"Interpretations are not so simple if you want them to correspond with the truth."
Sebastian Fagerman and Maja Norberg are the exclusive Djorsholm school's hottest couple. He's the son of one of the richest men in Sweden but money can't buy everything. One morning, shots ring out in a classroom at Djorsholm Upper Secondary School in classroom 412. As the result of the massacre, Maja is incarcerated awaiting trial. This novel attempts to explain what happened on that fateful day as well as to examine the nature of relationships, of love and the concept of justice. NO SPOILERS.
This was a fast-paced and well-written story that takes the reader into Maja's heart and mind. While waiting for her trial and preparing for her testimony, Maja describes her thoughts and feelings about Sebastian and about her classmates and friends. She delves into the class differences between rich and poor as well as the dynamics of the family unit and her friendship with Amanda. The characters come to life on the pages and the empathy meter rises. The ultimate question of "why" the event happened can only be assumed through the filter that Maja uses to both feel the pain as well as to protect herself.
I can't wait to see the movie adaptation and I enjoyed this book very much though it's a very tough subject to tackle. It would be a great one for a book club discussion and I'm looking forward to hearing what others think of it. As this horrible tragedy seems to occur with frightful regularity, the examinations must continue in order for anyone to begin to understand that emotional instability and mental health issues must surely be at the root of it all.
This is a standalone and not part of any series.
Genre - courtroom drama/trial
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