Book Review: Columbine

Columbine by Dave Cullen


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was a college freshman at CU-Boulder when the Columbine high school shootings occurred. Maybe because I was just a year removed from being in high school, or maybe because my own high school was just a couple of miles from Columbine, or maybe because I had friends who had graduated from Columbine themselves, but I've always been a little... intrigued/horrified/awed by this tragedy.

This book is maybe the best compilation around of all the facts from the Columbine massacre. It's told in a very readable, fair, and journalistic manner.

I realized there were many things I misunderstood about Columbine, which the author points out was quite common because of how the county officials and the media handled things after the event. Namely, (1) the two killers weren't outcasts or bullied; (2) they didn't target anyone in particular; (3) the vast differences in psychology and personality of the two killers; (4) the myth of the Cassie Bernall story; (5) how royally messed up many parts of the tragedy were handled by Jeffco.

This book was cathartic. It had me on the verge of tears at some points, fuming at others, and it finally led to some kind of answers for "why" this happened: the psychopathy of Eric Harris and the suicidal wishes of Dylan Klebold. It surprised me that I felt a lot more sympathetic towards their parents by the end.

I would really recommend this book- it's a fascinating and moving read.

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