On May 2, 2008, Valerie's world changed forever. Her boyfriend Nick took a gun to school and went on attack against the bullies who have picked on them for years. This story tells the aftermath of the shooting, how people cope or didn't cope and how lives keep living. Valerie is under a lot of questioning and accusations since she kept the notebook with the HATE LIST in it. Her mother closes ranks on her and keeps her on a very short leash and thinks everything could be either another shooting or a suicide attempt, her father shuts down and pretends nothing happened and when she returns to school she is an outcast worst than before. The author does an excellent job of having Valerie tell the story, but brings in many other people to support it and show different sides of the same thing. And the ending doesn't wrap it all up in a neat package, but shows how rage, fear, and even love can overcome anything. I will be recommending this to all teenagers to read, whether they are a bully, the child being picked on , or neither, this book could really help difuse those situations. I recommend it to all grown ups to better understand the teenage life.