Wow. I don’t really have words to describe how spectacular this book was. It was just so touching and real. I never thought I would enjoy a book about such a tragic subject but Hate List was so hard not to like. Once I got into the story, it was impossible to stop reading.

One of the things I really loved about Hate List was that it switched back and forth from past to present. It starts out as Valerie’s first day back at school after the shooting but then it switches to during the shooting and the days following it. I really loved how that filled in all the gaps and it wasn’t like you were being told what happened, you were being shown what happened. I love that in a book but sometimes it’s just hard to picture. That wasn’t the case with Hate List.

Another great thing about Hate List was the characters. There weren’t actually a lot of main characters but the ones that were important were amazingly well-developed. Valerie was going through so much and she just had such a hard time. Everyone doubted that she wasn’t actually a part of the shooting and then she had to go back to the school where it all happened. Then there was Jessica, the girl whose life Valerie saved. She doesn’t want to like Valerie and Valerie definitely doesn’t want to like her but in the end, it’s hard to choose who you like.

Overall, Hate List was a spectacular book and I really recommend it to everyone. I think it’s so important to have books like Hate List to show how sometimes the smallest things can cause the biggest pain to someone. With all the hate in today’s society this book really shows you how to love not only the people around you, but yourself as well. =]