Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Hate List
by Jennifer Brown [YA PB Brown]

I read this book for a Young Adult Literature class I took. A boy and girl in high school find solace together as they deal with being social outcasts–they come together in a romantic relationship, and together, they create a tally sheet of all the people who are mean to them… they create the Hate List. Valerie, the girl, has no idea that Nick, her boyfriend, actually intended to do something with the list. One day, he opened fire on several people on the list, in the school cafeteria. As Val realizes he’s targeting people on the list, she dives in front of one of the targets, saving her life and taking her bullet. At that point, Nick turns the gun on himself and commits suicide.

After a tough summer of grieving and rehabilitation, the school tries to put itself back together. Val is just as much of an outcast as before, but more now because of her involvement with Nick and the Hate List (which, of course, was discovered by the authorities). As Val struggles to make amends for her contribution to this tragedy, she finds herself connecting with the very people she thought she hated.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.]

[ official Jennifer Brown author web site ]

Recommended by Tracy T.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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