
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF WHY I HATE HER by Jennifer Richard Jacobson Category: Contemporary Age Recommendation: Grades 9+ Release Date: 4/27/10 Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Reviewed by: McKenzie Tritt Rating: 5 Stars Nola wants to escape her home life. That basically means Song, her younger sister who is battling cancer. It’s not that she doesn't love her sister or anything; Nola just wants to be able to live her own life without those constant worries. She heads off to a resort in Maine, and there she meets Carly. They become quick friends, and Carly seems like the perfect person to hang out with on a summer vacation. Nola will soon learn, though, that Carly can be rather twisted and isn't all that she seems. Carly is a bad influence. She lies and creates unnecessary drama. Nola thinks she can handle it, until Carly pushes her one time too many. I ended up really enjoying this book. Nola was a good character that I found easy to connect with. Even Song, her sister, was a spunky girl who was fun to hear about. The story picked up quickly, and I found that the pacing throughout the book was just right. I never grew bored with it. I liked the secondary characters, though we didn’t hear much about them. I would have enjoyed learning more about the other characters and Nola’s relationships with them. I felt the book was lacking in that area. However, THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF WHY I HATE HER is an awesome book that portrays just what a “frenemy" really is. The dramas of teenage relationships are explored truthfully, and I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, emotional read. |