Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Title: Hate List
Hardcover, 405 pages
Author: Jennifer Brown
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: September 1, 2009
Source: Borrowed
Book Summary:
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:
The Compulsive Reader allowed me to borrow Hate List by Jennifer Brown this summer (along with many other awesome books). I had read some good reviews on it and wanted to try it myself.
The cover’s blue and gray tones were what first drew me in – though the book summary is pretty compelling. The only other book I had read about school shootings was Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult – and reading that book before Hate List actually caused a little of its downfall.
There were some aspects of Hate List that were powerful – the portrayal of the students, and the relationships that formed in the aftermath. The flashbacks that Jennifer Brown used to describe the shooting in more detail were cleverly placed, and the emotions seemed very realistic. On the other hand, Nineteen Minutes is a book that affected me for weeks afterwards – I would find myself thinking about the shooting and what happened afterward. This simply didn’t happen with Hate List for me. I think perhaps the character development in Nineteen Minutes was a little more strong than it was in Hate List, so I felt more connected to the characters and the outcome in the Picoult novel more than this young adult take on the same topic.
Hate List is a solid read, just not one of my favorites.
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I don't think this would be for me either.
Great review. I felt the same way after I read this book. Hate List was good. Nieteen minutes was haunting.
I have had this one on my list for awhile but have started to rethink YA books. I also said I would give JodiP another chance and 19 Minutes would be it as it seems to be the favourite from her fans.
Great honest review.
Great review!
This has been on my wishlist for awhile now, I finally gave in and ordered it the other day.
I haven’t heard of 19 minutes or read any of Jodi’s work, though I do see it around a lot. I’ll have to look that one up!
Jodi Picoult’s books are pretty heavy – I’ve only read a couple because the material is hard to handle sometimes. Her books are also adult novels, so they take a little longer to read than a normal YA
i frkkin love this book