Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

7 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Self harm, Bullying, Death, Grief, Violence, Blood, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Toxic relationship

tiredreader51's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

Such a good book, as a freshman it felt very illegal to read it in my school commons though haha.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Self harm, Blood, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Blood

queerloras's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Murder, Mental illness, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, and Domestic abuse

stitch1527's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Grief, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Self harm and Injury/Injury detail

booksofautumn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Child abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence

bunnybunny_mp3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

4.5 stars

This book is something else. I just finished it and, to be honest, I don't even know how to talk about it. 

It's brutally honest, realistic, and gives you both hope and a reality check. It's sad, and some characters make you feel frustrated and disappointed, not because they're bad characters, but because they're humans. They made choices that any person would make, some that make you want to yell at them.

I think that's the most amazing thing about this book, it makes you feel SO MUCH. You can feel the grief and the anger and there's nothing you can do except stay and see where the story will go. I highly recommend this book, for everyone, really. Might be a little slow in some parts, but I truly believe that every single page of this book it's necessary.

This book deals with the aftermath, the "what about the ones who are still here?". The guilt, the loneliness, and the feeling of being lost of Valerie was was written perfectly. This is truly one of the books that just makes you think, makes you feel.
It might be a story that will leave you heartbroken, but it's a book that you never forget.

Trigger Warnings: School Shootings, Violence, Bullying, Trauma, Harassment, Homophobia, Grief

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Sexual harassment, and Fatphobia

Minor: Alcohol and Addiction

meeshstevenson's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Murder, Mental illness, Gun violence, Grief, Violence, Death, and Bullying