Jennifer Brown

Sixteen-year-old Valerie, whose boyfriend Nick committed a school shooting at the end of their junior year, struggles to cope with integrating herself back into high school life, unsure herself whether she was a hero or a villain.

Hate List

For readers of Marieke Nijkamp's This Is Where It Ends, a powerful and timely contemporary classic about the aftermath of a school shooting. 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. Jennifer Brown's critically acclaimed novel now includes the bonus novella Say Something, another arresting Hate List story.

Amanda Autumn Berrey

“I think he had no idea why he did it, man.” It was a possibility I’d never considered before.

Shes more of a sensible parent than her actual parents

“That’s not the point, Ted. He threatened her. He scared the hell out of her. And he had a gun.”

Im nervous theyre going to drug her. Kinda like Carrie vibes

“Don’t you want one of these?” someone called to me from behind. I turned to see Josh holding up a beer. “This is a party, man.”

No offense, but her parents suck at being parents

“Sometimes I’m so busy seeing you as the enemy who dismantled my family’s life I forget to see that you were the one who stopped the shooting. You were the one who saved that girl’s life. I’ve never thanked you for that, have I?”

“Sometimes I forget that you were also a hero that day. All I see is the girl who wrote a list of people she wanted dead.”

“I’ll leave my new address and phone number with your mother,”

While you have a whole wife..? Hes way too casual about all of this

I was set to move in with her over the summer. We’d hoped to have been married by now. But the shooting…”

“If it makes any difference to you, I love Briley. I’ve loved Briley for a long time. We’ll probably get married.”

The shooting, which began just as students were preparing for their first class, left at least six students dead and countless others wounded. Valerie Leftman, 16, was the last victim shot before Nick Levil, the alleged shooter, reportedly turned the gun on himself.

Hate list

Jaden Nelson

Okay well this is a tricky one. I really liked this book and I think the ideas it has were really interesting and smart. I felt myself getting very invested in the story at multiple times in the book, thinking what I would do in Valerie’s situation and getting angry at things that happened. This book made me infuriated at times (many times actually), definitely sad sometimes, and happy too. The book was written to provoke emotion and it did it well. That being said, the writing is simple, even a little bland—I would say—at parts. Also, there were a few times where things seemed a little “okay would that really happen” (for lack of a better word. Also, sometimes Valerie annoyed me at how much she was allowing the shooting to take over her life, or I was annoyed at something else she did, but other times, she surprised me and took the right way out of things when—in my head—I would have done he hot-headed thing in her situation. Anyways, a very emotional journey of a book that had a lot of great ideas, but the writing bordered on the edge of bland. This could have been a 5 Star because of the morals, large narrative, and emotion it brought, but it just wasn’t quite there for me. Still, it is a very good book that is very readable(page turner) that I think is great for teens and adults.

Also, I feel like this book really teaches about the importance of choosing your words carefully. Many people nowadays say things like “they should just go die” or “I want to kill her!” as a casual expression, but they don’t realize how serious what they’re saying could be (and I myself am also partly guilty of this). This book shows what could happen when saying things like that become too ordinary, and how it can be almost impossible to tell when the person saying them is serious or “just kidding”...

Victoria

This is a book that you're either going to seriously hate or seriously love. I'm torn in between because I'm just that kind of person. 

The first 2/3 of this book I seriously hated mainly because of the characters. Valerie's an annoying, whiny-ass, selfish teen who makes me want to pull my eyes out. Her parents are fucking horrible and they should not have been allowed to raise children in the first place. Nick's most likely sick in the head (like someone who actually has a mental illness) so I can't really blame him but I'm still not excusing the fact that he killed and injured and traumatized a lot of people. The rest of them I just wanna fucking slap in the face for being so damn conceited and for acting like complete and utter assholes.

I hate the fact that it had to come down to Nick pulling the trigger just so people would get some sense that something is terribly wrong and that they need to fucking change something. I hate that even though Nick did something so terrible, Valerie still made it seem like he's a fucking hero because apparently, if it wasn't for what he did, the kids at her school would still remain to be the same stupid assholes and jerks that they are. I hate that Valerie's parents (and a lot of other people) immediately put the blame on her and didn't even bother to ask her why she created the damn Hate List to begin with. I hate that instead of being there for her, her parents are quick to dismiss the fact that maybe they're to blame for her having felt so much hate and that maybe they should try and be more understanding of their daughter's feelings. 

But most of all, I hate the fact that this fucked up shit actually does happen in real life. And how fucking fucked up is that?! 

I have wanted to read this book for a really long time now (give or take 5 or 6 years) and I'm glad that I finally have. I'm giving it 3 stars because I'm still fucking annoyed. 

It's an overall good book, disturbing because of how realistic it is, but still, a damn good read. This story will definitely stay with you for a really long time.

Very thought-provoking, emotional, strong and powerful.
I currently do not have the emotional capacity to write a review.I don't think I ever will. You have to read it to know what everyone is going on about.

Lauren hughes 

I had so many MIXED EMOTIONS about this book..I feel bad for the main character, Val,that she kept getting blamed for something that really had nothing to do with her,something that really was not her fault. But on the other hand,her attitude to others going through things was really annoying and got on my nerves. It was all about HER emotions and feelings,yet she was not the only one going through things....I wanted to love this book and cheer for her,but I just can't...

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.

Mijs Franssen

This book hit. It hit hard.

I think this book was an absolutely difficult, real and heartbreaking story about the for- and aftermath of a school shooting and the people involved. I have luckily never been in a situation like that and hopefully never will, but reading this gave me more knowledge about the trauma it leaves and made it more real.

I loved the writing style, with the flashbacks, and the focus on recovery, and the road to self acceptance. It brought me to tears.

Helene Utterback

This book is great. It really makes you feel for the protagonist, It is very descriptive and well written and a different perspective on school shooting genre books.

Amanda Kordeliski

What a powerful read. Victoria is blindsided when her boyfriend opens fire and begins shooting students in the school cafeteria. Realizing he is shooting students on the "hate list" the two of them had created, she steps in and stops the shooting, becoming wounded in the process. Victoria wakes up in the hospital suspected as an accomplice in the shooting. Victoria evokes both anger and sympathy in the reader and I could not book the book down. A great book about a disturbing topic; it provides an excellent starting point for discussion about so many things--bullying, school shootings, disfunctional families, anger, grief and how to move on after tragedy.

Four Stars

A brief synopsis: Val is struggling to piece her life back together after her boyfriend commits a school shooting before taking his own life. Some students view Val as the hero because she technically stopped the shooting. However, most students resent Val and blame her for the murder of their peers. After the tragedy Val returns to school to find that things aren't quite the way she left them 

First off,
 TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Gun violence, school shooting blood, gore, bullying, suicide, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, anorexia, eating disorders, forced institutionalization 

My review: This was a really heavy read but I did enjoy it. I admire the ways that the author approached the topic from all sides and tried to keep things as realistic as possible. This is a very dark, sad book and it definitely is not for everyone so if you do decide to read it, please be cautious. The characters were good and I like the writing style a lot. I never got bored while reading it. The reason it lost a star was Val's parents. I understand there is no "how-to" guide on how to parent a child in Val's unique situation, but the way her parents handled her was absolutely insane. The parents were arguably less mature than their children

Georgia Carr

This book is deep, moving and incredibly poignant. It's going to stay with me for a long time.

ashley hopkins

I did a video review of the book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHJLDG...

Or go to my blog to watch. :)

Loved it. Although I thought the dad was a bit of an ass.

Allison Urban

Just thought I'd point out that I finished this book at 11:11. 

Well, I started off this book thinking it was just one more of those books that would have no meaning to me. But it became more than that. I truly enjoyed this book. I had high expectations, and I think it just tapped the bar. Valerie Leftman is a very strong person. I wish I could be as strong and brave as her 

SPOILERS START HERE!!!

Briley. Oh my god, Valerie's dad is just one heck of a terrible person. I could rant about this all day. And to think someone could have that kind of nerve. 
Dr. Hieler is an awesome guy, too. He was always so positive. 
The book ended too open for me. I would've loved to know what happened to Val later on in life. I'm sure she would've been just fine though.

Kyla

I CRIED FOR 40 MINUTES OK 40 DAMN MINUTES MY EYES ARE BLOOD SHOT RED AND EVERYTHING UGH THIS SHIT HITS SO HARD RN UGH MY HEART IS BREAKING AHHHHHH OK IM DONE NOW IMMA GO LAY DOWN AND FALL ASLEEP WHILE CRYING.

Mary Graham

This book was just a solid medium for me. It was a very powerful book, the girl having to overcome everything that happened, but it just wasn't anything special for me.

Amie Liane

Well, wow. I knew this book was going to be an emotional journey, but I could have cried at almost every page. I think we’ve all, in our minds, made a “hate list” or some sort of tally of all the people that have done us wrong thinking it was an innocent thing and that we were the victims, but for someone to take that list out of your hands and use it to determine who to target in a horrifically violent crime is something that would never cross your mind as a possibility. Was Valerie the victim? Was she to blame? Was she both? When you can see a situation from everyone’s perspective, is there even an answer?
There’s a lot to take away from this book, but, when you strip it right back, what it shows is that the world could use a little more kindness.

Alejandra

creo que es uno de esos grandes libros que te hacen reflexionar y replantearte el cómo vemos a las personas

Jessica Nottingham

After closing the pages of this book, I couldn't stop thinking about it. My mind kept wandering back to Val and everything that she had been through. It's like this book opens up a part of you that is emotionally dormant, until you start to read. Hate List is by far one of the toughest books I've read this year, and yet I was completely invested in every single minute of it. All I can really say is, oh my goodness.

I think what really blew me away was that this particular book is from the point of view of Val. She isn't the shooter, she isn't necessarily a victim (although she is in a way), but instead she's even more than that. Val is the girlfriend, the confidant, the accessory (as people so blindingly label her) to the shooter. Watching things unfold through her eyes was heartbreaking. I'll admit that at first I was slightly frustrated with her. I couldn't seem to understand how she missed so many signs. However Jennifer Brown writes in a way that shows the reader different points of view, and I soon found that I was only seeing what was there because I was being allowed to. Does that make sense at all? Putting myself in Val's shoes, I can see why she missed those early signs.

What was truly heartbreaking though, were the relationships that were crushed in the wake of event. The two people in Val's life who should have been there for her, her parents, were so angry and almost heartless. As a reader, I saw a girl who had no one to really lean on. A girl who was struggling with something bigger than herself without any aid whatsoever. Let's put it this way my dear readers. If you are going to read this book, get a box of tissues. You might also want something to punch, because wow did parts of this make me angry. The writing on the pages is so emotional, so deep, that Hate List will cause you anger, sorrow, and the feeling of utter hopelessness all in one page.

School shootings are a tough subject to handle, but Jennifer Brown does it with the utmost grace and understanding. I got to see the emotions that rolled through each of the characters. I saw the bullying that went on and felt for those who were so fed up, so helpless, that they didn't know where to find an outlet. I walked with Val, as it happened, and sobbed for her. It was intense, it was amazing, it was so beautifully written. Jennifer Brown's Hate List is well worth your time. I'm not sure what else I can write to convince you of that. You'll need to experience it yourself to understand what I really mean.

Jessica 

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Full review/potential spoilers alert: http://bookgirl.co.vu/post/7491875513...

Every now and then I stumble upon a novel that touches my heart and gives me something to learn. A novel that is as realistic as it is well written. One that shows us the effects certain events have upon us and how we never truly know the suffering of others, no matter how well we think we know them.

And that at the end of the day, people can surprise you in the worst sort of way.

Then there’s the other kind of surprises that prove to you that maybe, just maybe, things happen for a reason and not everyone is how they once were. That despite the danger, the heartbreak and overall pain of life: it does go on. 

I can't explain it, really, but I just adore this novel. I really do love it with all my heart and I hope that one day it gets more attention.

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