March 24, 2021
By Adriana Rodriguez
Staff Writer
The pitter-patter of their hearts and gasps for air collectively fill the bathroom. A ring is heard from one of their phones. Silence consumes them as three words shine on the screen: “Not A Drill.” “Shooter” by Caroline Pignat dives into the minds of five high school seniors who are stuck in a bathroom during a school lockdown.
In five main perspectives, Alice, Hogan, Isabelle, Noah and Xander are faced with life and death. Locked in a boys restroom, a raging shooter outside leads them to panic and question if the shooter’s accomplice is among them. “Shooter” provides twists and visual aids to tell this story through the eyes of teenagers.
The book is a young adult novel discussing the psychological aspects of a school shooting. It dives into the realities of mental health, providing readers a perspective of a victim’s experience.
Alice is a lone writer pressured with the responsibility of caring for her autistic older brother, Noah. Isabelle is a rich, popular girl seeking the validation of others. Ex-football player Hogan suffers due to the death of his brother and a guilty conscience. Xander is socially awkward and becomes an outcast because he is different. Finally, Noah is a boy with autism who is immersed in his own world. These individuals prove that it is normal to experience hardships in life.
Pignat provides relatable characters that struggle with mental health. During the lockdown, they bond over their hardships and start to understand each other more as people rather than the facade they created to survive high school.
A ring is heard from one of their phones. Silence consumes them as three words shine on the screen: “Not A Drill.”
Throughout the novel, Pignat presents a unique form of writing including poetry, text messages, journal entries and homework assignments. Her style introduces readers to a first-person perspective of the teenagers’ thoughts and lives.
Entries from Noah are beautifully written. He allows the reader to enter his mind and see his interactions with others. Through Noah’s character, Pignat spreads awareness about autism, helping readers grasp a better understanding of the disability.
Readers are also introduced to Maxel. He suffers from mental health issues due to his home life. He is neglected by his mother and becomes compulsive. Dealing with an absent mother causes Maxel to feel distanced from his classmates. Since he did not garner attention from his parental figures, he craves it from others. This leads him to engage in a school shooting so the eyes of the entire school will finally be on him.
Although Maxel is portrayed as the antagonist, there is no real villain. Maxel feels helpless and does not know where to project his anger. So, he displaces this anger onto his peers. The need for a nurturing and loving figure in his life is evident. If he were given the support he needed, his circumstances would have been different.
Child abuse and mental health are relevant topics. Maxel highlights and embodies the outcome of someone who was mistreated. Seeing such drastic consequences of child neglect motivates readers to help those in similar situations. Trauma and stress play a large part in destroying one’s mental health. Local hotlines are meant to provide support for those who are struggling and should be used whenever needed.
Although this novel portrays a negative and sensitive topic, it gives readers an outlet. They are met with characters who may have similar problems. This book is a great recommendation to high school-aged readers interested in mental health and how it affects teens today. “Shooter” opens the reader’s eyes to the cruel truths of mental health. This book sheds light on those suffering from mental health and the extremes they will go to end their suffering.
