what a difference a day makes.
Author : Jennifer Brown
Title : Hate List
Published : 27/04/2017
Pages: 432
Genre : Young Adult
Publisher : Little, Brown Young Readers
5 months ago Valerie Leftman's boyfriend opened fire on their school cafeteria, killing five students and one teacher before turning the gun on himself. Valerie, who was shot trying to stop him, is initially implicated in the shootings because of the hate list she helped create. The hate list her boyfriend used to pick his targets.
When it comes to crime fiction there is usually one subject I tend to stay away from. Mass shootings at school are one that I can't begin to comprehend in real life. So when an author tackles such a thing I tend to go on the side of caution. This time I thought I would take a chance the reviews all seemed good. And the book felt like it was more about those who surrounded them instead rather than being put in the mind of someone who is prepared to kill people indiscriminately.
When we first meet Valerie she is struggling to deal with the after mouth of her boyfriend shooting up the school. This is a girl who's head is in complete chaos, she can't paint the boy she loves as the same person who would do such a thing. She is also someone who has pulled away from everyone in her life. She is someone you have to feel for. Her whole life gets turned upside down because of the actions of another. It all seems to easy to blame her, How could she not know what he was planning. As we follow her you get to witness first hand the damage that ripples out from such a thing. She is written with plenty of complexity and this allows for the story to move beyond the headlines we see splash across the news. Through her we get to delve deeper into bigger questions, There are questions of guilt, remorse and also who you go about moving on. Is there a place for forgiveness or is it something that you have to learn to live with every day.
The author took on such a big topic when she set out to write this book. And for the most part, I think she achieved what she set out to do. There where a couple of hinky decision made by the lead that through me, But overall she felt like someone really struggling to comprehend the fact as she saw them. The book is an easy text to get on with despite the subject matter and I found myself gripped by the plot. through the first few chapters, we get to switch between before and after the shooting. This gives Valerie some more depth and show's her in a more happy place than she obviously is after. as we move past this we are shown how she is trying to rebuild her life and come to terms with it. While she does go on to answer some of the questions I had, she also leaves some things out there in this world she has carefully created. This I thinks come across as a very wise decision, How can you really deal with all these topics. By the end, I was left with a sense of completion she gave me a group of people that I had come to care for. And hoped they would find a way to move on with each of there lives, even if they will never be truly free of the shooting.
This for me was a difficult book to take on, But the author managed to tackle it with some care and respect for her subject matter. I never felt that I would have to step away from it but it is still none the less something that will raise questions in the reader and will take you through a lot of emotions before you are left with what feels like a very grounded ending.
When it comes to crime fiction there is usually one subject I tend to stay away from. Mass shootings at school are one that I can't begin to comprehend in real life. So when an author tackles such a thing I tend to go on the side of caution. This time I thought I would take a chance the reviews all seemed good. And the book felt like it was more about those who surrounded them instead rather than being put in the mind of someone who is prepared to kill people indiscriminately.
When we first meet Valerie she is struggling to deal with the after mouth of her boyfriend shooting up the school. This is a girl who's head is in complete chaos, she can't paint the boy she loves as the same person who would do such a thing. She is also someone who has pulled away from everyone in her life. She is someone you have to feel for. Her whole life gets turned upside down because of the actions of another. It all seems to easy to blame her, How could she not know what he was planning. As we follow her you get to witness first hand the damage that ripples out from such a thing. She is written with plenty of complexity and this allows for the story to move beyond the headlines we see splash across the news. Through her we get to delve deeper into bigger questions, There are questions of guilt, remorse and also who you go about moving on. Is there a place for forgiveness or is it something that you have to learn to live with every day.
The author took on such a big topic when she set out to write this book. And for the most part, I think she achieved what she set out to do. There where a couple of hinky decision made by the lead that through me, But overall she felt like someone really struggling to comprehend the fact as she saw them. The book is an easy text to get on with despite the subject matter and I found myself gripped by the plot. through the first few chapters, we get to switch between before and after the shooting. This gives Valerie some more depth and show's her in a more happy place than she obviously is after. as we move past this we are shown how she is trying to rebuild her life and come to terms with it. While she does go on to answer some of the questions I had, she also leaves some things out there in this world she has carefully created. This I thinks come across as a very wise decision, How can you really deal with all these topics. By the end, I was left with a sense of completion she gave me a group of people that I had come to care for. And hoped they would find a way to move on with each of there lives, even if they will never be truly free of the shooting.
This for me was a difficult book to take on, But the author managed to tackle it with some care and respect for her subject matter. I never felt that I would have to step away from it but it is still none the less something that will raise questions in the reader and will take you through a lot of emotions before you are left with what feels like a very grounded ending.
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