Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Novel Study Discussion Questions
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During Reading Questions
1. The Hate List began almost as a joke. How did it become so deadly?
2. Is it hard to tell the difference between a hero and a villain? In the first chapter Valerie wonders: “Was I the bad guy who set into motion the plan to mow down half
my school, or the hero who sacrificed herself to end the killing?” How does she answer that question? How would you?
3. Why was Valerie so attracted to Nick? Was she blind to his dark side? Did she draw out his good side? Why did she continue to love him even after the shooting? What kept her from visiting his grave?
4. How supportive was Valerie’s relationship with her mother before the shooting? How did it change afterwards? In what ways did the tragedy draw them closer?
5. “When it comes to reading people,” Valerie fears, “I’m an F student.” She had been thinking of Nick, but who are the other people in her life she thoroughly misreads? Pay special attention to her brother. When does Valerie finally understand his true feelings about her?
6. Discuss the changing nature of Valerie’s relationship with Jessica Campbell. Why was Jessica on the Hate List? After the shooting, why does Jessica reach out to Valerie? Why is Valerie reluctant to befriend Jessica? Why doesn’t Jessica just give up on Valerie?
7. When does Valerie’s father make his first appearance in the novel? Why can’t he forgive his daughter for her involvement in the shooting? Why is it easier for his girlfriend to be more understanding?
8. “The best way I can describe the feeling was that it was miraculous,” is how Valerie describes how she felt at her first painting class. What miracle is she experiencing? How does it help her emotional recovery?
9. “My son may have been the shooter,” Nick’s mother tells reporters, “but he’s still a victim.” What do you think she means by that? Do you agree?
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During Reading Extension Activities/Questions
1. Hate List is a work of fiction, but, sadly, fatal school shootings have occurred in all regions of the country. Research one (or many if you want ot split up the work) of these real-life tragedies. Their findings can be presented to the whole class as brief oral reports. Encourage each study group to pay particular attention to the emotional aftermaths: did the survivors ever feel “normal” again?
2. Imagine Angela Dash was investigating an incident at your school. After dividing your class into reporter/editor pairs, challenge each team to imitate her journalistic style as they produce an article about an actual or invented incident in your school.
3. The tragedy at Garvin High kicks off a media frenzy. Keep a running log of the sensational stories that are currently playing out in the media. How long does the incident stay in the news? When possible, compare and contrast newspaper reports with television coverage. Which is more factual? Which is more emotional?
4. After the shooting, Garvin High adopts strict new security measures. Do you think they were warranted (ie: necessary)? Would they feel safer in such an environment? Investigate your own school district’s security policies. Have they been tightened in recent years? Invite or interview a school administrator or security officer to discuss your district’s efforts to protect students from harm.
5. Nick loved Shakespeare, especially Romeo and Juliet. As Valerie rereads their e-mails after the shooting, she realizes that he was beginning to blur the line between fact and fiction. Encourage your group to blur it even more. What if Romeo and Juliet had been able to exchange e-mails? Write your own versions of that correspondence.
6. Valerie and Jessica create highly individualized memorials to the victims of the Garvin High shooting. How does your community recall painful periods from its own past? Search for war memorials, plaques, fountains, statues, and other nearby commemorative markers. How prominent are they? What is their purpose? Is it achieved?
