Give a Boy a Gun

Rating:
Summary: A deep, powerful, and amazing must-read for all adolescents
Review: In the entertaining, all-too-real novel Give a Boy a Gun, Todd Strasser depicts how the lives of numerous members of society can all change in one devastating moment. Gary and Brandon, two troubled young outcasts emotionally affected by both the students and teachers at their high school, finally decide that they've had enough. Armed with semi-automatic guns stolen from a neighbor, about fifty loads of ammunition, and homemade pipe bombs, the friends sabotage their school dance to " get back at those who made their lives miserable." Not only does this book show how insanely out of control guns are, it also urges the reader to reevaluate the way they treat others. I feel that Give a Boy a Gun should be placed on the reading list of every single school throughout the nation. It could really make a difference.

Rating:
Summary: A shocking work of fiction
Review: When I started reading the book, I was amazed to discover that it was not a non fiction book. The style and wording of the author makes the book extremely plausible, and the fact that it is based on true occurences adds to that. In "Give a Boy a Gun", Todd Strasser tells the story of two boys who hold their school hostage during a dance. The reason: revenge on the football players and teachers. The book is written from the view points of friends and family, school staff, e-mails between the gunmen and chatroom conversations between the gunmen and their friends. At the bottom of most every page are facts about violence and shootings. At the back of the book is a section about violent shootings and occurences that happened while the book was being written, and another brief section of certin school shootings.

Rating:
Summary: Give a boy a Gun
Review: Give a boy gun is about two boys in high school(Brendan and Gary) who get made fun of. There is a thin line between "popular" and not "popular" in this towns high school. Although the book is fiction it seems like a well put together account of a true event. They try to learn all they can about bombs and guns they get their guns from a neighbor across the street. This book is a good look at how cruel some people can be and how it can be paid back to them. It is put in point of view format and goes from one character to another in emails,quotes and diary entries. A good choice if one wants a dose of reality. I'd recommend it to all.

Rating:
Summary: Best Book EVER!
Review: This book ('Give a boy a gun') is written by Todd Strasser. It is about 2 boys and how they get bullied and finally give up and take part in a school shooting. They are teased and bullied for being different, they are pushed around. Finally in the end they give up. This is not your ordinary paragraph form novel, it is all quotes from what people felt, and saw happen to these two boys. The football team in the school throws the kids around like dirt, the teachers treat them differently because they dress, or look different.

Gary was an ordinary kid, he liked to go on the computer, he loved video games and his family. Then Brendan moved to Middleton. Most people say that Brendan corrupted Gary's mind, they think that Brendan was the center of all this, he planned it and pressured Gary into it. They say that Brendan is the one that stole the guns from his neighbors collection. And planned it all out. But the truth be known that Gary liked hands on things, and Gary is the person that figured out how to make the pipe bombs that booby trapped the doors. They say they were helpless, they were at a point with no return.

Their main target was Sam Flach, he pushed around the boys and beat them up. Brendan constantly says to everyone that he wants to shoot out Sam's knee's to ruin his whole football career. When the shooting took place it was during a school dance. All there targets were there, they shot at the ceiling and barked out commands. They tied everyone's hand and made them go to the middle of the gym. Everyone cried and panted for help. It was complete chaos. The real question is could this of some how not happened? *Suspense*

This is a great book, I enjoyed it a lot. I don't really have a love for reading, in fact I 'hate' it. Id rather do other things. But this book interested me, a friend told me about it. It just sucks you in, once you start reading you don't want to put the book down. I liked it because it wasn't an ordinary novel, it was unique. And once you start reading you want to know what happens next. I would recommend this book to anyone. It can be for people that are pushed and bullied around for being different (like me), so' you can relate to it (not that my mind is like those boys). Or for people who push and bully kids around, it can show them what people really do feel when they commit the violent act of teasing. This is a very great book, I give it a 11 out of 10.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Give A Boy A Gun by Todd Strasser is a thought provoking novel about 2 teenagers that both have problems. They both attend the same high school, and get beat up by the same people, and eventually have the same idea going through there minds: revenge.
Based on a true story, Todd Strasser has put together a full book of interviews of eye-witness accounts of the incident that changed Middletown forever.
Because the whole book is made up of interviews of people who were there, you get all of there thoughts and feelings about being a rare situation that unfortunately, was not minor at all. I guaranty after reading this book, you will change your everyday routine, and you will think when you do something to someone else. You never know, if that one bad thing you said to them could push them over the top, and have them do something that you would really regret.

Rating:
Summary: Alyssa
Review: Title: Give a boy a Gun
Author: Todd Strasser

Summary:
Give a boy a gun is about a shooting in a school that was caused by an angry student. It is taken after a true story that happened awhile ago. He killed himself after killing many students. The book talks about how it happened, where it happened and who the people were that got killed. The book is told in quotes about peoples thoughts and responses. The quotes talk about what the boy was like that killed everyone and clues that lead to him being a killer and a suicidal person. One of them was quoted by a boy who used to wait at the bus stop with him. He said he never used to talk to anyone and was a quite but angry boy. Another one of the quotes was said by his parents and they never expected him to be a killer.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to people who like to read about violence and novels that are taken from a true story. The most appropriate age group to recommend this book would be over ten because it is violent and is about guns and shootings.
My opinion about this book is that it was a good book. I would have preferred if they told it like a novel not in quotes because it is hard to tell what is going on.

Rating:
Summary: Good Book With a Good Message
Review: A 14 year old reader
Opinion:
--The book was good; it showed the way kids react when they grow up in a violent world. It also displays a good message to show the feelings of the kids who are not in the "in crowd"
--It is also interesting hearing the perspective of the two boys from more than one character. That added an interesting layer to the books formayt.
--One aspect that was confusing was the facts that were printed on the bottom of each page. Although they were interesting, they were also distracting to the plot.

Recommendation:
--This book is enjoyable and an easy read. This book should be suggested and/or mandatory to all middle school and junior high students. This book teaches a valuable lesson of respecting others whether they are like you or not. Overall a great book * * * * ( 4/5 star)

Rating:
Summary: Great Book for Teens
Review: Give A Boy A Gun is agreat book for teens and young adults. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of ten. This book is great for teens for two reasons. First, it is just like real life. The author expresses the feelings of the teens in this book perfectly. Their feelings are very clear and their actions make sense. Second, there is plenty of action and suspense. In case you didn't know already, two teenagers(Gary Searle and Brendan Lowler) bring guns to a dance and hold sixty people hostage. Even though you know that they are both going to die it still keeps you guessing. This is why Give A Boy A Gun is a great book for teens.

Rating:
Summary: gripping and original
Review: This book begins with a graphic description of what happens when a bullet enters a brain. Like Columbine, it is the story of two outsiders who plot then carry through a grisly revenge on their fellow students who tormented them. Teachers, parents and other students from prom queens to geeks all are given space to recap the school shooting for the reader. The sense of alienation and confusion these people feel comes through clearly. It is an original way of exploring what might make two seemingly ordinary suburban teenagers "snap."

Rating:
Summary: An amazing book on kids and gun use
Review: Give a boy a gun was a very moving book. It gets you intrested into the book from the beging. Even though it was quotes from everyone who had witnessed the situation, that made it even better to know the point of view from those who had been there. The book was the kind where you didnt want to put it down because each chapter made you wonder what was going to happen nexted. I thought it was sad but also good how they put in Brenden and Gary's point of view in on how they felt they were getting treated. Maybe in the furture for people who read this book will relise what a little bullying can do to a person over time. I liked how the book was built up to its final point where the shooting takes place. And the best part of this book is that its a true story so it gives the readers more of a real thought about what kids are really going threw theses days. I thought this book was very good. Sad, but good. I think alot of people can learn from this book.