap and hurt themselves or someone else. I can definitely see how high schoolers would be discussing this book. It leaves a lot for discussion, especially since there are so many different viewpoints in the book and they all paint Kirby differently.
The downfall, which isn't really a downfall, was that I wanted more! Some of the chapters were so riveting that I was furious when their part of the story ended. Others I didn't care for and they could have been left out of the story. I was slightly disappointed that I had to piece together the full events of the shooting because there wasn't a chapter where it was detailed out. There were also a few minor "holes" in the story that could have been filled in. One was the chapter written by the teacher who seemed to be seducing Kirby in the classroom. That chapter was really unsettling and I feel like we never found out if the had a relationship going on, if it was a forced situation, or if nothing actually happened. That was something that was thrown into the story, that frankly, didn't need to be there. There was also the transgender student that never fully came out and said she was transgender. I felt like that should have been better addressed, especially considering how things are in the world today.
Overall, it was a really good book. I wish that some of the stories would have been longer, and I definitely wish the book had a different ending. It ended so abruptly that I turned the pages looking for the next chapter, but there wasn't one. This is a unique book with many different voices. It has a strong message to be kind to people because you never know what they are going through, and to reach out to someone if you feel they need help. I give this 4 stars. I would recommend this to anyone who has read This Is Where It Ends or That's Not What Happened.
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