Boy Shattered

Enjoyed reading this one despite the heavy subject matter. I actually thought it would be more emotional, but the “whodunnit” mystery made it less realistic and turned it into a typical crime novel. Characters like Brian's dad and even Landon himself could've had more depth/nuance to make the story more interesting. No one in the story felt like a real person, they were more like TV characters. Still a good book though and I approve of its message.

Difficult to read because of the subject matter, but well-written and ultimately very life affirming. Features a very sweet romance between a closeted football player and the proudly out student activist who saves his life. They wrestle very appropriately with the guilt of being happy together in the midst of such a horrific tragedy, although I wish Easton had shown the importance of seeking professional trauma-informed care to aid in recovery (i.e. love isn't always enough).

Maybe I should add it to my “fantasy” shelf in that it envisions a world where there is actually hope that sensible gun control legislation could happen.