Hate List Book Report

In the book Hate List by Jennifer Brown, Valerie Leftman is left behind to pick up the pieces after tragedy strikes her own school when her boyfriend Nick opens fire on their school before killing himself. The students at Garvin High struggle to come to terms with the pain and fear that now exists throughout the layers of everything they do. Watching Valerie and her peers has led to an exploration of the acceptance that is needed for the community to fully heal. Throughout the book, it becomes clear that in order for healing to occur all different types of victims must be recognized. There are three main types of victims in Hate List. First there are the people who lost their lives. Then, the victims like Ginny and Bal who are struggling to

For example, one of the deaths that Brown emphasized on was the death of Morris Kline. In the book, the reporter Angela Dash describes Kline as a person who “would do anything for you”(106). There is a point at which a faceless victim becomes a dead friend. Brown uses the articles to help understanding of the horror of this crime grow. At the beginning of the book, Mr. Kline is just a name, but as the story progresses he becomes a person with a heart and a soul, he becomes a victim with a story. Mr. Kline is a prime example of the most direct victims of this horrendous crime. Within Hate List, the Student Council argues over whether Nick’s name should be added to the school memorial. The question remains throughout the story, does Nick qualify as a victim? The answer is this: Yes, Nick was a victim in his own way, he was misguided and wrong and made terrible choices that lead to the deaths of many. However, before all of this he was subjected to bullying. While this does not justify his actions, it does bring again to mind the question of what a victim truly is. Still, this is a challenging thought, as there are many elements to victims. When evils like this happen, the people who have lost their lives are always called victims, rightly so. While death is not the only element in building victims, it is one of the most prominent ways victims are