Endgame

Endgame
written by Nancy Garden



I had expressed an interest in what exactly was going through the minds of the shooters at Virginia Tech and Columbine, and a dear friend of mine recommended this book upon hearing me talk. I was intrigued by the incredibly original concept and subject matter, and immediately delved into the book. I had a little trouble focusing at times, but once it all started genuintely getting serious, this was an amazingly powerful book. It has so many extremes. On one hand, you know what happens at the end, but through the entire thing, you keep hoping and praying that Gray has a change of heart. You know that killing is wrong, but at the same time, you know that Gray is a good kid, and everything is so emotionally heavy on both him and you, the reader. There's so much wrong in his life and as a bystander in his fictional story, you can do nothing but sit back and watch the inevitable unfold, as nobody does a thing to help a child that can be helped. And just think, if this is the fictional example, what about the real one? The ending is an unjust one. You know Gray had reason to do what he did, and while what he did was extreme, he needed help, not a jail cell, and that's the saddest part of it all. This is such a powerful book, and I strongly urge everyone who has had difficulty processing the VT shootings or even Columbine to pick this amazing, mind-chilling book up.

Rating: 4.5/5