For me this was a story that did need to be told. With this issue becoming more and more widespread, and effecting more and more schools it is important. It wasn't the story line that didn't interest me or that the characters didn't have a strong voice, they did. It was just that I wanted more. I felt like it needed to be longer and that all the different aspects brought up weren't all closed. I didn't get to know all the victims enough or enough about the shooter. Issues were brought up and never solved. While this was realistic, I would have liked some closure. The last part of the story to me hit the hardest. It was emotional and felt real. It was closer to a 4 star book than a 3. I still needed more. Valerie Leftman, a 16 year old girl who is desperately in love with her boyfriend Nick finds refuge in her hopeless romantic, while trying to deal with the instability of home and her upcoming Senior year. They connected over a list of all of the bullies in their school, anyone or anything they didn’t understand and anything they just plain hated. This ¨Hate List¨ is what Nick decided to use as his hit list when he brought a gun to school and opened fire in the cafeteria (or Commons) before school. Valerie being the one who started the list is immediately suspected of being involved in his plan. This book recounts her journey and emotions throughout dealing with losing her boyfriend, old friends, family ties, going back to school and even making a very unusual friend. This book is meant more for teens and young adults because it is set in a high school, in a time where stress and emotions play a major role in life, as well as where bullying is most commonly seen and helps to show how to deal with them. The characters are relatable because they are just kids trying to get by, adults trying to make everything work or a couple of bullied kids who quietly released their anger by writing things down in a notebook, when one of them takes it WAY too far.The plot itself was not the main focus of the novel but was very realistic and made sense because it is written about something that has happened before and something that could happen again. This novel is character driven because it bases the rest of the story on how the characters feel or how the author thinks the reader should. The emotional level is raised by the chronological order of events with flashbacks to the incident, keeping it fresh like a scar that never goes away. I highly recommend this book because it not only makes you think about how you would react in this situation but backs up the thoughts with the emotions to fuel them. The tone isn’t trying to make you think a certain way but instead it is a neutral, unbiased narrator tone that allows you the open space to think and feel in any way that fits you and the story together.
Do You like book A Lista Negra (2009)?
Do NOT read this book, if you don't want to find yourself uncontrollably sobbing at the end.
—aci
You did amazing on writing the book. It just kept me wondering after I finished it
—Nautilus2067
I love this book! I cried so much while and after reading it. Amazing.
—starfaire
Quick read. sad story but very close to reality.
—zainab12
