That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

That's Not What Happened was the second young adult book that I read while I was home in Florida for the holidays. I found this one at my school's book fair and was intrigued by the description on the back, so I picked it up.

The story follows a high school senior named Lee, who is dealing with some significant emotional trauma. When she was a freshman, she was involved in a school shooting. During the shooting, she was hiding in a bathroom stall with her best friend Sarah. Both girls were shot at, but the gunman missed Lee. Sarah was killed instantly. In the days after the shooting happened, a lot of stories about the victims began circulating in the inevitable media frenzy that followed. One of the stories was that Sarah died bravely defending her Christian faith to the shooter. This story, circulated by another surviving student listening from outside the bathroom, has become a legend in Lee's small town. Sarah is regarded as a hero and her story is an inspiration to the community.

The problem with this is, that the story is completely untrue. Lee knows that Sarah didn't say anything before she died. They were huddled together silently in that bathroom stall, scared out of their minds. Lee doesn't know what anyone else may have said to the shooter, but she knows for sure that Sarah did not speak to him at all. When the story was first circulating, Lee didn't say anything to stop it. She believed it was more helpful to Sarah's parents to let them believe the lie. However, now it's three years later, and Sarah's parents are now going to write a book about the incident. Lee can't stand the misinformation that will result when the book is published and believes that it's time for all the survivors of that terrible day to share their stories about what it was really like. Dismantling the myth around Sarah's death won't be easy though, and could turn the whole town against Lee. Many people have made significant life changes around this story and won't let it go easily. She must decide if it will be worth it to speak up or if she should just stay silent.

I found this story to be very interesting, and, sadly, very timely. School shootings are a disturbing reality that kids have to think about today and it was interesting to explore the fallout and trauma of such a terrible event. Lee and her friends struggle with survivor's guilt and PTSD, as well as a lot of the modern difficulties of being involved in a high-profile crime, including the agony of being accused of being "crisis actors," becoming figures in a political debate about gun control, and being hounded by the press for details of what happened. Lee's struggle with what to do in the aftermath was compelling and multifaceted. I could see reasons for her to stay silent and reasons for her to speak out. Her struggle was portrayed sensitively and realistically in a way that younger readers will be able to understand.

Mixed in with the sections about Lee's story are letters written about the students and teachers that died in the shooting. These letters help to give readers a sense of all those who lost their lives in the event. The point is stressed that even if someone wasn't particularly heroic during the incident or if they weren't a particularly good person before the incident happened, they still deserve to be remembered and mourned. No attention is paid to the shooter himself or his possible motives for his crime. He isn't even named in the book. All of the focus is saved for those impacted by what he did, and how the ripples of his crime spread across an entire town. No gory details or graphic descriptions are given; the focus here is on how people tried to pick up the pieces in the wake of the tragedy. In this way, the story is able to deal with a difficult topic without being exploitative or disrespectful.

I definitely enjoyed this novel and thought it portrayed school shootings in a realistic and sensitive way. I think young adult readers will be completely engaged in the story and come away from the novel with a better understanding of the power of stories and the impact of violence on students and communities. While the serious subject matter may not be appropriate for all readers, for the right kids, That's Not What Happened will be a deeply moving read.


Challenge Tally
Clear the Shelves 2018: 20 books donated

Total Books Read in 2018: 43