(Guest post by Jade)

I’d like to start by apologizing to Trench and to author Dave Cullen for the delay in getting this review put together. I’ve had the book for a few weeks now, and actually finished it the day after I got it. I’ve started the review several times, only to delete what I had written over and over again. It just seems like no matter what I write, it doesn’t do this book justice.

It would be easy for most readers to be intimidated at first glance by the sheer size of this book. Don’t be. Admittedly, yes I do tend to devour most books I read in one sitting. Anyone who knows me will tell you when it comes to books I am not a normal human being. With “Columbine”, however, it was like a holy quest. I didn’t want to stop reading to eat or sleep.

We all know what happened on April 20, 1999. At least we think we do. 98% of what you thought you knew will be cast aside after reading this book. Cullen sorts through mountains of evidence, conducts hundreds of hours of interviews, and gives us an articulate, unbiased account of the facts. He shows us how much gray area there really is in a situation that most of us only saw in black and white. Ten years of in-depth research brings us a book written with compassionate professionalism.

I could continue to write on and on about this book, but I would only be repeating the dozens of glowing reviews from professional critics that I’ve read. If all you’re looking for is a mindless beach read, perhaps you’d best save this one until fall. If, however, you’re looking for a brutally honest look at one of our nation’s biggest tragedies that will hook you from page one, get your hands on it as soon as possible.