"Hate List" Book Review...

...I recently finished "Hate List" by Jennifer Brown, who happens to be a Missouri author! My mom gave me the book to read but didn't tell me this. When the book started naming colleges in Missouri, I flipped to the "About the Author" and sure enough, she resides in KC. So "Hate List"...

Summary: Valerie's boyfriend, Nick, opens up fire on their cafeteria killing some of their classmates and himself. Many of the targets were students that Valerie and he added to their "Hate List." Valerie gets shot herself trying to stop Nick. The majority of the book is about Val's healing and handling everything thrown at her after the shooting.

Yes, this book is centered around the school shooting but it's not REALLY what the book is about. It was very interesting because it came from Val's perspective who wasn't sure if she, herself, was guilty or a hero or what. At parts in the book, I felt like her whole world was falling apart and I REALLY felt bad for her. I wanted to yell at her family, give her a break! But the truth of it is, if I were in her town, I probably wouldn't know what was going on with her, I'd link her to the shooting too...just like everyone else did. But she was working through so much...she wasn't even sure if she was involved in the shooting or not, losing the love of her life, her dad having an affair, an enemy becoming her friend, losing her friends, etc...The author also gives you a look at Nick, the shooter, so that you realize he's a person, not just an angry guy with a grudge which is an aspect you don't normally hear or see. I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled with the last 2 pages. I loved the graduation part but not so much what happens after graduation, despite why the author explained she did it.

At the end of the book, there are Q&As with the author. It was really interesting and she brought up some good points like how Val's dad is seen more as the villian than Nick even though Nick did the shooting. She even gave meanings to the characters name so if you read the book, try to figure it out before you read the end.

Overall, it was a good read that wasn't my typical romance novel. She just had a new book published last month called "Bitter End." Once I get through the pile of books I have, I might check it out at the library. Let me know your thoughts if you've read this book.