Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Hate List

Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

32 reviews

theamytivillelibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

I went into this one thinking it was about a school shooting and it was, but it wasn’t really what the whole story was about.

In this story we follow Valerie who was the girlfriend of the perpetrator and kibdasortamaybe a co-conspirator in the crime as she was involved with the composing of the hate list. We follow her as she deals with the fallout of the incident and we hear from her POV the process of guilt and grief that she’s experiencing as she returns to the school to complete her senior year. We are also there as she spends time in therapy trying to come to terms with her role in the incident, her troubled family life and her grief over the loss of her boyfriend and fellow outcast, Nick.

I feel like this is a pretty accurate depiction of what a young person may go through in a situation such as this. Valerie isn’t always likable and at times her attitude is almost frustrating, but I found myself rooting for her. Her family life alone was a mess (her father was a real piece of work). What I found to be a bit far fetched was the unlikely and way too quick friendship between her and one of her classmates and her relationship with her therapist (don’t worry, it’s nothing inappropriate). I felt those things were possibly the most unbelievable things about the story.

This one is more of a character study that had me thinking about what I would do if I was in a similar situation as pretty much any of the characters and that added to my enjoyment of my time with this one.

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deb_is_reading's review

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challenging emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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kannamma's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.0

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allieh24's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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katiekat1024's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is honestly amazing. Although it is very dark, I’ve found it to be somewhat beautiful. I could not put that book down!

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oliviagrace33's review

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book is a good story that dives into the difficult life of a girl coping with the tragedy her boyfriend, and in a way, she, is responsible for. Valerie is a complex character, and it is gratifying to follow her journey of rediscovering who she is and working through her role in the tragedy. The flashback scenes are intense and heart-wrenching, and the different struggles she faces are those that many teenagers today probably deal with, as well. The story does a good job of painting Valerie's picture fully, though I would have enjoyed seeing more of Nick and Jeremy. This isn't their story, but I feel the reader would benefit from a larger depiction of the lead-up to the massacre. Overall, the story is very good, but I definitely think that Nick's story could have been hashed out more extensively.

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jess_thefacts's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Jennifer Brown's 'The Hate List' offers a compelling exploration of grief, guilt, and redemption in the aftermath of a school shooting. Through the perspective of protagonist Valerie Leftman, the novel delves into the complexities of human nature and the power of empathy and understanding. Brown skillfully portrays the raw emotions of survivors while shedding light on the underlying issues within high school communities. With its thought-provoking narrative and well-drawn characters, 'The Hate List' delivers a powerful message about compassion, forgiveness, and the capacity for redemption.

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