Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

14 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

jess_thefacts's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cursing, Bullying, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence

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

lavalierre's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, and Blood

Moderate: Suicide and Medical trauma

cassiereadsbooks_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Addiction, Bullying, Murder, and Suicide attempt

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

bri_reads9's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, and Blood

rylol's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, Child death, Suicide, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

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

fairy_internet's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Bullying, Blood, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse and Homophobia

Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Vomit