The 2015 young adult novel, “Violent Ends,” by 17 different authors shows how bullying can affect someone’s mental health. Although the YA novel may be deemed controversial, the book showcases real possibilities in today’s society. Not only does “Violent Ends” gives multiple scenarios with each different character who readers can relate to, but it also shows the effect of abuse and bullying. The 17 authors came together to share the viewpoints of students affected by a school shooting.

The 17 different chapters each written by different authors show relatable situations for modern teens. Also, the chapters show different viewpoints of Kirby Matheson, the school shooter. Chapters such as “Miss Susie” and “Violence begins” show Kirby’s true personality and the amount of bullying he endures. Other chapters include points of views from his sister, girlfriends and an old friend. Although many see Kirby as a killer, others see him as the person who saved their life or even a friend.

Having previously read and written a review for another book about a school shooting, I was reluctant to read it. However, from the first chapter, it became hard to put down. Although the book was a part of the Social Issues unit in readers workshop, I still enjoyed it. Personally, I rarely read many books, and I find it hard to get into them. But, “Violent Ends” made it very easy to enjoy reading.

The book doesn’t glorify the shooting or the shooter. But it shows real problems in today’s society that can lead someone to think that their only option is to hurt others. Since the book does have 17 different characters it can become confusing on figuring out and remembering their story.

The book holds relevance to teens that live in today’s world. It also shows that it pays to be nice to everyone because you never know what others are going through. Some of the chapters showed kindness, others were dark and some seemed confusing or irrelevant to the story. Overall the 17 different chapters were all tied together by one event. By the end everything made sense. “Violent Ends” should definitely be added to everyone’s must-read list.