Emotionally Exhausting...
"Pretty isn't everything, but sometimes ugly is."
- Val
Val & Nick are getting bullied at school and both have difficult home lives. Val creates a notebook with a "hate list." They add to it all the names of kids who bully them, and all the others in their lives that make them miserable. Val and Nick are both angry, but Val doesn't realize how angry and disturbed Nick is, until it's too late. How is she supposed to move past this and "get on with her life" like all the adults want her to?
This book revolves around the school shooting, the events that preceded it, and the events that followed. We see how Val fell in love with Nick, how devastated she was after the shooting, and how difficult her life was after.
Warning, this book may have you tearing up at times. It is a difficult read, especially considering the world we live in today. Brown did an amazing job portraying teenagers, the way they think, and the way they feel. So many overpowering emotions. So much Hate. Such a heartbreaking situation.
As difficult as this book was, it drew me in. I listened on audio and put it on every chance I got.
Recommended to:
High school students, their parents, and anyone who wants to read a touching YA book.
