Plot Summary
Jersey Hatch used to play on the football team, had plenty of friends, and made good grades. That was until the day he decided to shoot himself in the head. Jersey returns home from the hospital after being in a coma. The shooting left him with no memory of the incident and now he is left not being able to think before speaking, has trouble walking, and controlling his movements. His best friend, Todd, no longer wants anything to do with him and his parents are distraught with trying to figure out why he tried to kill himself when he had everything going for him. Jersey also has the need to know why. With the help of Todd's grandmother, Mama Rush, Jersey arms himself with a notebook to write down his memories and flashbacks in order to piece together what happened. As he makes the climb towards recovery he begins to find the answers, but will they be enough to win back his friends and keep his family from falling apart all over again?
Critical Evaluation
Trigger, told from Jersey's point of view, is both heartbreaking and fascinating journey into the psyche of a popular boy who felt the need to try and end his life. This book is very relevant today especially with the many teen suicides in the news. What causes a child to want to commit suicide? What impact does it have on those around him? Trigger delves into and tries to answer these questions through the fresh and confused mind of Jersey Hatch. Especially heartbreaking are the scenes when Jersey returns to school and faces cruelty and discrimination because of his new disabilities. The scenes are so real and vivid. Readers might not want to feel sympathy for Jersey's selfish act, but by the end of the book will be rooting for him to find the answers he is looking for.
Reader's Annotation
Seventeen year-old Jersey Hatch arrives home from the hospital knowing he has a brain-injury but doesn't know how it happened, but his friends won't talk to him and his parents fight to understand what made him shoot himself in the head.
About the Author
Genre
Issues, Physical Challenges
Curriculum Ties
Sociology
Booktalking Ideas
1) Discuss the subject of suicide.
2) Given Jersey's physical and mental disabilities, do you think his peers were too harsh on him?
Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 15+
Challenge Issues
Suicide, disabilities
Challenge defense ideas
-Become familiar with the book and its content.
-Refer to the collection development policy of the library, see http://sfpl.org/pdf/about/policies/collection-development-plan.pdf
-Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Susan-Vaught/dp/1599902303/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292469287&sr=1-1
-Try to get reviews of the book from teens who have read it.Why Included in Titles Selected
Recommended by a coworker.
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