This was a quick read that I wanted to like a lot more than I did. It was set in Toronto and the main character is the daughter of a librarian and the plot sounded very interesting but the execution was lacking. All of the characters were very one dimensional or very stereotypical and no one behaved in a very believable way considering the situation they were in.

Thank you Netgalley for the digital ARC. This is my own honest review.

Trigger warnings: self harm and sexual assualt.

I have read a few books based in school shootings. While each one has been intense and even share different povs, this book does not.

We follow Ginny and her day throughout this terrifying ordeal. She gave us details on how her day started, as well as her past. We also see her classmates through her eyes. She has everyone labeled, until this day happens.

She finds friendship in someone she least expected it from.

This story doesn't focus on the shooter or even the reasons why it is happening. We just get the one side from Ginny and how she and her classmates handle it. And that, is enough to make this a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

I am particularly drawn to YA novels that take on serious and often controversial topics. I believe such stories are essential and I was looking forward to reading another take on a tough topic. Unfortunately, this book was a major let down. The writing is juvenile, the secondary characters are mostly underdeveloped cliches, and the main character, Ginny, was close to intolerable. The fact that a school shooting is something that could happen anywhere is the only part of the book that felt realistic.

The book has such an abrupt ending that I thought I missed chapters. It felt as though the author got tired and didn't want to finish so she wrote a quick "months later" chapter just to wrap things up. Truly disappointing.

Middle school daughter and I read this book, and it was a super quick and great read! She literally read it in one day, and I was pretty close behind. We felt the characters were believable and the story line was great. Without giving things away we both felt that students who read this will be entertained.

The story revolves around flashback scenes, but we wish they would focus a little more on the father and his death.

A shorter novel about a topic which is becoming all too real. Unfortunately, for me, this story wasn’t too real - the characterisation of the teens was very poor and failed to drive the story forward, leaving what should have been a very powerful and affecting story completely lacking.

This book was short and sweet. It's really more of a YA novella or a Kindle single. It spans the length of time spent in a classroom during a school shooting when 2 very brave girls step up, take control of the situation, and become friends in the process.

The book is told from Ginny's point of view. She is bookish and smart and a bit judgmental. She initiates the brave behavior by moving a whiteboard in front of the door as a second form of defense, but Kayla (a cheerleader) moves to help her. Ginny slowly realizes that Kayla is courageous and resourceful. Together they unite the classroom and keep everyone calm and quiet.

There are flashbacks in the book to Ginny's home life and past and there's a little bit of an epilogue regarding the aftermath of the shooting, but I'd like to know more about what happened in the 3 months between the end of school and the prom...

Standing at a mere 200 pages long, this book is a very juvenile take on a controversial and pressing subject. While the author can put together coherent sentences (hence two stars instead of one), she appears to not know how to use proper punctuation (lots of missing commas where they should be).

The plot is equally flat as the characters and mostly takes places over one afternoon. Not much is ever mentioned about the shooter, his identity or his motivations. He/she is only mentioned in passing and his fate remains vague.

The characters are dull and annoying, especially the female protagonist who is a spoilt brat that complains, judges and freaks out at everything. There is poor character development because instead of fleshing them out properly, the author makes use of stereotypes and tropes to move the storyline along. It's also darn unrealistic that most of the students were chilling calmly under their desks the shooting.

It's highly disappointing that many taboo issues were brought up, though none were ever properly explored and dealt with, let alone resolved. Examples: Cutting, date rape, grief and mourning, witnessing death, etc.

Think of this book as a Breakfast Club with a school shooting (instead of detention) as the backdrop. Pretty disrespectful to actual shootings and books about them, to be honest.

I do not yet know how i feel about this one it bought some truths out and it was a bit scary to see how people can come in and just shoot up a school

An amazing, well written, and emotionally charged book. It's full of food for thought and it's not an easy read.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

*spoilers in review* (rating: 2.5 / 5)

A school shooting at a high school in Canada is shown from the perspective of one of the students. She's forced to think past her perceptions of other students to do the best she can to help others trapped in the classroom with her.

I didn't find very many redeeming qualities about this book. My favorite thing about the book was the way that each chapter ended with a tweet from various sources--usually either the local news station or one of the students in the school. I liked reading the updates as time went on (and missed them when they weren't there), though I wished I could see reactions from the characters to some of them. They were mostly removed from the narrative. The writing was clear and easy to follow. And I liked the relationship between the narrator, Ginny, and her mom. That's the extent of my positive notes. These are the main reasons I gave the book 2.5 stars.

There was a secondary main character named Kayla who, frankly, would have made a much better main character. She was compassionate, brave, forgiving, and had knowledge of medicine. I don't mean to say side characters can't be better at anything than the main character, of course, but in contrast, Ginny was judgemental, a bit harsh, and too often focused on the entirely wrong things during this crisis. The main character doesn't have to be the "best," but for a story to land well, it certainly helps for the reader to be able to identify with the MC...and I just didn't. Ginny spends the entire book calling Kayla by an insulting nickname, but it's okay, because she says it "with love" after the two start to become friends. Just...no. There are other things that happen with Ginny that either don't make sense to her character or are pretty big personality flaws.

And speaking of characters, the book is so full of cliches. In the classroom during the lockdown, there are only 3 main groups of people identified: jocks, cheerleaders, and nerds. I get the over-simplification of background characters in a setting like this, but maybe go against the trend of those commonly used groups? The main person who acts selfishly and is disliked by the MCs is a jock. Maybe change it up, make him something less cliched.

This might count as a spoiler, so be warned, but one specific thing that really bugged me was later in the book, Ginny makes a comment about one of the other students that leads Kayla to tell her maybe she should work on not judging people so much. After initially snarking back to Kayla about this comment, she admits to the reader that Kayla had been right (yeah, we know...considering that you have been calling Kayla, who is supposedly becoming your friend now, "Barbie" since the beginning of the book). Then later, when talking about the "jerk jock", we're told that Ginny prides herself on having a pretty good feel for people. Except she's spent half the book finding out that she's misjudged at least 3 different people in her class. But since we all agree that the jerk jock is a bad guy, I guess we'll let that little contradiction slide.

Here are a few other stray thoughts, which contain some spoilers: From my limited knowledge, I'm pretty sure most school shootings are a lot shorter than the time it went on for in this book. The shooter weirdly taunted this classroom, which I never really understood. There wasn't much suspense for me, considering the final chapter title, the book's POV and tense, and the fact that I wasn't really connected to the MC (note: I am not at all saying that I didn't care if she died, especially considering the subject matter of this book). Finally, I don't think it would have bothered me to not be told the motivations behind the shooting if the students hadn't speculated on it so much along the way. Because of that, I did find myself wanting to know, which we don't find out. I know that the motivations aren't always clear in real life either, but this is fiction, so I would have hoped for at least a more definitive speculation from someone in authority by the end.

The subject of a school shooting intrigued me, which is why I chose to read this book. Though I know there are other books like this out there, I haven't read any. However, so much of the characterization was just so off to me, I had a difficult time finding it very much of an exploration into the minds of students in this terrible situation. I don't think I can come up with any types of readers I would specifically recommend this book to. It was short, so I probably should have been able to read it more quickly than I did, but instead found myself stopping and going back to my other book that I was really enjoying, and it's not because of the difficult subject, but because...it just didn't hold my attention very well.

Ginny is the main character in a story about a HS shooting in Canada. A shooter (or shooters) are at Ginny's school and the substitute teacher gets shot ushering in a late student. I am a bit surprised with the procedures in place for such an attack. These seemed to be a bit vague and limited.

Kayla and Ginny go on a crusade within the room to assist those who had been shot or otherwise wounded. Friendships are made. Kayla, a cheerleader who Ginny didn't like - called her "Barbie" - ends up having the most common sense. Kayla and Ginny perform most of the emotional and physical care to their classmates and bond.

As has happened too many times in the US, this is not a fantastical charade. Children and adults do die from senseless actions. Perhaps someone will read this who can make a difference...

An OK read.

Many Thanks to Common Deer Press and NetGalley for an informative read

When I saw this book up on Netgalley, I was immediately drawn into it. While I know others like this exist, this was my first time seeing a book about a school shooting. That, combined with the intriguing cover and title, made me want to instantly dive into it. And so, yesterday afternoon, I did.

The plot of the story centers around a school shooting from the perspective of Ginny (named in honor of Ginny Weasley, on account of being the daughter of both a librarian and a book editor). Throughout the book, the reader not only gains insight into the school shooting incident, but also her outside life at home. I really enjoyed the mental health rep, especially the reasoning given to why Ginny has recently taken to cutting her wrists. I also liked Ginny's character development and how, over the course of the book, she was able to completely change her ridiculously stereotypical opinions of her fellow classmates.

However, for the most part, this book felt like a pretty average read. For one, it's a pretty short read. I read the full book in under two hours, which gave it more of a "novella" feeling than an actual full length novel.

My biggest criticism for this would probably have to be the lack of explanation as to the specific motives behind the shooter. In the end, we do get a generic motive, but to me it just wasn't enough and didn't add much to the book. I would have definitely liked to see some backstory, maybe in the form of a news article, to dive into the shooter's character.

Overall, this was an average, yet emotional and quickly paced read. Final rating: 3.5 stars

*I was given a free eARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my thoughts or opinions of this book*

When a shooter shows up at South Western High School, the students and teachers dive into lock down. Under the tables, teacher locking the door.. As long as the shooter hasn't got there first!

Students quietly patiently waiting to see/hear if they were getting out alive!

In homeroom sub, the students quietly await their fate.

What would you do in their position?

A great story which teaches us that we judge too quickly sometimes. This book focuses on the students of homeroom sub had to work together to survive. Finding out new things about each other, the girls find out they have more in common than they think. It is told from the point of view of Ginny one of the student in the room.

Not very action packed but it is a YA novel so there's only so much the author can put. A emotional read as the book flicks between past and present. As well as tweets, which also help to keep us up to date.

http://www.12books.co.uk/2019/08/22/notreadytodie-by-cate-carlyle/

I received a free e-ARC of this book via Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

One thing that I love about YA Fiction is that it often tackles real life issues, such as sexuality, mental health, and in recent years, school shootings. This book focuses mainly on a school shooting, but actually touches upon some other important topics, including the ones mentioned earlier.

#NotReadyToDie is told from the POV of a girl named Ginny. It’s an average day in a Canadian high school class room when gunshots go off. In that moment, everything changes as the students hide under their desks and try to stay alive with a gunman walking through the halls of their school.

This novel takes place almost completely during the shooting, with just a few flashback moments to contextualize Ginny’s life. Inter-spliced through are tweets about the event, some of which come from students we recognize, while others come from parents, news outlets, and other students in the building. Social media and pop culture come up often in this novel, which is good as it helps to really ground the story as being current, with mentions of the Kardashians and Donald Trump, but it will also make the story dated in a few years, which is unfortunate.

The characters honestly weren’t too memorable. Many of them are reduced to stereotypes, though this is the fault of our narrator Ginny, who admits that she judges people too much. We have the cheerleaders, known as “Barbies,” the Nerds (yes, with a capital N,) the dumb jocks… and then the rest of the students. Mainly, we have Ginny and Kayla as the main characters, Max and Owen as flat side characters we see but don’t learn much about, and a few others who get named but we really don’t care about once they’re off the page. If the story had been longer, maybe we could have gotten to know the other classmates better, but unfortunately they’re sort of just left as flat supporting background characters.

As mentioned earlier, I do like that it touches on other topics frequently explored in YA books, such as sexuality and mental health topics. We have two gay characters, one out and one closeted. There’s also a student struggling with her anxiety, as she left her medicine in her locker. Ginny, the protagonist, cuts herself, and even during the shooting incident she’s seen picking at scabs and making them bleed. I was glad to see that this shooting wasn’t a “remedy” for her cutting, and she still has this problem by the end of the story.

I also felt like the characters were talking a bit too much for a situation like this. At first, our characters communicated via gestures and phone messages, and by the end they’re talking and even singing quietly! I think that the general consensus when they’re a gunman stalking the halls and shooting at the door handle is to be silent and still. Of course, for the sake of the narrative it needed dialogue, but I constantly wanted them all to shut up and hide.

In the end, I’d give this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 on review sites. The danger and thrill and anxiety was definitely there, but the stereotypical characters and lack of depth kept it from being as impactful and moving as it could have been. I would recommend this to fans of This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp, Violent Ends (a compilation by various authors) or to anyone who wants to read about this difficult subject.

This was one of the best fictional books i've read about the topic. It doesn't glorify the act, it just shows the raw truth about the scared people living thought it.
I found it interesting and concise. The author had something to say and didn't create unnecessary drama just to make the book longer.
I enjoyed reading it very much.

This book was not what I expected. It was a total let down for me. The main character was more selfish then anything, more concerned about prom and just criticizing everyone in the class.

The subject matter of the novel is all too real, because unfortunately it's sad to say, school shoots have become a norm for us, however this novel wasn't realistic at all. I felt like it was a missed opportunity that could have been bigger and better.

This is my honest opinion.

Rating 1

The topic of this book is very close to reality right now, but that's about it. School shootings are terrifying, but I can't imagine that your first and only thoughts would be with your crush during such a tragedy. I've listened to countless accounts of survivors of school shootings, and those people's number one priority is always their family at home.
Story itself has no depth and is very short; emotion in the storytelling was missing. Short read.

I guess with shootings happening in the US and being reported on our TV news, and reading that all US schools have special drills in place for this type of eventuality made me curious. We have also had school shootings in the UK, so I was interested in reading this book. I think the book will really stand out on a book store shelf as it is bright orange and then the title being in the form of a hashtag will in my opinion make it even more appealing to teens.

The story begins with the main character Gin reading some graffiti that is written on the underside of her desk, “Jarrold H. is a weiner 1981.”
Gin wonders who Jarrold was, why someone thought he was a wiener. Was he still considered a wiener, or did he outgrow it? Did Jarrold survive the bullying okay and grow up, get a decent job, wife and family? Next Gin starts to ponder the person who wrote it. It had to be a boy as a girl’s would have wrote the graffiti in a toilet cubicle. A girl wouldn’t get under a desk to write graffiti!
Gin’s mind wanders to what the equivalent of bullying by graffiti was nowadays. It would be something written or an incriminating photo online, Facebook or Instagram. The bullying would travel quicker these days with social media and it could be done anonymously too.

The book then begins to address why Gin is laid on the floor under her desk. The day had started out like any other, the students were taking their seats in homeroom, preparing for the arrival of Miss Jones, their temporary substitute teacher. Their usual teacher was off on maternity leave. Shots are heard and then Gin see’s Miss Jones at the door ushering Owen Sanders into the room and under his desk.

The book then tells the story of the young teens from Gin’s point of view. Gin thinks back to that morning how her and her mum had words. Gin is scared she won’t see her mum again. What if those sharp words are the last word’s she ever gets chance to say to her mum.
The book flashes back in Gin’s memories of her Uncle’s death, then that of her father. Gin attempts to text her mum, as she knows her mum will be so upset and anxious as they only have each other now. The shooting at the school is all over the news sites and social media.

Gin also interacts with the other students. She has a secret crush on Owen Sanders and is hoping with perhaps a little encouragement from her he may even ask her to Prom. They are already really good friends, so it is a possibility. That is presuming they all get out of this classroom alive!

Unlikely friendships are made, such as Gin and one of the cheer squad that she considers, mentally calls and occasionally verbally slips and calls her “barbie”. They share secrets with each other and then by checking on the other students individually, they learn other secrets about those students. Gin hands her phone over to one of the cheer squad that is having panic attacks. Between them they do their best to attend injuries, cope with scared jocks and nerds as if it is something, they do everday of the week.

The fact the shooter keeps coming back to their classroom to try to get into it to shoot them all adds to their scary situation. They can hear the shooter walking and shooting in the school hallway and in the cafeteria and in the surrounding classrooms.

I did enjoy reading the book and at points I seriously didn’t want to put it down! Though there were occasions within the book I felt I wanted more. Maybe a few chapters from the points of view of classmates trapped within other rooms or even the parents and loved ones of the students outside the school, or the SWAT team sent to take care of the shooter.

My immediate thoughts upon the book finishing was a kind of shock. I was a bit like what? That’s it? I was scrolling on wanting more.

To finally sum up this book was made up of part text, news bulletins and then Ginny & school friends. I found it an interesting read....not sure exactly what I had expected.....I just felt I wanted more....maybe about who the shooter really was and why he did what he did. As well as who the 12 dead were....not sure what was missing I wanted a bit more. Having said that the book was Gin’s story of what she felt that day, how she interacted with the other students along with the memories from her past that kept her calm under extreme pressure.

This book was amazing. It was heartbreaking, but a book like this needs to be written. I found myself wondering what I would do in this situation. I also found that this was a different perspective that needs to be shared.

This book is really scary, with how real it felt. The characters felt like real people and the plot was really well done. Overall I really enjoyed reading this one.