June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month, and June 7th is known to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Did you know that on average, one person dies by guns every eleven minutes in the United States? On this occasion, I am sharing two books that tell the story of Gun Violence Survivors and how it has impacted their community.
The Shape of Thunder by Jasmine Warga:
Cora has always had her best friend Quinn by her side, but now it’s just Cora. Cora has been grieving the death of her sister, Mabel who was shot by Quinn’s brother Parker in a school shooting (What an irony). She visits a therapist where she opens up her feelings. Whereas her ex best friend Quinn, has been shocked by what her brother had done and misses her best friend Cora. Both the girls are experiencing the pain of losing their siblings due to gun violence.On Cora’s birthday, Quinn breaks the silence by planning on a time travel to change the past and save their siblings. Cora is in denial about Quinn’s brother’s actions and refuses to control her emotions. Quinn wants to find what happened to Parker and why Parker killed those people and ended his life. Quinn’s parents have been fighting lately because of what Parker had done and that leads to Quinn pouring all her emotions into letters that she writes to Parker. Quinn’s parents are suffering from the trauma of losing their son and being judged as a shooter’s family Cora doesn’t know what to think about Quinn after the incident and cannot forgive. But, with the help of her Father and Grams, she changes her perspective about Quinn. What will happen next? Will the girls get to undo the past to save their siblings? Will their friendship restart? Read this book to find out.
The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson
Seventeen-year-old May is nothing like her twin brother Jordan. Jordan was an outstanding student having excellent grades, and was very well mannered and humble. May constantly hated his presence because she felt inferior to him. One day when May and Jordan are in the same class an unfortunate school shooting happens.May is a lucky one to survive the school shooting while her brother loses his life . The guilt of her brother’s death haunts her. This guilt worsens when she finds out that she was the reason behind the shooting causing the death of her brother along with other classmates.
On the other hand, Zach’s life falls apart when his mother, who is a lawyer, takes the side of the school shooter in a case. Zach and his sister are verbally harassed and hated by most of their school. While Zach has no support by either his friends or his family, he comes across May. Despite their points of views on how the shooting has affected them, they share one thing in common. They both need support and closure from the situation. Towards the end of the story, Zach and May come to terms with the incident.If you want to read more about May and Zach’s journey tackling their grief and loss, this book is just for you.
I am disheartened to know that the epidemic of Gun Violence has played a role in several deaths in today’s day and age. According to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, Gun Violence is a pervasive public health epidemic affecting our community. It is alarming to know that suicide makes up the majority of gun deaths in the United States. A solution to the problem is to increase awareness about the impact of gun violence, having strict government policies, and promoting secure gun storage.
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