TOW #12

She Said Yes, Misty Bernall

The Columbine shooting is one of the most famous school shootings in American history, claiming the lives of 14 students and one teacher, and injuring 21 others. Cassie Bernall was one of the unfortunate victims of the tragedy, shot as she was hiding under a table. Right before the shooters fired their guns, they asked Cassie if she believed in God. Her last words were, "yes," before she was killed. This book reflects upon her troubled life and how she turned her life around to become the person she was before she died.
She Said Yes was written by Cassie's mother, Misty Bernall. She writes for parents, hoping "that this book would be read by parents who recognized the need to be more actively involved in their children's lives." But young people from all over the country have been "the most vocal about the impact of Cassie's life."
Something important that Bernall does is utilize anecdotes to share who the real Cassie was, not the ideal version of her daughter. She writes about how Cassie hung out with a bad group of kids, worshipped Satan, and defied her parents and fought with her brother frequently. These stories are important because they show the significance of how Cassie managed to turn her life around. Had Bernall only shared the good parts of her daughter, the purpose of the book would not have been achieved, and none of the readers would have been as affected as they are with the chosen anecdotes in the book.
So far, I am really enjoying this story. I like to read about tragedies, and things like this really interest me. I also feel like I'm able to see a connection between Cassie and my sister, which makes the book much more important to me. My sister used to be in a bad place, but some events occurred where I realized how lucky I am to have her, and she is really different now for the better. Fortunately for me, I didn't have to lose my sister to realize this, and this book reminds me how lucky I am.