Hate You

by Graham McNamee

Book Overview

A young adult novel explores the path from hatred of an abusive father to healing as Alice learns to sing with her own true voice. Alice Silvers writes songs she can never sing, because she has a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440227623
• ISBN13: 9780440227625
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf Library
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.2" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Story of My Life, by Shaun

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.

You Go Girl

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.

In defense of HATE YOU

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.

Engaging novel by a Canadian newcomer

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.