Customer Reviews

Hate You

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was both relieved and irritated to read the reviews of this book. Relieved that people were reading and appreciating it; irritated that some people were reading it and not understanding it. I am referring to those reviewers who either see this as a book about forgiveness or wish it was. HATE YOU is about closure. That is what the (seemingly) infamous confrontation between Alice and her father was about. Anyone seeking a book in which past hurts are forgotten and both sides become friends again, I would ask you to look elsewhere. I would, however, reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys realistic books, or who wants to read a so-called 'young adult' book that does'nt drown you in sap and condescending assumptions. McNamee has written a highly original book and his characters (except for Frank and his girlfriend) are very sympathetic. Alice is one of the greatest characters I've met in a while and she is very easy to identify with,especially since my outlook towards life is very similar to hers.The only criticism Ihave of this book was that it was too short.The story was well paced, but I certainly would'nt have objected to spending a couple of hundred pages with Alice.

Hate You is a compelling novel about Alice Silver, sixteen-year old poet, composer, and victim of abuse. At age ten, Alice's vocal chords are permanently damaged by her father. Her mother then kicks him out. Six years later, Alice learns that her father is dying and wants to see her. Visiting him allows Alice to come to terms with her past and see her future more positively-funny voice and all.

Alice is talented, normally optimistic, but handicapped by her "Frankenstein" voice. Her fortyish mother struggles to maintain herself and Alice as a single parent. Eric, Alice's boyfriend, is off-beat, plays the guitar (badly), and challenges Alice to "be all she can be. "

There's a bit of "implied sex" in Hate You, though it is handled tastefully and amusingly. I think many kids would get a laugh from Alice's observations about adolescent male sexuality.

Summing up, I really like this book. Though it deals with a serious topic, it is light-hearted and amusing in many respects. Strong characterization and dialogue. I hope Vancouverite Graham McNamee publishes more novels like this one soon.

I was both relieved and irritated to read the reviews of this book. Relieved that people were reading and appreciating it; irritated that some people were reading it and not understanding it. I am referring to those reviewers who either see this as a book about forgiveness or wish it was. HATE YOU is about closure. That is what the (seemingly) infamous confrontation between Alice and her father was about. Anyone seeking a book in which past hurts are forgotten and both sides become friends again, I would ask you to look elsewhere. I would, however, reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys realistic books, or who wants to read a so-called 'young adult' book that does'nt drown you in sap and condescending assumptions. McNamee has written a highly original book and his characters (except for Frank and his girlfriend) are very sympathetic. Alice is one of the greatest characters I've met in a while and she is very easy to identify with,especially since my outlook towards life is very similar to hers.The only criticism Ihave of this book was that it was too short.The story was well paced, but I certainly would'nt have objected to spending a couple of hundred pages with Alice.

Since when does hate heal? In an othewise outstanding book, the climax is shallow and shocking. Alice confronts her dying father in his self-created hell, struggling to breathe and connected to an assortment of machines. The relief she feels after her cruel outburst would have been more meaningful if it inspired true healing in the form of forgiveness or even a move toward understanding. Meanness heaped upon meanness just makes for more meanness. The premise is interesting. The characters are well developed, and Alice is especially compelling, raw and honest. She deals constructively with her impairment and learns to deal with it more so. The short chapters are appealing and rife with hipness and humor. Unfortunately, the resolution is disappointing.

This book is a great one for young adults. It deals with sticky issues covered by one girls's struggle with her own self identity. Alice, the main character, comes to many realizations, and goes through many trials in her life, and they make her a stronger person in the end. The writing style is very descriptive, and the way in which scenes are described really puts you right in the middle of the story. I definitely recommend this book.

This is about Alice Silvers. She is a seventeen-year-old, who writes songs, that she can never sing. She has a broken "Frankenstein" voice. That is because her father chooked her when she was little, and her mom threw him out. She has everything but her voice. Though the hatred she has for her father, she finds her freedom and her true voice.

Alice is a pretty typical high school student in most ways. The one main difference between her and others is her voice. When she was ten, she got in the middle of a fight between her parents, and her father grabbed her so hard by the throat that he left her permanently damaged. As a result, her parents divorced and she hasn't heard from her father since then. Alice writes songs but can't sing them. Most are about how much she hates her father for what he did to her.

One day out of the blue, Alice gets a phone call from her father's girlfriend. Her father is dying of lung cancer and wants to see his daughter before he dies. Alice has to make the difficult decision of whether to see him or not.

I liked the fact that none of the characters in this story were perfect. Alice and those with whom she interacted all had their flaws, and all needed each other's support in order to succeed in life.

I would have liked to have seen a bit of Alice's father's story. Had he changed since abusing his daughter as a child? Was he worthy of forgiveness?

This book makes me what you shake the narrator. Emo-ridden drivel at its best. I am ashamed of my generation if we all think like this. The only thing I got out of this book was mocking it. My friends and I will always remember this terrible terrible book. If you are a pathetic self-pitying teenager, I recommend it, you will commiserate with the narrator very well.

Alice Slivers, a 17 year old girl, has many reasons for the hate she has in her life. When she was younger, her abusive father left her and her mother. Her mother is a stage designer who treats Alice more like a friend than a daughter. Alice is a good song writer. She can't sing her songs due to her "Frankenstein voice", caused by her father choking her as a child. One day out of the blue she gets a call telling her about her hated father that is dying at a hospital only two hours away. She has to think about the forgiveness she faces for the first time and she has to decide if she has the power and strenght to forgive her father or just turn him away.
McNamee wrties this book to tell about the hate some people may have in their lives. The book also shows how a erson might have to ask him or herself to overcome their hate and forgive.

I thought this was an excellent book which I could relate to in full. the book offered me alot of closure, and whenever I read the book, I felt like I was Alice. My favorite part about the book is that Alice can scare her father by screaming. It was her only defense, and he took it away from her. While I was reading the book, Alice's anger pulsed through my veins, and I felt as if my voice had been crushed, too.