January 2011

Bullying is the topic du jour these days. But we have not seen a story quite like what I read in A THOUSAND CUTS by Simon Lelic.

Here’s the line that drew me in: Samuel Szajkowski, a history teacher, walks into a school assembly and turns an ordinary day into a memorable one as he pulls a gun and kills three students and a co-worker before turning the gun on himself.

You never thought of bullying quite like this. It’s one of those books where the story unfolds and unfolds, and it gets better and better with each plot twist. It’s tight, makes you think, and when you’re finished, you will realize how well done it was. And it will give you pause to think about just how deeply the cuts of bullying run these days.