“What if you wished someone would die and then it happened? What if the killer was someone you loved?”

These are just two of the questions that Valerie Leftman reflected on after a shooting takes place at her school, Garvin High.

Her boyfriend, Nick Levil, was the killer. He targeted people on a list he and Valerie made together called the “Hate List.” The intention of the list wasn’t to hurt people, at least in Valerie’s eyes. She thought it was merely a way for Nick and her to help relieve their frustration with the people who made fun of them.

But Nick thought otherwise.

“Hate List,” written by Jennifer Brown, exceeded my expectations. The book made a tragic and unimaginable experience feel real because of how well Brown portrayed the characters. I could relate to all of them.

Valerie’s character was especially relatable. Throughout the book, she dealt with the stress caused from the shooting’s aftermath, namely the anger and confusion of her survived peers.

The students and faculty of Garvin High tried to find ways to cope with shooting. Most blamed Valerie. However, she didn’t shoot anybody. Instead, she could be called a victim or even a hero because, while she was trying to save a fellow classmate, Nick accidentally shot her.

This novel recounted an unbelievable story in a way that anyone could connect with. “Hate List” was chosen by the guidance department because they “wanted to pick a book that the whole school could relate to,” guidance counselor Carrie Siemsen said. “It’s a story true to life.”

“Hate List” surpassed my expectations with its clarity of such a horrific event and the realness of all the characters. This novel definitely made summer reading a lot more interesting.

Caroline Spath can be reached for comment at [email protected].