The Hate List

by Jennifer Brown
416 pages

From Goodreads:

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.

I have read several books about school shootings and the aftermath for the survivors, yet this was an original and moving voice. Even after the terrible act her boyfriend committed, Val still struggled with her feelings for him. Most of her was angry and sad for what he did and for leaving her, but another part of her missed and still loved the person she knew.

Valerie's story is different from many of the other books about school shootings, because she plays many different roles. She is a survivor, victim, hero, and to many a co-conspiritor. You see the tension of these roles play out throughout the book. Most students avoid her like the plague, while others cry out for her removal from school. The teachers aren't much better, even though the school formally recognized as a hero. Even her parents don't know how to treat her. While they are scared she is going to hurt herself, they also don't know how to treat her.

This is a story of survival and healing, like many of the other books in this genre, but it still managed to be fresh and original.

If you are interested in reading other books on this topic try, The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb, Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, and Give A Boy A Gun by Tod Strasser

The verdict is:A great discussion book for teens and adults.