Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Valarie and her boyfriend Nick are often bullied and belittled at their Midwestern high school. They start a hate list in a simple spiral notebook. Onto the list go homework, skinny jeans, and the names of people who make them angry. To Valarie, the list is a something of a lark, a way to vent frustration. To Nick, the list is deadly serious. When Nick comes to school one day with a gun and methodically starts murdering his classmates, Valarie is shell-shocked. The rampage ends after Valarie accidentally gets shot in the leg, and Nick turns the gun on himself. The story begins on the first day of the new school year: the day Valarie must return to classes. Throughout the school year, Valarie must face her guilt over the deaths that occurred. She must also try to remember who she was before the rampage that redefined her life.

Fans of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson will enjoy the emotional complexity of this novel.

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Suggested by Liz V.