A review by oliviagrace33
Hate List by Jennifer Brown

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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