Group Discussion: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Hi there, readers!

This is a reflection of our group discussion regarding Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick.  There will be spoilers, so you have been warned.

The first thing we talked about in group was how difficult this story was to read.  We reside in Colorado and shootings are nothing new: every  member in our group has been impacted directly by a shooting (Columbine High School, the Batman Theater Shooting, Arapahoe High School, etc).  That tends to taint how you react to a book of this nature.  Most of us were also bullied or depressed in high school, which also impacted how we read the text.

Once we got that out of the way, we were able to dive into the text.  The biggest thing we found with the book was how Herr Silverman reacted.  He saved Leonard's life and took the teen to his home for the night.  But should he have really done that?  Should Silverman have instead taken Leonard to the ER where he could be evaluated and held on a 72 hour hold?

The truth is, none of us were really sure where the line is drawn.  As a teacher (most of us are education majors), what do you do in a situation like that?  I don't think we ever fully established an answer to the question, either.  The closest we got was that you do what needs to be done and deal with the aftermath later.

We also discussed whether or not this book helps or hinders young adults.  The story has a lot of really good coping techniques that it shows the readers, such as when Herr Silverman has Leonard write letters to himself from himself in the future.  And because the book deals with such a heavy topic, it can help others feel not so alone and show them there's more than what looks like the only way out.

The overall conclusion, however, was that it's a really important read that young adults should read, but they should read it with adults available.  The idea of having adults available isn't necessarily realistic.  Mostly, though, adults (parents, teachers, friends, etc.) need to be present to listen and help their teens sort through the information.

The concluding bit we came up with is that it's a very heavy but important book, but probably shouldn't be geared towards anyone below 12th grade unless the person recommending it is sure of the readers maturity level.

~Meaghan

The Problem Novel: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Hi there readers!

Today's post is about the problem novel Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick.  (Matthew Quick is the guy who wrote The Silver Linings Playbook, in case you were curious.  His website can be found here.)  There are minimal spoilers in this review, so consider yourself warned.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is a pretty dark young adult novel.  It follows the 24 hour day of Leonard, a high school student who is plotting to kill his tormentor and then himself later in the day.  It's Leonard's birthday and no one remembers: his friends (his elderly neighbor, a kid at his school who plays violin, and a really religious girl who hands out pamphlets at the train station) don't remember, his mother (who is absent most of the time and even when she is present, isn't really there) isn't even in the same state as him, and his teacher Herr Silverman (who is trying desperately to understand and help Leonard) doesn't know.

The story is first person in real time, which I thought was a pretty cool approach.  I didn't necessarily like the story, but it did keep me enthralled.  And it was a very powerful read.  The only real issue I had was that it started to drag a little in the middle.  Other than that, it's very well written.  I will warn you though: be prepared to have a lack of resolution at the end.

Overall, I think Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is a really important read for 12th graders and above.  You may not like it, but it will leave an impact on you.

~Meaghan