Jodi Picoult's emotional nineteen minutes follows the lives of two teenagers, Peter Houghton and Josie Cormier, both victims of bullying, both at home and at school. The two sadly face external and internal injuries that come from the harsh effects of bullying that can cause people to become secretive or others to reach a breaking point. Peter and Josie's relationship may be different from the way they grew up, but they strongly share a common case of grief. The issue of bullying has brought teenagers to a breaking point that has forced them past a point of no return to find a way to unconventionally end their pain. Peter's past is a series of tragic events, having to face bullying without protective interference. Growing up she seemed almost perfect, but it was just a facade, hiding all her emotional turmoil inside. The pressure came in the form of two main figures: her mother and her boyfriend Matt Royston. Josie had to make her mother proud, which was achieved "Many of the achievements that Josie's mother was most proud of... had been achieved not because Josie wanted them so badly herself, but mostly because she was afraid of not being perfect." (page 9). She felt that popularity was the key to some form of conformity, being at the top of the high school social hierarchy would make her feel good that people liked her. Yet as time passed, his lack of attention would become detrimental to his feeling as if people would find out who he really was, even creating precautions in case this happened with the book explaining his possible suicide methods . "It had taken Josie nearly six months to inconspicuously collect only fifteen pills, but she figured if she washed them down with a fifth of vodka, it would work. (p. 8-9). She had a feeling that everything would be collapsed, as if she were like Marie Antoinette with the people who would come after, but instead she will take matters into her own hands Matt on the other hand was the source of her popularity, the relationship between him and Peter was evident, with Matt mistreating him throughout their school life Yet the most shocking part is the abuse Matt did to Josie by fighting and hitting her This would make her love life with Matt feel toxic, like he was in control of her, increasing the pressure to be perfect. On the day of the shooting Peter entered the locker room where Josie and Matt were, he was fixated on Matt but it was the scream that made Peter slide with a gun at his side that Matt is shown in his true identity, as he is towards Peter and Josie summed up in a moment when Matt says: "'Josie, for God's sake!'... 'Are you damn stupid Peter?' he would have replied "Don't talk to her that way." 440). Peter, even though all this turmoil still stands up for a friend he generally cares about. Josie at this moment is finally able to let go of all her problems by shooting Matt and Peter who take the final shot