Title: Hate List
Author: Jennifer Brown
Genre: YA, fiction
Summary: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.
Pretty Good
This was a very emotional read, and the testimonies of other students through newspaper articles, as well as flashbacks from Val’s point of view leading up to the incident, the reader gets a pretty well-rounded perspective on the incident. All that we are missing is Nick’s POV.
Some things were left open, such as the relevance of Nick’s secrets and new friendships, and later, Frankie’s reaction to Val’s behavior came out of left field. I would like to know more about Nick and have some insight into Frankie but even without, this book packs a powerful punch on a controversial subject.
Well worth a read to bring forth a horrifying reality in today’s high school culture.
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