James Grippando Follow

The premise of Twenty—a school shooting and rush to judgement fueled by class distinctions and Islamophobia—is intriguing. Twenty is also a story about family, prejudice, and several other daunting fault lines in modern society. I give the author tremendous credit for tackling the topics he explores in this book. He handles most of it adroitly, yet the novel bogs down at times when he gives in to the temptation to editorialize. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine not having strong opinions on these topics, but there’s a good reason why novels don’t appear on editorial pages. These are, however, minor concerns, as Grippando’s outstanding writing skills keep things moving forward to deliver a thrilling ride.