Hate List - A Review

Hate List - Jennifer Brown

Product Details

• Pub. Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Format: Paperback , 408pp
• Sales Rank: 9,457
• Age Range: Young Adult

• ISBN-13: 9780316041454
• ISBN: 0316041459

Synopsis

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.

My Thoughts:

This book packed a punch. It really did. I was grabbed from page one and it did not let me go until I finished it.

Valerie is an amazing, strong, scared, and scarred teenage girl who's been through hell. Not only does she have to deal with her boyfriend opening fire at their school and shooting her in the process. She is the one left behind to deal with the aftermath. The anger, the fear, the hate, and even the ones who don't blame her as well. That's just the stuff she's dealing with from everyone at school, her parents, the town. But then to add to it she has to deal with her own feelings of fear, guilt, shame, confusion. What an incredibly strong character she really is.

I found myself several times wishing I could reach into the pages and either throttle a character or hug them. Jennifer really brought this story to life and I will definitely be reading more of her books in years to come.

Author's Website: Jennifer Brown