“I have spent the past five years of my life working to reduce gun violence. My daughter Jaime was murdered in the Parkland school shooting. Over the course of the past five years, I have been on a mission to help people truly understand the reality of gun violence. This book, American Roulette, does just that. I was not prepared for this book, and it truly impacted me. The approach to this book with multiple authors who have experience in the many areas around crime, gun violence, and its aftermath, is unique and brings a unique sense of reality. When you read this book, you will feel as if this could be happening now in a place that you recognize. My hope is that people read this book and put themselves in the shoes of the many families already affected by gun violence. My hope is that you read this book, and work harder to be part of doing something about gun violence, before this story hits closer to home.”
“American Roulette is filled with believable characters; I loved some of them and loathed others, but they all jumped off the page. The characters’ tangible humanity is exactly what makes American Roulette as difficult to read as it is necessary. As the president of Brady United, an organization that works to prevent gun violence, I have seen mass shootings reduce real people, whose lives meant everything to them and their families, to casualty statistics, headlines, and hashtags, over and over again. American Roulette doesn’t do that. American Roulette forces us to reckon with the ways that easy access to guns can erase an unsuspecting person’s life in an instant, and all of their hopes, dreams, and ambitions, and with that, tear apart the fabric of families, communities, and our society. This book is not a light read. But it is an urgent one. I would recommend this book to so many, but for victims and survivors, I would approach with extreme caution. With that caveat, if you want to examine the root causes of gun violence and our joint role in trying to end it, this is a book for you, especially for those of you concerned that nothing will ever change or worried that everything will. My hope is that, like art so often does, American Roulette will pierce through the rhetoric and preconceived notions surrounding guns and gun violence, to speak directly to your heart and inspire change.”
“American Roulette grabs you by both head and heart as it leads you through dark prickly places then points you toward the light.”
“Amazing book. I was impacted by this true-to-life story that reaffirms the reality of the dangers that we, our families, loved ones, and friends face on any given day. American Roulette is a profound, emotional, and riveting read. I found myself not wanting to turn the pages but feeling compelled to do so. For anyone concerned about gun violence in this country, the authors have pro- vided a scenario and characters with which readers will immediately identify.
Having authored active shooter response plans, facilitated active shooter exercises, and assisted in the response and recovery to an active shooter event, I can attest that the authors are clearly versed in complexities of crisis response which makes American Roulette that much more realistic.”
“Welding individual psychology and the politics of gun violence with a moving story, this searing novel confronts the reality of the United States’ most tragic epidemic. . . .
Each of the novel’s authors writes a single character, creating continuity, nuance, and an impressive diversity of voices. Combining the eclecticism of a wide-ranging short story collection with an epic sense of inevitability and dread as the day wears on, these eight authors achieve a subtle poetic harmony.
Generalizing labels are undermined, and the true horror of public violence and lost innocence is placed center stage.
Politics are inseparable from this narrative, but its emphasis remains on the travesty that is lost life and the need for constructive help rather than simply placing blame on one group. Readers will find a complex, thought-provoking story about humanity and about modern society’s intractable failures rather than a polemic with prescribed solutions. This book embraces everyone, and as such, makes a case for people coming together against gun violence, loneliness, mental illness, and injustices of every kind.”
Having authored active shooter response plans, facilitated active shooter exercises, and assisted in the response and recovery to an active shooter event, I can attest that the authors are clearly versed in complexities of crisis response which makes American Roulette that much more realistic.”
“Dr. Andy Carey is a rare and compelling amalgamation of academic scholar and astute storyteller. I am so pleased American Roulette readers will be privy to his exceptional ability to give voice to the internal challenges faced by people who struggle with mental disorder.
As a novelist, Dr. Carey introduces us to characters so rich and complex that readers cannot help but be empathic to their struggles, their pain, and to celebrate their triumphs.
Having worked side-by-side with Andy as counselor educators for over twenty years, I witnessed his insistence that counselors-in-training and his pro- fessional peers see each client fully: listening to all of their complexity long before diagnostic codes and academic or social labels were ever considered or uttered.”
“We as a nation have done far too little to address the epidemic of gun violence that claims over 40,000 lives a year. It grieves God that we have not protected our children and in addition our communities threatened by gun violence be- cause of their race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Change is often precipitated by the power of stories. It is my hope and prayer that powerful stories such as this one will help us to move toward God’s desire of a peaceable kingdom.”
“American Roulette is an amazingly realistic book. It made me feel like I was living this chaotic day in the life of Anytown, USA. In fact, it was so real I needed to work through some personal trauma before I wrote this review.
On September 15, 1999, a mass shooting took place at Wedgwood Baptist Church. My daughters were supposed to be there (but unknown to me ended up not going). What began as a distraught parent trying desperately to find his daughters ended up with me driving the pastor all night from the church to the hospital, to the morgue, to survey the scene, to National network news interviews, etc. Most days I think I have worked through it. But this book reminded me it’s an ongoing process.
The authors have captured the lives of everyday Americans living and trying to get through their own daily challenges. We seldom think about those around us and what is going on in their lives, but the authors, by each taking the life of an individual involved, bring those issues to the forefront. As I said before, it makes it real.
Be warned, if you have suffered trauma, particularly gun trauma, this book may bring it all back. The authors hope that it does not just overwhelm people but calls them to action for gun control. I completely agree!
I would encourage every American to read this book. It could make a difference in the way you view gun violence and particularly the “right” of gun ownership which is out of control in this country.