A THOUSAND CUTS

Police inspector Lucia May tries to uncover the reasons behind a teacher having killed five people at a school assembly before turning the gun on himself. Chapters alternate between the points of view of the witnesses and the inspector. Listening to students, teachers, and staff relate, in their own voices, the ongoing bullying aimed at teacher Samuel Szajkowski provides an intense listening experience. It’s chilling to hear them relate pranks that quickly escalated to abusiveness without remorse. Less successful are the chapters in which a narrator tells Lucia’s story as she begins to see parallels between her own circumstances and the those of the shooter. A chilling yet timely story of the consequences that can explode in a culture that ignores bullying. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2011]