BPL's YA Online Book Club discussion

As you read, add your comments or questions here that you would like to share at the group meeting.

I loved the book. I felt the character development was excellent especially for Valerie and Nick. I liked the way the author let you get to know Nick through Valerie's memories-made you see both sides of him and allowed you to understand why he did what he did. Pace would keep people interested and subject is
very timely given the reecent events in Conneticut.

Almost finished!

I have thoroughly enjoyed the book so far. I agree with you Cecilia. Brown's characters have a great amount of depth- as the story unfolds the reader (and Valerie) begins to see another side to Valerie's mom, dad, brother and friends.

I also really liked the scenes between Valerie and Dr. Hieler. They have a very positive relationship and I think reading about their interaction encourages teens to have a positive outlook about mental health workers/agencies.

I liked the way the book was written, with a lot of dialog, a fast pace and interesting characters who felt very real. Valerie’s struggles, in the aftermath of a school shooting , as she takes one step forward and two steps back, is stymied with fear, pain and anguish. She hits lucky in finding an analyst who is such a terrific support. You’ve got to like Dr. Hieler for the wall of protection, strength and support he provides. Like so with Valerie’s mom…I like the way she nags Valerie about the choices, blames her, agues with her, sniffles, storms and supports her. She is really very human as she struggles with a marriage that is nearing its end and wondering what to think of a daughter whose boyfriend was the killer at the school shooting. And you have to dislike Valerie’s Dad who really does not seem invested in his marriage or in parenting Valerie and her brother Frankie. I also think that your family just see the truth about you (or their version of it!!) and if it is not a very good truth it is tempting to search for relationships outside of that inner circle of family- relationships that validate you and make you feel good. So is seems to be the case with Valerie’s Dad and his very young girlfriend.
I think that the author has a strong need for happy endings – so Valerie completes a journey and finds a stronger self, her Mom is glowing in a new relationship, and her Dad who is never going to make the grade as a parent is still trying a bit. The reader is left with a good idea that once the media coverage of a school shooting is over, the victims must live out the trauma repeatedly and healing is a long and tough journey. And Nick, the killer is shown to be a nice kid and as much as a victim as his victims. In the end, one is left is a space where you have to suspend your judgements about everyone – and still know that the world remains an unsafe place where a bullied child’s anger may explode is ways that are tragic and will tell history in a way that everyone will wish rewritten.
Bullies whether they take the form of high school kids, nations who exploit other nations and have built their prosperity on that, majority groups whether power-high or plain insensitive to people different from them really live in a very unconscious state of awareness or insensitivity. And there is a price to be paid for that…Hate List is a story about who pays the price.