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Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Hate List is a book that really has to be set in the USA, and is rather topical of events that happen far too frequently there, where a student takes a gun and goes on a rampage at a school. This novel is written from the point of view of the girlfriend who is left behind to face problems and a mix of feelings about her by the school and wider public.

When Valerie Leftman's boyfriend Nick opened fire on the high school cafeteria, she was as surprised as everyone else. She was also lucky to be alive, being the last victim shot before Nick turned the gun on himself. But immediately afterwards questions were being asked about Valerie's involvement, questions that five months later have not been satisfactorily answered. That is because Valerie is not as blameless as she might like to think as it was a list that she created with Nick that he used to select targets, a list of people they hated at school. Then there are other students who heard her discuss suicide with Nick.

Witness accounts vary too as some say that Valerie appeared to fall before the shot, while others say she got between Nick and the rest of the students on purpose. Even the police can't work out her involvement and whether she was a victim or it was a double suicide- murder gone wrong.

Valerie doesn't even know herself whether she is a hero or a villain. She still loves Nick and was able to see the good in him where others couldn't. She does need to come to terms with the tragedy though and to find herself again in order to move on. Now she is back at her own school, five months later to do just that, but is also haunted by memories of Nick and the reasons why she had written names on the hate list.

Valerie must come to terms with her own guilt and grief if she is to move on though, and must also navigate rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved. Valerie now has to face things more terrifying than the bullet.

Hate list is a very memorable read with strong messages about bullying, taking time to find what people really are like and about the tragedies and trauma that such violence leaves behind. It is a book about changing reality and turning away from hate. It is a challenging subject and unfortunately I suspect there are some to whom this book will just confirm a view on how to in death gain fame they don't think possible while alive, which is unfortunate as the book rally shows hope and how things can change. Valerie had that opportunity to change her life and make something of it, Nick didn't.

RRP $19.99
Published and distributed by Hachette under the Little Brown title

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