Hate List

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2009

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Part 3, Chapters 42-43Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3

Part 3, Chapter 42 Summary

Valerie finds Jessica alone at a cancelled student council meeting and attempts to get back on the memorial committee. She brings an outline of the plan and shows it to Jessica, who loves it; the plan involves interviewing each of the victim’s families, to gain a better measure of the personal loss that day. First, they go to Mr. Kline’s home and speak to his widow. Then, Jessica and Valerie travel to Abby Dempsey’s home. Then, they visit Max Hill’s home and speak with his sister. From there, they visit Ginny; they can’t see her because of another recent suicide attempt, so they speak with her mother instead. Finally, the girls end up at Christy Bruter’s house, where they speak to Christy and her parents, who express nothing but gratitude their daughter is alive. According to Mr. Bruter, “‘We’ve learned a lot about forgiveness since this happened […] We have no interest in seeing anyone else suffer over this tragedy. Not anyone’” (385).

Part 3, Chapter 43 Summary

The next day, in Hieler’s office, Valerie remarks, “I know this sounds stupid, but I think talking to all those people reminded me of who I really am” (387). She remembers that she liked school and that she was thinking about going to college. She recalls being “smart and driven” (388). She also remembers that the hate list wasn’t just a show to get close to Nick; she felt genuine anger about her situation.

Part 3, Chapters 42-43 Analysis

The interviews reinvigorate Valerie. She finally has a chance to ask for forgiveness. At Christy Bruter's house, with the questioncan you forgive me? on the tip of her tongue, Christy’s dad says, “There are heroes that died for their school. And there are heroes that almost died for their school. And there are heroes that stopped the shooting,” referring to Valerie, which infuses her with pride (385). Valerie comes home to her mother and Mel on a date, watching TV. She tells the reader, “I gave Mom a kiss on the cheek—a gesture I hadn’t given her in years” (386). Infused with purpose and goodwill, Valerie radiates a different energy now.

In her session with Dr. Hieler, she recognizes she created the hate list because of real anger over the bullying and her conflicts at home. She feels relief she isn’t a poser, and more assured her fate and Nick’s fate are not entwined anymore.