This book gets more interesting the futher I read into it. It tackles the issues of love, betrayal and teen suicide. Reading this book will bring many people to the realization of certain things that can affect people in numerous perspectives. Teen suicide is a pernicious epidemic that needs to be addressed and spoken out about and that something needs to be done and more people need to start acting as well as listening. There are many causes and effects that have contributed to the rising rate of teen suicide. In a book called " The Enigma of Suicide" by George Howe Colt, a part maintained that the ten reasons teens commit suicide were ( in no specific order):
  School pressure
  peer pressure
  child abuse
  violence
  racism
  parental pressure
  drugs
  the breakdown of a nuclear family
  promiscuity
  the media
Examples of known triggers include:
the death of a friend or family member
the breakup of a romantic relationship
difficulties at school or at work
conflicts with others
physical impairments
and other peoples suicide
I feel more people need to step up and speak out abotu the epidemic that is worldwide and happening every 17.2 seconds. If noone stands up and wont speak up how will anyone be able to come up with a solution to end teen suicide and adult suicide as well. This book really opened my eyes and made me more aware of teen suicide and its major causes. I look forward to reading and learning more in this novel.

Bound By Silence

My Tapes speak for me

I no longer have a voice

My heart no longer beats

My soul now wanders restless

Taken for granted and cast down by my peers

Being teased and unable to face my fears

Bound by rumors

No longer happy and free

I search for peace

And someone to speak for me

All I ever wanted was love and understanding

Not trying to be facetious or demanding

Hear my words and see whats really to me

Release my undying words and set me free


By Unisha Jackson

The strangest part of this book so far is how at one point Val felt that the whole world was against her and wished her dead and now within a matter of time her enemies and old freind are slowly learning to forgive her and accept her.

Also how it mentions Nick now and again, but still doesnt reveal more detail into what happened to him in his last moments of life at Garvin High. I would have never thought that Vals dad had a grudge with her because of the shooting, imagine how Val feels now. Parents are suppose to support their children no matter what and it uspets me to read how Vals dad had no consideration for his daughter and what she had been through and that was down right selfish of him.

If you were in Vals dad shoes would you hold her to blame for what happened in the commons? Could you truly forgive her?

This book also brings light that no matter what tragedy or adversity comes along there can be healing as well as forgiveness that can happen. All things have to come to an end and once people open their eyes and see things for what they really are and not judge only then can the healing process begins for everyone involved, even those affected by it in all ways.

This book is a great eye opener and keeps you wanting to read more. I wish there was a part two, it was one of the most intriguing and interesting books I've read in awhile and I look forward to finishing the final chapter.

Guided Response

Val has changed in a major way as far as coming to terms with excepting what has taken place at Garvin High on May 2nd and her role or involvement in the entire situation. She is second guessing her innocence/guilt, Did she play a major role or was Nick being her knight in shining armor standing up for all the cruel and rotten things they'd both endured day after day in the commons?

The pressure is up and now Val is confused and don't know who is on her side and who is really against her. Through an unconcious comment at the student council meeting she now feels guilty feeling like she betrayed the one and only true love she had by speaking and not thinking first.

She has been ostracized by her peers and used to be friends, her mom no longer trusts her and now looks at her as a ticking time bomb waiting to go off at any given moment, on top of that Jessica is showing wierd emotions and actions all of a sudden and Val doesn't know if its real or a set up.

Now she has to make the choice of keeping herself isolated and closed in or either take the risk of speaking upfor herself about the whole story behind what happened and how it really all began as one big joke. Val has made major improvements but at the same time once she overcomes one obstacle another ensues. Will she get the chance to speak her side and claim her innocence?

Part 2 of The Hate List ( Free Choice Response )

Valerie is now in the hospital and has come to realization that what she thought was a bad dream at Garvin High had become a reality. Nick was dead from suicide, Christy survived and in a room down the hall and to top it all off her childhood bff Stacey now resents her. It makes you wonder what more is to come and can it get any worse???


This novel gets more intriguing as we get further into part two but also leaves me with a few questions as well. It seems like everyone is passing judgement on Valerie and assuming the worst instead of trying to find out what really happened and at least give her a chance to speak her side and possibly clear the air. She has her own demons to fight dealing with being a person of interest and a victim as well and for her to feel like she has noone in her corner to back her up or support her just adds to the stress and issues she is already dealing with.

Would you give Valerie a chance to tell her side? If so,would you believe her knowing she had a part in creating this so called Hate List and how close knit her and Nick were? And last but not least If Valerie was your friend would you forgive her for what happened even though she wasn't the one who pulled the trigger?

In my opinion it seems that many people aren't considering the fact that Val has been through trauma and all they want are answers and someone to pay the price for what has happened. Do you think that someone should step up and at least speak up in Vals defense or at least support her through her time of grief and recovery?

My most important question of all is Why didn't Nick warn or tell Valerie that he planned to carry out their so called Hate List??? I really look foward to reading further into the chapters and see what twists and turns is yet to come.

The Hate List

This story is about a young girl named Valerie and her boyfriend Nick who goes to high school together and has to deal with many controversies and issues with their peers and other students. They both feel like outcasts by many of the social groups and other students in the school dealing with being bullied, made fun of and judged because of their appearances etc. Valerie and Nick are very close and share many personal stories, likes and dislikes and even stories about how cruel and rude some of the other students and classmates are to them. Nick comes to Valerie with a very odd conversation over the phone and she answers him unaware of what the consequence would be behind it. They come up with this thing called a Hate List and put all of their bullies, enemies and even people they just didnt like in the order from the worst to the least liked. But Nick decides to  act upon it and takes out Valerie's # 1 enemy first and follows the list from the students he had it in for, the teacher he most hated and even students he didnt have problems with. Valerie tries to stop him not knowing Nick was going to act on the Hate List they created together and falls in the line of fire trying to protect another student from being killed. When nick turns the gun and kills himself, leaving Valerie with the guilt of feeling it was her fault and the critizism of other students that felt she knew about the list and what had just taken place. Now she has to find a way to cope and deal with all the drama but yet figure out how to explain what happened and claim her innocence to be able to move on with her life. I would recommend this book to any one becausee this type of situation is a reality and has happned in many cases and we need to be more aware of the problems our children, students and peers are having with being bullied at school, home, public workplaces and in the general public. I would  not have changed any element in this book story being that it was well written and spoke true significance that we need to be more aware of whats going on in society today.

                                                    The Hate List - Poem by Nisha

                                             If you never read a story before like this
                                        Open your eyes to this thing called The Hate List
                                             It can start at home or even at school
                                        Students being meand and bullies being cruel
                                Open your ears and pay attention to what you see or hear
                                      Listen to the ones that cry out in anger or even fear
                                          Stomp out the bullies and very mean peers
                              And come together and make this so called Hate List disappear.

My thought on The Color Purple By Alice Walker

This book is about a young African- American teenager named Celie who lives in a segregated era, raped and abused by her stepfather and has two children by him which he tookfrom her arms minutes after their birth. She has a little sister named Nettie that she tries to protect from their stepfather but Celie is traded off to marry a local farmer who has multiple children by a deceased wife. Celie is controlled, misused and abused by her husband also known as " Mista " and his children. He takes the only people who loves her away and brings her to her lowest point until she meets two extraordinary women who gives her new inspiration, courage and a new look on life. Celie decided to overcome obstacles, pain and turmoil, stood her ground and fought to be reunited with her long lost sister and children whom she thought was dead that were now living in Africa with a pastor and his wife from their hometown. The emotions I got from this text was anger from racial controversy and how color made an extreme difference in that time era and how racism still exsists today. Alsoo the abuse, neglect and unfair treatment of women being used as maids, cooks, sex slaves and punching bags. Also to know that a woman's worth back then was zero to none in the eye's of men. Most of the language in this novel is ebonically written and spoken how it sounded instead of proper grammar. The big issue in this novel for me was racism, prejudicy against womens right and segregation. I've learned from this text that we are more fortunate in this day and age even though racism, segregation and abuse still exsists in certain cities, states and countries. We now live in a more modern world where racism and segregation is not and will not be tolerated but  yet some people still live and believe that it is the way to be and still plays a major part in their everyday life.