Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

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.

Review:

Hate List was a powerful and riveting debut novel that was nearly impossible to put down. I have never read anything about a school shooting before and I know this will be extremely eye opening to teenagers everywhere.

Valerie's boyfriend, Nick, brought a gun to school and opened fire in the school Commons. He targeted those on the "Hate List" he and Val had created. A list of people that bullied them or they just didn't like. Valerie had no idea Nick- a school shooting. When she couldn't stop him any other way, Val dove in front of one of Nick's targets and ended up being shot herself. One thing is certain- Val's life will never be the same.

I wasn't sure if I was going to connect with, or even like, Valerie, but I ended up feeling for her a lot. Her struggles were heartbreaking and it was sad to see how her family, friends, and the rest of the world turned on her. So many people believed she should have died that terrible day and on top of dealing with her own guilt and emotions, she must face the fact that she is starting school in the fall. There were a lot of characters introduced in Hate List and all of them played a key role in shaping the story, even if it was in just a small way. Dr. Heiler stood out to me a lot and he really changed Val's life for the better- he was one of those people that believed in Valerie and worked her through the toughest months.

The novel alternated between different times. From the day of the shooting, to memories Val had of her and Nick, to the present. It really helped develop the story and allow the readers to get to know the person behind the shooting and how Val truly didn't realize what was going to happen.

Jennifer Brown's debut novel was complex and unique, heartbreaking and emotional, and, also, hopeful. She made me feel so much while reading this and she didn't hold back with writing what needed to be said.

All in all, I highly recommend picking up Hate List if you haven't already. This novel will surely impact every person who reads it in some way and I am anxious to read Brown's sophomore novel (Bitter End) as soon as possible.

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

September 1, 2009/Little Brown and Co/408 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Library

Other books by this author: Bitter End

Blog Tour: Jennifer Brown Guest Post About Abusive Relationships

I'm excited to welcome the fantastic Jennifer Brown as part of her blog tour with the Teen Book Scene today! Read on to find out more about her advice for girls in abusive relationships and some other books she recommends.

What is some advice you have for girls who find themselves in an abusive relationship? Maybe share some resources they can find or other books/films that deal with a similar subject.

While writing Bitter End, I was fortunate enough to get the chance to ask all sorts of questions from a psychologist about abuse and how to get out of an abusive situation, and we decided to include all of those questions in the back of the book. So there is lots of advice and resources in the back of Bitter End for any girl who is in this type of situation.

But probably my best advice is this: Love shouldn’t hurt. I mean, yeah, sometimes people who love one another say or do things that are hurtful and they later regret those things and may try to make up for those things and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re abused by that person or that your relationship is forever doomed. What I mean is…love doesn’t leave bruises. Inside or out. And, yes, it can all be very confusing, but if you’re in an abusive situation…you kind of already know. You may not want to face it, but part of you knows that what’s going on is wrong. And you already know you’ve got to get out. You’ve got to find someone who can help you. You’ve got to have a plan and get someone to help you execute that plan and you’ve got to get out. Leaving is scary and sad and you may feel embarrassed or like your heart is breaking or the situation is impossible, but I can assure you that getting out is the right thing to do. The thing you must do.

I do have some other books I’d like to recommend. One is Crazy Love by Leslie Morgan Steiner. It’s not a novel, but a true story of one woman’s journey out of an abusive relationship. The other two are But I Love Him by Amanda Grace and Stay by Deb Caletti.

--

Thanks so much, Jennifer! For more info on her be sure to visit her website and also check out the rest of the stops on her tour! I'll be posting my review of her debut, Hate List, next week!