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    Hate List: A Novel
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    Hate List: A Novel
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    Hate List: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    Hate List: A Novel

    Written by Jennifer Brown

    Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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.

    A Hachette Audio production.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateJan 7, 2014
    ISBN9781478925330
    Unavailable
    Hate List: A Novel
    Author

    Jennifer Brown

    Jennifer Brown is the author of the young adult novels Shade Me, Bitter End, Perfect Escape, Thousand Words, and Torn Away. Her debut young adult novel, Hate List, was chosen as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a VOYA Perfect Ten, and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She lives in the Kansas City, Missouri, area with her husband and children. You can visit Jennifer online at www.jenniferbrownya.com.

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    Reviews for Hate List

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    • 5/5
      Ever felt completely left out of a group OR at blame for a huge even, which, in reality, you didn't have anything to do with? Or which you actions were misinterpreted? Like a book that makes you cry?THIS book is for you.I don't know how people who have never experienced the above situations would feel about this book, so I can't speak for them. But, if those descriptions resonate with you and you enjoy a good cry, than you will love this book.I feel refreshed. (The making me sob part moved it from 4 to 5 stars; so take that into consideration when thinking about whether you think a good cry is pleasant and relaxing or not!)
    • 5/5
      I found myself solidly in Val's corner as she struggled to move on with her life by returning to her high school which had been the scene of the traumatic shooting of her classmates by her boyfriend Nick. Despite the multiple heart-breaking moments, I did not find myself writhing in teen-age angst as in other similar titles. Great characters, great voice, great book.
    • 5/5
      Wow! Just Wow! I could not put this book down! It was emotionally heart wrenching and completely unforgettable! I read this novel a few days ago and can not stop thinking about it. I love how the main character progresses in her healing process! This novel brings to life the hardships of high school and what bullying can really cause. I think this book should be on the curriculum for all schools! If you have not had a chance to read this story yet, I would highly recommend running out to get it!!!!!!
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the depth of the main character, Valerie. Through the author's descriptions, I was able to fully empathize with her. I just found myself getting bored in parts - possibly I've been reading too many YA books and need to get out of this genre for a bit.
    • 5/5
      There are some books that you randomly stumble across, not knowing if it will be so great that it is important enough to remember or if it will be disgusting enough to make you wish you could forget it. This is one of the great ones.In a world where bullying is so normal that we have to dedicate days, weeks, and months to the repercussions of that bullying, it is refreshing to read a book that shows the pain that hate can cause and the love that can come from that pain. Watching the friendships and relationships tear apart and come together in this poignantly written book is something I don't think I'll be forgetting anytime soon. Jennifer Brown manages to capture the anguish of being an outsider, loss of loved ones, young people drawn to death and suicide, dysfunctional families, and the guilt of not noticing how distraught some people are before it is too late.Valerie, the narrator of the story, was someone who society might teach us to hate. She was the girlfriend of a kid who went in and killed and injured classmates and faculty before ending his life, some of whom were on a list that he and Valerie had co-authored. She was someone who would be hard for society to forgive, but she was also someone who should be hard for society to hate. She is as much a victim as anyone else because not only did she suffer the years of torment from the bullying, she also suffered from the bullet wound from trying to stop the shooting, the guilt of not realizing that the shooting was going to happen along with the guilt of feeling it was all her fault, and the hatred of so many of the survivors. She was hated not just by people who had never liked her, she was hated by people who were supposed to love her and to have her back. It is heart-breaking to read as this person continues to suffer for something that she didn't mean to happen.Brown did any amazing job crafting a tale that would lead even the hardest of hearts to feel empathy for the villains--all of them. If you tend to cry when reading or seeing anything emotional, then you might want to keep some tissues around because this book is a bit of tearjerker. It not only covers the shooting and its aftermath, it gives a great back-story of why it is so hard for Valerie to hate Nick and why it is so hard for her to feel trust around the people who had tormented her.This book is an absolute must-read, not just for teenagers, but for everyone. It has a lot of heart in it and would probably move anyone of any age. It does have some violence and other disturbing content in it, so those who are easily triggered might want to stay away or read with caution. Mostly it has a lot of self-discovery and some subtle lessons about how to find your way in a world that isn't always as forgiving or as comforting as we wish it would be.
    • 4/5
      GReat book but the author should have cut it off sooner than she did. the last few pages were a cliffhanger and it wasn't a good one either but if she would of just cut it off at graduation it would have been way better!
    • 4/5
      Valerie has an intense journey: she's been bullied in the past, her boyfriend shot six people and himself and she's being blamed. I can't imagine how she gets through it- I mean, we read about it in the story, but it's still so much to handle. It was great reading about her journey, the format was interesting, and this was hard to put down. I only wish that the ending wasn't open-ended.
    • 3/5
      This is about thecollateral damage that can result from sharing your hate with someone else.
    • 4/5
      When Valerie's boyfriend brings a gun to school, killing and wounding several classmates including her and finally turning the gun on himself, she's stunned. The one person she thought she knew and trusted the most in the world had just done the unthinkable. While most of the school believes she had a role in the shooting and her parents don't exactly believe that she didn't either, Valerie is determined to clear her name and come to terms with what's happened.This book pulled at my heartstrings like almost no other book has and I was crying by the end. This is a powerful, emotional roller coaster of a book. Brown really did a phenomenal job portraying the events of what happened and she developed the characters really well. Witnessing Valerie's recovery and the acceptance of her innocence was amazing and I just can't explain how much I loved this book. Even though it's a very serious topic to cover, it was a great book.
    • 4/5
      1) Character Development: I think the author did a great job of setting up the story and the characters in this book. It starts out in the aftermath of a school shooting and flashes back in time to show what led up to the tragic events. I really enjoyed the way it jumped back and forth because it let me get to know the main character, Valerie, in the present time and learn what she was like before everything happened. It definitely helped me to understand her better. It would be so easy to judge someone like her and think, "Why didn't she just leave Nick if all he did was obsess about death?" Nick was her first boyfriend though, the first guy to show interest in her and she didn't want to let go of that. Plus, the good times they shared overshadowed everything in her mind, so that she didn't see trouble looming over her. I can relate to her in that respect; being in a bad relationship, but the fun times make the horrible times seem not as bad. I feel like Valerie was incredibly brave for returning to the same school, where many people hated and blamed her just as much as they did her boyfriend Nick, who actually did the shooting. It's hard to feel bad for Nick after the horrific things he did, but I did feel some sympathy for the fact that he was always bullied. It's not an excuse to go on a rampage and shoot people, but no one should ever have to endure being teased or made fun of. This was part of the author's intent though, I believe; through Val's eyes we were shown a softer, kinder side of Nick, which was a stark contrast to the boy who destroyed so many lives. It makes you think about things in a different light and to look at both sides of the issue. Another couple of characters that bear mentioning are Val's mom and dad. I thought her mom was extremely overbearing at times and didn't always try to see things from her daughter's perspective, but part of me understands why she was that way. She must have felt betrayed and her trust was shattered; this wasn't the daughter she had raised. So in that sense, some of her behavior is understandable. I absolutely despised her father (and I use the term "father" loosely in this case). I can't imagine ever turning my back on my kids, but he had no trouble doing so. I felt really bad for Val that she didn't have both parents supporting her.2) The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: First, The Good - I loved the set-up of the book, how it jumped between life before and after the shooting. It really kept my interest and made it impossible for me to put the book down. I also liked the overall message of the book and enjoyed seeing Valerie grow and begin to heal throughout the story. The Bad/The Ugly - I hated the ending. I know hate is a strong word and I wasn't looking for a happy "oh everything is all better now" ending, but I was at least hoping for more closure. Instead it made me feel empty inside and I just wasn't ok with the outcome. 3) Relationship: Usually this is my "Sizzle Or Fizzle" question, but obviously in this instance it isn't appropriate. I would like to say, however, that I liked the way we got to know Nick better through Valerie's memories. It was easier to see his good traits and to understand why she fell in love with him in the first place. She was just as appalled and shocked by his actions as everyone else was, but I am able to comprehend why she still needed to grieve over his loss. The boy she had come to know and love was gone and even though he had done horrible things, her feelings for him were genuine and weren't easily extinguished. 4) Uniqueness Of Plot: I've read a couple of books now that dealt with school shootings, but I think they've all touched me in their own way. This one was no exception; it may not have been the most unique plot, but it certainly pulled at my heartstrings.5) Final Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It made me sad, occasionally it made me smile, but most of all it made me think. Even after I finished reading I couldn't stop thinking about this tragic story; I think that's a sign of a great book, when it stays on your mind long after you read the final page. I think everybody will enjoy this one, but make sure you have some tissues handy!
    • 3/5
      This review can also be found at bookstress.blogspot.com Valerie, a school-outcast, finds herself in a tough situation when her boyfriend decides to shoot up the school. For years, Valerie and Nick have been creating a 'hate list' of people who have bullied them, laughed at them, or annoyed them. Valerie thought they were just blowing off some steam. But when a bully breaks some of Valerie's personal property, she sends Nick after the bully to make her pay. Valerie just didn't know what price that would be. When Nick starts picking people off the list to shoot, Valerie throws herself in front of the boy she loves--only to get shot herself. This is a story of a girl trying to come to terms with her role in the high school shooting. Her parents distrust her, she has no friends and she desperately misses the boy she loved, the one who decided to start 'checking things' off the list.
    • 4/5
      When I first saw this book featured on The New York Public Library's Stuff for the Teen Age page, I was skeptical. I thought isn't Columbine over already?. While Hate List turned out to be what I expected in some ways, it also exceeded my expectations when it came to character development and the satisfying resolution at the end. Rather than focusing on the evil of school bullying, Jennifer Brown paints a compassionate portrait of a girl trying to understand who she really is after everyone she loves and trusts has let her down.
    • 4/5
      Valerie and her boyfriend, Nick, kept a list of all the people and things they hated. For Valerie, it was just a list. For Nick, it was a list of targets. When Nick brought a gun to school and started shooting people on the list, Valerie's life and those of everyone else in the school that day changed. Some people blame Valerie for starting it. Some consider her a hero for stopping it. She needs to find her own truth and acceptance.
    • 5/5
      A riveting, heart-wrenching story. I was gripped by the rawness of Valerie's pain and thoughts as I read The Hate List. I found the story compelling and believable and cried whole-heartedly at the end of the novel.
    • 5/5
      Valerie created the Hate List, a list of people and things that she hated, including the kids who bullied her and her boyfriend Nick. When Nick opened fire on their classmates, killing several students and a teacher, Valerie was implicated in the crime, even though she was the one who stopped the massacre, getting herself shot in the process. Now, she's returning to her school, a school that's supposedly mended its ways and embraced forgiveness. Only, everything's the same. And everything's different. And Valerie just has to figure out how to live with what happened. I picked up this book and Could Not Put It Down. It's utterly compelling and a fascinating look inside a tragic event. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Life changes when Valerie's boyfriend Nick opens fire at school. Valerie stopped Nick from killing a classmate and got wounded in the process. Due to her part in creating the Hate List, many believe that she is to blame for what happened as well.This was on my to-read list for a long time and I had a feeling that once I'd read this, I'd really enjoy it. And from my review, you can tell that I enjoyed it. A lot.It wasn't a mind-blowing novel for me, but it was a thought provoking one. The story was nicely written as the characters felt very realistic. At times I wanted to reach into the book to hug a character, scream at a few, or at the very least, strangle two particular characters which is saying a lot. Hate List is a very powerful novel that I particularly enjoyed a lot, and it kept me reading without stopping to put it down. I enjoyed almost everything in it and I wouldn't mind re-reading it again and again. So it's a favorite. I do find it strange though, that Valerie decides to re-enter her high school and not change schools. Because, it doesn't really seem like a good idea. Nevertheless, this didn't ruin my reading for this one. The book was a great take on a hard topic.
    • 5/5
      This is the most real Young Adult book I have ever read. It may even be the most real book I have ever read. The author touches on so many different aspects of Valerie which resonates with the human heart. Valerie and her story are so multi-dimensional. Without giving anything away, I'll recap.Valerie is a girl who finds herself on the fringes of acceptance. She's not alone and gravitates to a particular group, especially a boy named Nick. Together they have inside jokes, places they go, memories that belong only to them. One one angry day, Valerie starts writing down people and things she hates. It's innocent enough and Nick buys into it, too. They add to the notebook day by day. Over the years, Nick and Valerie become closer and share some happy times together along with some hard times.One day, Valerie, feeling like Nick was drifting from her, meets up with him before school. She's angry because one of the bullies on the bus broke her MP3 player. Nick says something "Nick-like" and Valerie feels validated and like he's standing by her. He approaches the perpetrator, calls her out, then, with Valerie standing by, he opens fire. In the process, Valerie is shot in the leg and Nick fatally shoots himself.Valerie started the HATE LIST. Did she know Nick was not joking when he'd talk about death, his own and those they hated? How much culpability does she carry? Did he do it for her? He's gone now and she's not. The community's belief in safety, shattered. Will they blame her? Is she angry at Nick for leaving her? Can she still love the one who hated so much? Can she love and forgive herself? Can others love and forgive her? Who is the media and what are they saying? Is the media perpetrating or healing the damage?The author adds the family dynamics and the fallout that is so plausible. Each parent provides a different personality and perception that is also multi-dimensional. Incredibly, the author is capable of painting each main character as neither good nor bad, complete nor devoid. Valerie and her reality is so engaging, I immersed myself as completely as possible into this world.I didn't find that the author had a particular agenda. It's not about stopping bullies but telling a story. It's an incredibly well written novel. I will be thinking about it and mulling it over in days to come.
    • 5/5
      Brown captures Valerie's voice and the turmoil her boyfriend's shooting spree causes all in this heartbreaking, painful and ultimately redemptive story.
    • 5/5
      Towards the end of the last school year, Valerie's boyfriend Nick brought a gun to school and hunted down people they'd place on their hate list. He accidentally shot Valerie in the leg as she was trying to stop him and then shot himself. Fully recovered from her injury, Valerie starts back to school not knowing what to expect. The police, her parents, and her classmates all thought she was in on Nick's plan, and the media has painted the high school as one big happy family where everyone started to get along after the shooting. With some help from her therapist and a girl at school Valerie slowly starts to accept what Nick did, get over him, and learn how to get on with her life.
    • 5/5
      Recommended to me by a coworker, this is one of the best books I've read this year (and I've read several). It's sharp, witting and ultimately moving story about a school shooting -- told from the girlfriend of the shooter. It's both thoughtful and thought provoking, while also managing to address many of the issues surrounding a school shooting. Brown's writing is superb and I highly recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      I thought this book was one of the best books ever. I could feel Val's pain coming throught the book. I could hear the gunshots in my head. This was a very inspirational book of hard times and struggling and it tells you that you can never give up and that you have to move on with your life.I loved this book and even at the end I started crying.You have to read this book!!!
    • 5/5
      The first word that escaped my lips the moment I finished Hate List was: "Wow." How do you sum up a book as powerful as this? It was like the words were living, breathing, and Valerie's pain was real. Truly an amazing novel from start to finish.Hate List is an emotionally charged novel that tugs at your heart strings. Valerie, at a loss for how to move on with her life after the shooting, is constantly at war with herself, her family, and her school. So much to take on at one time, it's pushing her to a place she's never been before. You won't find any diluted plot twists or surprise endings - this novel is pure emotion - focusing more on Valerie and her growth as a character. And we get to experience the journey right with her.Uniquely woven at the beginning of a few chapters are newspaper clippings, depicting the events of the shooting from completely different points of view. Certainly an original idea that really gives the book an authentic and fresh dynamic.Jennifer Brown did a wonderful job at capturing such a unique voice in an ultimately realistic way as we read how Valerie struggles to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Drifting from the past to the present, we get to read about Valerie's life before and after the shooting. The doubts, the heartache, the longing - it's is all there, front and center, for the reader to experience. It's not often that I cry at the end of a novel, but I did for this one.Overall consensus: Hate List is a compelling read that may leave you with a bit of a heavy heart but a completely satisfied feeling. The prose is a bit angsty at times, but not mired in it. It depicts raw emotion and will certainly have you deep in thought by the end. A book not easily forgotten!
    • 5/5
      Kearsten says: Hate List is a rough book. It's well-written, incredibly compelling, and very, very rough emotionally. Valerie is barely living life in the wake of a tragic school shooting in which her boyfriend shot and killed several of the classmates, going from a "hate list" he and Val compiled. Even though she had no idea Nick was planning actual violence, Val feels tons of guilt, given that she began the list, simply to compile a list of people and things she hated. Val was actually shot during the event while trying to stop Nick, right before he shot himself.In the months afterwards, Val tries to recover physically, emotionally and mentally from the tragedy, and when school begins again, she decides to return to Garvin High to finish her senior year, despite the fact that many of her fellow students are shocked to see her return.This book shows the ugly truth behind such tragedies - even though Val not only didn't participate in the shooting (in fact tried to stop Nick once she got over her shock at what was happening), many people still blame her, including students, teachers, and even her own family. Val finds wonderful help in Dr. Heiler, a kind and a bit quirky psychologist assigned to Val after she is released from the hospital, but much of her recovery depends on her actions.Val's "road to recovery" is soooo painful to read. I cried for a good portion of the last quarter of the book, and I felt the reactions of characters rang true - even the horrible ones.This would be a fascinating book for discussion with older teens and adults.Recommended.
    • 5/5
      Hate List is a rough book. It's well-written, incredibly compelling, and very, very rough emotionally. Valerie is barely living life in the wake of a tragic school shooting in which her boyfriend shot and killed several of the classmates, going from a "hate list" he and Val compiled. Even though she had no idea Nick was planning actual violence, Val feels tons of guilt, given that she began the list, simply to compile a list of people and things she hated. Val was actually shot during the event while trying to stop Nick, right before he shot himself.In the months afterwards, Val tries to recover physically, emotionally and mentally from the tragedy, and when school begins again, she decides to return to Garvin High to finish her senior year, despite the fact that many of her fellow students are shocked to see her return.This book shows the ugly truth behind such tragedies - even though Val not only didn't participate in the shooting (in fact tried to stop Nick once she got over her shock at what was happening), many people still blame her, including students, teachers, and even her own family. Val finds wonderful help in Dr. Heiler, a kind and a bit quirky psychologist assigned to Val after she is released from the hospital, but much of her recovery depends on her actions.Val's "road to recovery" is soooo painful to read. I cried for a good portion of the last quarter of the book, and I felt the reactions of characters rang true - even the horrible ones.This would be a fascinating book for discussion with older teens and adults.Recommended.
    • 4/5
      It's an extremely compelling, if slightly disturbing sort of read. Val's boyfriend Nick decides to get even with all of the people on the Hate List that the two have been keeping for months. One morning he gets to school and starts systematically shooting people on the list. Val manages to stop him, right before he commits suicide. Now, her life is a complete disaster. No one knows whether she is a hero or whether she was in league with Nick. Her friends, her teachers, her parents all seem to think she will either commit suicide or go on a shooting spree at any moment. She doesn't know what to think herself. She helped Nick make a list, it was her idea, but she never intended for anyone to die. Is she a hero? Is she the biggest bully of all? There were one or two holes in this story, but mostly it was a page-turner. Not a cheery topic, but really interesting characters and a fast paced plot.
    • 4/5
      This is based off an advanced reading copy of Hate List. Valerie never saw it coming, that Nick would start shooting people on their "hate list," but now that it's over and Nick is dead Valerie must come to terms with living her life and finishing high school. The plot grabs the reader in the first chapter and does not let up until the end. Characters are well developed and the flash backs help readers make sense of the characters and the story. Valerie is the type of character that readers can get attached to and almost understand what she's going through even if they've never experienced anything like what Valerie is experiencing. This was a great story about a tough topic between the school violence, high school bullying and the way the world see us. I would recommend this book for high school-ers.
    • 5/5
      Wow, I mean wow. That was my first thought when I finally finished this book late last night. This book was so disturbing and yet one of the best books I've read lately. Each chapter opened up with snippets of news articles covering the shooting at Valerie's school. We slowly piece together what happens at the same time watching Valerie recover from being shot by her boyfriend and then having to return to school the following term and having to face her fellow students. Even though I was not a goth girl back in high school I still felt myself empathizing with Valerie and understanding how she felt towards the people who teased her and picked on her in school. The strength and courage she had to return to her school after her boyfriend killed and injured many of their fellow students astounded me. I could not imagine doing so if I were in her shoes. Some of the best parts of this book was nothing was sugar coated. Everyone's reactions including those of Valerie's parents and brothers were so gritty and frustrating that I wanted to slap some of them around yet I they all felt so real.Honestly I have a hard time thinking of anything I didn't like about this book. Just a warning though this book will leave you feeling emotionally wrung out and you will need time to decompress after you finish it.
    • 4/5
      ***SPOILER ALERT***Thought-provoking, sad and disarming, this book is a reflection on school shootings and the effects they have on the survivors.Val has been with Nick for 3 years and loves him, even though she's found him difficult to talk to recently. At the beginning of their relationship, she shares her "hate list" with him (people who she hates) and they find they have a mutual dislike of many. One day, Nick comes to school with a gun and targets not only those on the list, but others. Val finds herself trying to figure out whether or not she was the cause of the shootings, even though she was the one who stopped Nick at the end.I could not put this book down once I started it. Although it wouldn't be considered "literary" in the traditional sense, I think the author deals with a very difficult subject matter with grace. The author never sensationalizes the shootings and creates a fully-realized character in Val.Teens are going to eat this book up. I have a feeling that once they start reading it, it's going to fly off the shelves in libraries and bookstores.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful, heart-wrenching, nostalgic story about perspective. There are two sides to every story, and situations are almost always different than what they seem to those inside them. This book was an incredible reminder to “see things the way they really are” and take no relationship for granted, even the hard ones.
    • 5/5
      I lived the plot & the storyline & a few of the characters, but I absolutely could not stand the main character-Valerie, until the end of the book b/c that was the only time she started doing something right—-all throughout, she was making bad decision after bad decision, it was really annoying; she’s really annoying, but I still enjoyed the book & 10/10 would recommend!