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Confessions of a Hater
Mean girls are always the haters - Right?
Hailey Harper has always felt invisible. Now her dad has a new job and the family is moving to Hollywood. Just what Hailey needs: starting a new high school.
As she's packing, Hailey finds a journal that belonged to her older sister, Noel, who is away at college. Called "How to Be a Hater," it's full of info Hailey can really use. Has Hailey found the Bible of Coolness? Will it help her reinvent herself at her new school? Will her crush notice her? Will she and the other Invisibles dethrone the popular mean girls? After all, they deserve it. Don't they?
Caprice Crane's funny--and deeply felt--observations about high school, bullies, popularity, friendship, and romance will leave teens thinking...and talking.
Hailey Harper has always felt invisible. Now her dad has a new job and the family is moving to Hollywood. Just what Hailey needs: starting a new high school.
As she's packing, Hailey finds a journal that belonged to her older sister, Noel, who is away at college. Called "How to Be a Hater," it's full of info Hailey can really use. Has Hailey found the Bible of Coolness? Will it help her reinvent herself at her new school? Will her crush notice her? Will she and the other Invisibles dethrone the popular mean girls? After all, they deserve it. Don't they?
Caprice Crane's funny--and deeply felt--observations about high school, bullies, popularity, friendship, and romance will leave teens thinking...and talking.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2013
About the author
Caprice Crane
14 books440 followersCaprice Crane is a screenwriter and novelist who'll be making her way into your movie theaters, bookshelves, and hearts in the very near future!"
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August 27, 2013
(The copy I read is an ARC sent to me from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. Ha. They lose again.)
So, truly, I only apply to receive ARCs that I think that I will enjoy, or at least will find interesting. Confessions of a Hater is a YA debut novel for Crane. I have never read any of her adult works, but this one sounded interesting. It’s about a teenage girl, Hailey, who moves (with her parents) the summer between her freshman and sophomore years of high school. At her old school, Hailey has her group of friends, but she’s never been popular or had a boyfriend. While packing for the move, she comes across a diary that belonged to her older sister (who is away at college) when she was in high school. Titled “How to Be a Hater,” Noel’s diary is full of practical tips on just that–how to dress, act, talk, walk–you name it. Hailey decides that this book is her ticket to a new life at her new high school. Her first day there, implementing the diary’s techniques, Hailey is accepted into the selective clique of Skylar, the most stereotypical popular cheerleader girl you could ever imagine. After a few days of keeping up appearances, Hailey abandons the popular girls and makes friends with some outcasts. Together, they form their own clique, and call themselves the Invisibles. The rest of the book is the Invisibles’ attempts to bring down the Populars, Skylar in particular.
My hope for this book was that it would have some depth. Instead, it was full of cliches and stereotypes. The Invisibles are comprised of a girl who got pregnant as a freshman, a shoplifter, a super-intelligent genius girl who’s addicted to drugs, a fat girl, a girl who’s super good with computers, etc. The girl who was pregnant, Anya, is the only one whose story actually adds to the overall plot (she ends up being Hailey’s best friend). The other stereotypes are superfluous. I was especially distressed by the shoplifter and the drug addict. Both of these are treated as minor problems, and sort of shrugged off and swept under the rug. The shoplifting is basically treated as completely normal and acceptable behavior, while the drug addict is given a little more time–towards the end, she overdoses and goes to the hospital, and then everyone is like, Cool now she’ll be okay. Say what?!
Meanwhile, Hailey starts dating a super nice guy. While she isn’t willing to go “all the way,” there is a completely unnecessary scene where she first of all asks Anya for advice (which Anya gives, by telling her to practice on a frozen banana?!?!!?) and then proceeds to perform a sexual act for her boyfriend, all described in pointless detail, mostly her feelings about how weird this is and wondering if he likes it, blah blah blah–again, NOTHING to do with the overall plot of the story.
Hailey’s parents were a bright spot for me at the beginning of the book. Finally, I thought, a book about a teenager who just has normal parents who have stayed married. Spoiler alert: don’t get too attached to that detail. Guess what other stereotype we’re going to fill in??
The main plot of the book, wherein the Invisibles and the Populars prank each other, escalates to a completely unhealthy and unrealistic level. I find it hard to believe that someone like Hailey, who claims to have been mistreated by similar populars at her old school, could possibly not see that what she is doing is cruel, stupid, and immature. Hailey’s method of apology, which involves committing a pretty major crime, is ridiculous as well, especially since she receives basically no punishment whatsoever, and is, in fact, rewarded for her crime–her friends accept her apology and the guidance counselor is convinced that he can land her a special internship at a prestigious art school. So glad that this is the message we’re sending to our young people.
Finally, while Hailey’s narrative can be funny and snarky, it is also crude, full of profanity, and littered with references to brand names and pop culture. Honestly, I only finished this book because I felt an obligation to do so.
Crane had an opportunity to tell a story that actually meant something. A story about a girl who truly experiences what it is like to be invisible, and who honestly realizes the importance of looking beyond stereotypes and embracing our unique and individual selves. A story about the strength of forgiveness and the power of helping others. Instead, she wrote a story that emphasized stereotypes, embraced cliches, and makes extra-marital sex, profanity, shoplifting, underage drinking, and vandalism (to name a few) sound like completely normal and acceptable activities for high schoolers.
If you’re a parent of a young adult, don’t let them touch this book with a ten-foot pole. If you want to teach them about breaking through stereotypes, have them watch High School Musical.
So, truly, I only apply to receive ARCs that I think that I will enjoy, or at least will find interesting. Confessions of a Hater is a YA debut novel for Crane. I have never read any of her adult works, but this one sounded interesting. It’s about a teenage girl, Hailey, who moves (with her parents) the summer between her freshman and sophomore years of high school. At her old school, Hailey has her group of friends, but she’s never been popular or had a boyfriend. While packing for the move, she comes across a diary that belonged to her older sister (who is away at college) when she was in high school. Titled “How to Be a Hater,” Noel’s diary is full of practical tips on just that–how to dress, act, talk, walk–you name it. Hailey decides that this book is her ticket to a new life at her new high school. Her first day there, implementing the diary’s techniques, Hailey is accepted into the selective clique of Skylar, the most stereotypical popular cheerleader girl you could ever imagine. After a few days of keeping up appearances, Hailey abandons the popular girls and makes friends with some outcasts. Together, they form their own clique, and call themselves the Invisibles. The rest of the book is the Invisibles’ attempts to bring down the Populars, Skylar in particular.
My hope for this book was that it would have some depth. Instead, it was full of cliches and stereotypes. The Invisibles are comprised of a girl who got pregnant as a freshman, a shoplifter, a super-intelligent genius girl who’s addicted to drugs, a fat girl, a girl who’s super good with computers, etc. The girl who was pregnant, Anya, is the only one whose story actually adds to the overall plot (she ends up being Hailey’s best friend). The other stereotypes are superfluous. I was especially distressed by the shoplifter and the drug addict. Both of these are treated as minor problems, and sort of shrugged off and swept under the rug. The shoplifting is basically treated as completely normal and acceptable behavior, while the drug addict is given a little more time–towards the end, she overdoses and goes to the hospital, and then everyone is like, Cool now she’ll be okay. Say what?!
Meanwhile, Hailey starts dating a super nice guy. While she isn’t willing to go “all the way,” there is a completely unnecessary scene where she first of all asks Anya for advice (which Anya gives, by telling her to practice on a frozen banana?!?!!?) and then proceeds to perform a sexual act for her boyfriend, all described in pointless detail, mostly her feelings about how weird this is and wondering if he likes it, blah blah blah–again, NOTHING to do with the overall plot of the story.
Hailey’s parents were a bright spot for me at the beginning of the book. Finally, I thought, a book about a teenager who just has normal parents who have stayed married. Spoiler alert: don’t get too attached to that detail. Guess what other stereotype we’re going to fill in??
The main plot of the book, wherein the Invisibles and the Populars prank each other, escalates to a completely unhealthy and unrealistic level. I find it hard to believe that someone like Hailey, who claims to have been mistreated by similar populars at her old school, could possibly not see that what she is doing is cruel, stupid, and immature. Hailey’s method of apology, which involves committing a pretty major crime, is ridiculous as well, especially since she receives basically no punishment whatsoever, and is, in fact, rewarded for her crime–her friends accept her apology and the guidance counselor is convinced that he can land her a special internship at a prestigious art school. So glad that this is the message we’re sending to our young people.
Finally, while Hailey’s narrative can be funny and snarky, it is also crude, full of profanity, and littered with references to brand names and pop culture. Honestly, I only finished this book because I felt an obligation to do so.
Crane had an opportunity to tell a story that actually meant something. A story about a girl who truly experiences what it is like to be invisible, and who honestly realizes the importance of looking beyond stereotypes and embracing our unique and individual selves. A story about the strength of forgiveness and the power of helping others. Instead, she wrote a story that emphasized stereotypes, embraced cliches, and makes extra-marital sex, profanity, shoplifting, underage drinking, and vandalism (to name a few) sound like completely normal and acceptable activities for high schoolers.
If you’re a parent of a young adult, don’t let them touch this book with a ten-foot pole. If you want to teach them about breaking through stereotypes, have them watch High School Musical.
April 13, 2019
As I'm looking through the book store. Oh wow! This book has such a pretty cover. Reads the blurb. And it looks interesting too. Let's buy it!
I still find the cover pretty... But the story?
Where? Who? What story?
This plot was so full of clichés it made me want to vomit.
- An unpopular girl who moves to a new town, has a makeover and start hanging out with the cool crowd? Check!
- A cooler, cuter older sister who ignores the little one? Check!
- A girl who got pregnant? Check!
- A mean queen-bee, obssessed with fashion and controlling her minions? Check, check, check!
To make matters worse, the drawings on the insides of the hardcover gave the whole story away. Seriously, I already knew most of what was going to happen halfway through the story. It's like the author thought we are such complete idiots that we wouldn't figure out what they meant. I almost gave up on finishing the book several times, but I told myself that since I'd spent twenty-two dollars on this book (Canadian!), I had better finish it. I'm glad I held on, as the only non-cliché element of the plot came up around 6 chapters before the end.
I loved Hailey at first. She was smart, witty, sassy, average -- I could really relate to her. I also loved her talent: drawing comic strips. Original or what? But then, she started changing for the worst and became your average mean girl. Then that whole scene with Chris happened and... Caprice Crane, was that REALLY necessary? Call me a prude, but I was grossed out. I'm 14, I don't want to read about this.
And then the only thing that really threw me off board was (spoiler) what happened with Hailey's parents. Maybe other people noticed something was off, but I didn't. So, you know, kudos for that.
So, my final rating.
Firstly, for the sake of Hailey's sassiness, because without it, the book would have been unreadably boring, I give one star.
Secondly, for the surprise twist with Hailey's parents, I give another star.
And thirdly, for the nice cover, I give... 0.5 star (because the cover doesn't make the story).
Total: 2.5 stars. And that is generous, given the utter crapiness of what I just read.
I can tell you, I'm not bound to pick up another book by Caprice Cane anytime soon.
---------
UPDATE 06/27/2014: Re-reading this review, I started thinking that what I described was basically the plot of Mean Girls with a couple of tweaks. Is it just me?
I still find the cover pretty... But the story?
Where? Who? What story?
This plot was so full of clichés it made me want to vomit.
- An unpopular girl who moves to a new town, has a makeover and start hanging out with the cool crowd? Check!
- A cooler, cuter older sister who ignores the little one? Check!
- A girl who got pregnant? Check!
- A mean queen-bee, obssessed with fashion and controlling her minions? Check, check, check!
To make matters worse, the drawings on the insides of the hardcover gave the whole story away. Seriously, I already knew most of what was going to happen halfway through the story. It's like the author thought we are such complete idiots that we wouldn't figure out what they meant. I almost gave up on finishing the book several times, but I told myself that since I'd spent twenty-two dollars on this book (Canadian!), I had better finish it. I'm glad I held on, as the only non-cliché element of the plot came up around 6 chapters before the end.
I loved Hailey at first. She was smart, witty, sassy, average -- I could really relate to her. I also loved her talent: drawing comic strips. Original or what? But then, she started changing for the worst and became your average mean girl. Then that whole scene with Chris happened and... Caprice Crane, was that REALLY necessary? Call me a prude, but I was grossed out. I'm 14, I don't want to read about this.
And then the only thing that really threw me off board was (spoiler) what happened with Hailey's parents. Maybe other people noticed something was off, but I didn't. So, you know, kudos for that.
So, my final rating.
Firstly, for the sake of Hailey's sassiness, because without it, the book would have been unreadably boring, I give one star.
Secondly, for the surprise twist with Hailey's parents, I give another star.
And thirdly, for the nice cover, I give... 0.5 star (because the cover doesn't make the story).
Total: 2.5 stars. And that is generous, given the utter crapiness of what I just read.
I can tell you, I'm not bound to pick up another book by Caprice Cane anytime soon.
---------
UPDATE 06/27/2014: Re-reading this review, I started thinking that what I described was basically the plot of Mean Girls with a couple of tweaks. Is it just me?
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 15, 2013Pages Read: 11
Reason for DNF:
Either you'll think this book is hilarious or you'll find it stupid and offensive. I fall into that later camp. In eleven pages, there were terrible jokes, slut-shaming, fat-shaming, cliches, and racism. I'm done. Also, I just checked out the last couple of pages, and the main character is still brand conscious and constantly commenting on people's attractiveness like that's all that matters. This is just SO not a book for me.
Reason for DNF:
Either you'll think this book is hilarious or you'll find it stupid and offensive. I fall into that later camp. In eleven pages, there were terrible jokes, slut-shaming, fat-shaming, cliches, and racism. I'm done. Also, I just checked out the last couple of pages, and the main character is still brand conscious and constantly commenting on people's attractiveness like that's all that matters. This is just SO not a book for me.
Read
December 4, 2013I can put together an outfit without getting laughed at when I roam the halls among the fashonistas... and the trashionistas (the girls who majorly slut it up.)Because if you put your ear up really close to the girls that are extra mean, you can actually hear their daddy issues. Oh, what a difference a hug would have made. (Except for the girls who got too much hugging from their daddies, but that's a whole other issue.)
Yeah, I don't fucking think so.
Yeah, I don't fucking think so.
August 31, 2013
Confessions of a Hater by Caprice Crane is seriously funny. A must read for anyone who loved Mean Girls! But it's so much more than a book about girl fights and backstabbing.
I was very impressed with Crane's ability to weave an incredibly funny story with such serious issues. This book dealt with everything from bullying (obviously) to divorce, teen pregnancy and drug addiction. It showed that everyone—nerd, popular girl, jock, or parent—is flawed in their own ways. Everyone makes mistakes and its up to them to deal with the consequences of them. And that even the best intentions can lead you down a slippery slope that might just land you in a heap of trouble. For such a side splitting novel, Crane's characters sure have a lot to teach readers.
There were a couple of times when the humor of the book sort of overtook the plot. See, Hailey has this way of going off on tangents, so she'll be talking about one thing and then two paragraphs later she'll finally get back to whatever she'd initially been talking about, usually after a long rant about something completely random like krav maga. And it's funny, it is. Until like the tenth time she does it and then it's annoying, but then she keeps doing it and it gets funny again. It's amusing, and totally showcases Hailey's zany yet entertaining thoughts, but I think some people might get lost—or in my case, become so wrapped up in whatever tangent she's going on about that they forget Hailey's original point.
Like I said, Confessions of a Hater is extremely funny, but it does discuss some very serious topics. My heart broke, my blood boiled, and I'm sure I blushed during most of one chapter. While there's nothing truly offensive or even very descriptive, I'd suggest this book to the older end of the YA spectrum. It does have some very good points to make about bullying and that in itself is enough for me to recommend this to everyone. So go buy Confessions of a Hater, then flip through the book while still in the store and try not to laugh out loud like a weirdo. Just try not to.
I was very impressed with Crane's ability to weave an incredibly funny story with such serious issues. This book dealt with everything from bullying (obviously) to divorce, teen pregnancy and drug addiction. It showed that everyone—nerd, popular girl, jock, or parent—is flawed in their own ways. Everyone makes mistakes and its up to them to deal with the consequences of them. And that even the best intentions can lead you down a slippery slope that might just land you in a heap of trouble. For such a side splitting novel, Crane's characters sure have a lot to teach readers.
There were a couple of times when the humor of the book sort of overtook the plot. See, Hailey has this way of going off on tangents, so she'll be talking about one thing and then two paragraphs later she'll finally get back to whatever she'd initially been talking about, usually after a long rant about something completely random like krav maga. And it's funny, it is. Until like the tenth time she does it and then it's annoying, but then she keeps doing it and it gets funny again. It's amusing, and totally showcases Hailey's zany yet entertaining thoughts, but I think some people might get lost—or in my case, become so wrapped up in whatever tangent she's going on about that they forget Hailey's original point.
Like I said, Confessions of a Hater is extremely funny, but it does discuss some very serious topics. My heart broke, my blood boiled, and I'm sure I blushed during most of one chapter. While there's nothing truly offensive or even very descriptive, I'd suggest this book to the older end of the YA spectrum. It does have some very good points to make about bullying and that in itself is enough for me to recommend this to everyone. So go buy Confessions of a Hater, then flip through the book while still in the store and try not to laugh out loud like a weirdo. Just try not to.
July 15, 2016
Dear everyone at Square Fish/Macmillan,
There is NO SUCH THING as a "seize fire." It is "cease fire." CEASE. As in end. Homonyms matter. Editors matter.
Sincerely,
Everyone who reads.
After finishing the book: it's a vapid story about terrible people treating each other terribly. No redeeming qualities. I will absolutely not be adding this one to my school library.
There is NO SUCH THING as a "seize fire." It is "cease fire." CEASE. As in end. Homonyms matter. Editors matter.
Sincerely,
Everyone who reads.
After finishing the book: it's a vapid story about terrible people treating each other terribly. No redeeming qualities. I will absolutely not be adding this one to my school library.
December 4, 2013
When Hailey Harper's family moves cross-country before her sophomore year, Hailey decides she's been given a chance to re-invent herself when it comes to her social station within the world of high school. Aided by her older sister's hand-me-down clothes and a journal called How to Be a Hater, Hailey seems ready to take her Southern California high school by storm and find her niche among the popular and famous.
But Hailey finds the popular crowd isn't all she thought it was and after a day or two as part of the in-crowd, she decides she'd rather spend time with people who share her taste in music and other things and instead of being popular. She decides to use her older sister's book of rules and observations to elevate herself and others to a different social strata.
Caprice Crane's Confessions of a Hater chronicles Hailey's rise as well as her feud with the popular crowd she rejected. Written with wry observations about life in high school and a few genuinely heart-felt moments, the novel seems cut from the same cloth as the hit movie Mean Girls.. Hailey's first person narration is witty, sardonic and completely self-aware in an almost Joss-Whedon-like fashion.
Unfortunately, what Whedon makes look easy on the small screen isn't necessarily as easy as you'd think and while this book has its moments, there are other times when it feels a bit too clever for its own good. A lot of this comes into play in an ever escalating series of pranks played out between Hailey's clique and the popular clique. It culminates in a final prank by Hailey that seems a bit over the line as does the reaction by various authority figures within her life. (It almost feels like Hailey gets punished in the short term but rewarded in the long term for her prank).
Another question I have with the book is the target audience. While the ARC I was provided says this novel is one targeted to the young adult audience, it feels like Crane is trying more to appeal to those who are beyond their high school years to look back with a bit of snark and nostalgia. And while there isn't a metaphor quite like the one Whedon used in Buffy, you can't help but feel that Crane is trying to achieve that and coming up just a bit short.
There is some humor here, but I often found it hitting the mark because I'd gone beyond high school and could look back at it now and find the humor in the situation. Whether or not those going through it will enjoy this or not remains to be seen.
But Hailey finds the popular crowd isn't all she thought it was and after a day or two as part of the in-crowd, she decides she'd rather spend time with people who share her taste in music and other things and instead of being popular. She decides to use her older sister's book of rules and observations to elevate herself and others to a different social strata.
Caprice Crane's Confessions of a Hater chronicles Hailey's rise as well as her feud with the popular crowd she rejected. Written with wry observations about life in high school and a few genuinely heart-felt moments, the novel seems cut from the same cloth as the hit movie Mean Girls.. Hailey's first person narration is witty, sardonic and completely self-aware in an almost Joss-Whedon-like fashion.
Unfortunately, what Whedon makes look easy on the small screen isn't necessarily as easy as you'd think and while this book has its moments, there are other times when it feels a bit too clever for its own good. A lot of this comes into play in an ever escalating series of pranks played out between Hailey's clique and the popular clique. It culminates in a final prank by Hailey that seems a bit over the line as does the reaction by various authority figures within her life. (It almost feels like Hailey gets punished in the short term but rewarded in the long term for her prank).
Another question I have with the book is the target audience. While the ARC I was provided says this novel is one targeted to the young adult audience, it feels like Crane is trying more to appeal to those who are beyond their high school years to look back with a bit of snark and nostalgia. And while there isn't a metaphor quite like the one Whedon used in Buffy, you can't help but feel that Crane is trying to achieve that and coming up just a bit short.
There is some humor here, but I often found it hitting the mark because I'd gone beyond high school and could look back at it now and find the humor in the situation. Whether or not those going through it will enjoy this or not remains to be seen.
July 31, 2013
As Hailey Harper is packing for move from New York to California, she comes across her older, popular sister's diary entitled, "How to Be a Hater." Hailey uses her sister's tips to give herself a makeover as she enters her new high school, only to discover she has no interest in being friends with the popular kids. As she forms real friendships with other girls who are usually invisible, Hailey decides to use her sister's diary to beat the popular girls at their own game.
It was a way less good version of Mean Girls. Instead of mean girls we call them "haters." To teens actually use the term "haters?" I felt the "teen" language was very forced in this book. Maybe it's actually spot on, but from what I've overheard of girls talking to each other in class, I would say this book sounded, well, like an adult trying to make her characters sound like cool teenagers. And it was a little painful.
So yes, Hailey loses weight and gets a new wardrobe and decides to be confident and is immediately taken under the wing of the most popular clique in school, lead by queen bee Skyler. Hailey then realizes these girls are total bitches and doesn't want to hang out with them, so she goes and finds her own friends. But now she's a target for the mean girls. I mean, the haters. She makes some friends and then they decided they will fight back against the haters, using Hailey's sister, Noel's diary as a guidebook.
It was too much of everything. Every possible teenage cliche was thrown in here, and it was just too much. We have Hailey's new best friend Anya who got pregnant last year. We have another girl who shoplifts. We have teen Adderall snorting. We have parent's having an affair. We have dating the boy who use to date the popular girl. We have awkward first blow-job moments. We have friends cheating with another friend's boyfriend. Are we missing anything? And out of all the drama that was happening, the only one that kind of related to the plot was Anya having been pregnant. Emily being a shoplifter? Totally irrelevant. Kura snorting Adderall, ODing and ending up in the hospital? Random. There's a couple mentions of Hailey being worried about her, and then at the very end like two sentences about how Kura OD, was hospitalized but don't worry she's going to be fine. What? What was the point? The blow job scene? Completely gratuitous. And Hailey decides she's going to make it extra special and sucks on Altoids to make it tingly and ends up causing her boyfriend considerable pain. Just weird.
There were too many plot points that went nowhere. Too much popular brand name dropping. Too many characters who just seemed to be there to be "the shoplifting one." "The fat one." "The drug snorting one."
Watch Mean Girls again instead. Lots more fun.
Confessions of a Hater comes out August 27, 2013.
It was a way less good version of Mean Girls. Instead of mean girls we call them "haters." To teens actually use the term "haters?" I felt the "teen" language was very forced in this book. Maybe it's actually spot on, but from what I've overheard of girls talking to each other in class, I would say this book sounded, well, like an adult trying to make her characters sound like cool teenagers. And it was a little painful.
So yes, Hailey loses weight and gets a new wardrobe and decides to be confident and is immediately taken under the wing of the most popular clique in school, lead by queen bee Skyler. Hailey then realizes these girls are total bitches and doesn't want to hang out with them, so she goes and finds her own friends. But now she's a target for the mean girls. I mean, the haters. She makes some friends and then they decided they will fight back against the haters, using Hailey's sister, Noel's diary as a guidebook.
It was too much of everything. Every possible teenage cliche was thrown in here, and it was just too much. We have Hailey's new best friend Anya who got pregnant last year. We have another girl who shoplifts. We have teen Adderall snorting. We have parent's having an affair. We have dating the boy who use to date the popular girl. We have awkward first blow-job moments. We have friends cheating with another friend's boyfriend. Are we missing anything? And out of all the drama that was happening, the only one that kind of related to the plot was Anya having been pregnant. Emily being a shoplifter? Totally irrelevant. Kura snorting Adderall, ODing and ending up in the hospital? Random. There's a couple mentions of Hailey being worried about her, and then at the very end like two sentences about how Kura OD, was hospitalized but don't worry she's going to be fine. What? What was the point? The blow job scene? Completely gratuitous. And Hailey decides she's going to make it extra special and sucks on Altoids to make it tingly and ends up causing her boyfriend considerable pain. Just weird.
There were too many plot points that went nowhere. Too much popular brand name dropping. Too many characters who just seemed to be there to be "the shoplifting one." "The fat one." "The drug snorting one."
Watch Mean Girls again instead. Lots more fun.
Confessions of a Hater comes out August 27, 2013.
June 3, 2016
I am still not sure how I feel about this one. It dealt with a lot of heavy issues some of them in a great way others not so much. This is first ya book I felt a little old or not connected, I just couldn't relate. Most likely because I don't remember high school being like that, or maybe I was so unconcerned I just didn't see that type of stuff.
February 10, 2015
Confessions of a Hater is another book I picked up without knowing much about other than it being a contemporary. I have to say, while the synopsis sounds like a fun read, I didn't know how much I'll enjoy it or if the main protagonist will be another shallow one I can't stand. However the progression of the plot line as well as the main protagonist actually having a guilty conscious, made this book very enjoyable and resulted in minimal frustration from such a topic.
Hailey Harper has always been in the shadows of her older sister, who is now away at college. Her older sister is the opposite of her, popular, overly pretty, with a great fashion sense. Hailey on the other hand, while not a complete loner, has her small clique of friends but always wished her high school life was more enjoyable and effortless. Little did she know that popularity is reached with a ton of effort and an initiation where you squeeze your heart of any compassion or sympathy for anyone that isn't worth your time (sigh). When Hailey ends up moving with her family, she stumbles upon her sister's journal which is titled "How to Be a Hater" A.K.A popular. That's when Hailey realizes that she has a clean slate with the move and starts following her sister's steps.
I understood Hailey's desire to be popular, to feel like she mattered the same way her sister was. It is kind of sad when all you're known for is your sibling, as if that is a big achievement in itself. Even though Hailey became part of the popular group, I loved that she questioned everything they did and that most of it didn't sit well with her. She didn't brush it off and blame their heartless actions on the victims because they asked for it. She ends up switching sides soon in the book and I'm happy for that. I find it painful when protagonists don't have the guts to stand up against the popular students. The plot doesn't end here but we get a ton of laugh out loud scenes when both sides try to prank each other. Something that I really enjoyed reading about.
Crane's writing is like a comedy skit. The dialogue between the characters was always full of humor and sarcasm and I loved all the real friends Hailey ended up making. Also, while this is a lighthearted and funny book, there are actual messages in this book that all high schoolers should know. I also loved the intro of each chapter that starts with a popular song title. Confessions of a Hater is a contemporary book that I would definitely recommend to readers, especially ones in need of a humors one.
Hailey Harper has always been in the shadows of her older sister, who is now away at college. Her older sister is the opposite of her, popular, overly pretty, with a great fashion sense. Hailey on the other hand, while not a complete loner, has her small clique of friends but always wished her high school life was more enjoyable and effortless. Little did she know that popularity is reached with a ton of effort and an initiation where you squeeze your heart of any compassion or sympathy for anyone that isn't worth your time (sigh). When Hailey ends up moving with her family, she stumbles upon her sister's journal which is titled "How to Be a Hater" A.K.A popular. That's when Hailey realizes that she has a clean slate with the move and starts following her sister's steps.
I understood Hailey's desire to be popular, to feel like she mattered the same way her sister was. It is kind of sad when all you're known for is your sibling, as if that is a big achievement in itself. Even though Hailey became part of the popular group, I loved that she questioned everything they did and that most of it didn't sit well with her. She didn't brush it off and blame their heartless actions on the victims because they asked for it. She ends up switching sides soon in the book and I'm happy for that. I find it painful when protagonists don't have the guts to stand up against the popular students. The plot doesn't end here but we get a ton of laugh out loud scenes when both sides try to prank each other. Something that I really enjoyed reading about.
Crane's writing is like a comedy skit. The dialogue between the characters was always full of humor and sarcasm and I loved all the real friends Hailey ended up making. Also, while this is a lighthearted and funny book, there are actual messages in this book that all high schoolers should know. I also loved the intro of each chapter that starts with a popular song title. Confessions of a Hater is a contemporary book that I would definitely recommend to readers, especially ones in need of a humors one.
September 25, 2014
~1/5
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
A review copy was provided by Cuddlebuggery's Little Blogger, Big Ambitions project. Thank you!
Warning: Contains mass rage, and some spoilers.
I really wanted to like this book. I requested it thinking that I would enjoy it, that it sounded good. Then it started sounding like maybe it would be more annoying, angst mean girls, but I tried staying optimistic. I went in hoping that it would be quirky and funny, and that maybe it would surprise me. And I started it, got a couple pages in, and was thinking I was right. And then I read some more pages, and realized that I was wrong.
This book, very quickly, got on the wrong foot with me, and just continued getting worse and worse the more I read. I’m not even sure what I think about the rating I’m maybe giving it, because I don’t usually give books 1 star ratings, and it feels wrong. But this book rather deserves it.
So Hailey, our protagonist, has to move because of her father’s new job. And she’s totally not upset about this, you guys; she understands. I mean, she doesn’t really, and she’d rather get to stay in her home town with her one friend and those girls that bully her, but she understands, okay? And as she’s packing up her stuff, she finds this old journal of her sister's, detailing how to be a hater, which really means how to be one of those bitch bullies that have always picked on Hailey. But that doesn’t matter, because Hailey totally wants to be one of them, duh, because doesn’t everyone?
So Hailey gets to the new town, and she meets her next door neighbor, a boy who goes to her school. She’s warned away from another girl on her street, because she’s a total freak. And then she goes to school and she gets in with the popular girls, and she’s so excited. I mean, the main girl gives her a speech on how she’s supposed to dress, on how she has to get permission before she buys stuff, on all these guidelines, the first time she talks to them, but that doesn’t matter. Because they’re the cool girls, and so they obviously totally rock, right? Of course, everyone wants to be them, duh.
But then Hailey starts hanging out with that freak girl, and finds out that she likes her more, and then stands up to the girls. She’s warned away from doing this, but she does it anyway. And honestly, this is where I got a little hopeful, for like a chapter. Because that didn’t make the rest of the story any better.
Okay so I hate Hailey. She’s selfish and mean and wants all the attention and to be the queen b of the school. She had one friend from her previous school, who doesn’t get enough mention to seem that great, and is bullied by the popular girls. And yet she never seems actually that mad about it. She acts mad, at some points, but the overpowering emotion I felt from her was that she wanted them to like her. And I don’t understand that.
She gets in with the popular girls, it’s obvious that they are horrible people, but she ignores that. And then when Anya, the freak girl, tells her this, she gets all pissed off/shocked. Like it wasn’t obvious from the start? And yet, despite this, everyone still wants to be their best friends?
Is it just me, who doesn’t understand this whole ‘popular girl’ phenomenon? Because I really don’t. I mean, these girls are horrible, okay? To everyone. And everyone knows it. And yet everyone tries being nice to them, stepping on eggshells around them. If no one did that, then they would have no power. I just don’t understand.
But aside from that. Hailey hangs out with the girls for, like, two days or something. And then she goes to sit with Anya at lunch, because she’s decided that she’d rather be with someone she actually likes. And then they make friends with a bunch of other girls.
I didn’t understand this, even a little. Anya is the freak girl, who used to be popular before something happened. And she sits alone at lunch. But then, suddenly, Hailey makes friends with her, and somehow in the time between two chapters, they make friends with like four other girls. We’re never shown this, they’re just introduced in the next chapter, like they’ve been friends all along. When they were never even mentioned before. But whatever, right? And all of these girls are obviously different and unique, of course. I mean, there’s that one Asian girl, you know, who’s smart and doing some kind of drugs because of all the pressure. And then there’s that one shoplifter. And that girl with really low self-esteem who just wants to be popular. And there’s the teen pregnancy one. None of which, of course, are even a little fleshed out. I couldn’t tell you their names, nor whether that first one is actually the same one or two different people.
I did not care about, or remember, or get to know, any of them enough. The druggy girl even had a meltdown or whatever at the end, but it merely gets a mention and an “I feel bad” from Hailey. Not a fuck given.
And then Hailey’s sister shows up, the girl behind the hater journal book they’re following, and she gives them this big sob story of how horrible that journal is, what it resulted in for her. And it’s just so cliché and overused, that I couldn’t form much care for it.
I’ve talked about how I don’t get the mean girl thing, right? Because those girls… there was not a single likeable thing about them. The main girl is given some hint of a back story, a “oh her family life is bad, she has her reasons” but none of that was fully developed, or explained, nor did we actually get to see any of it. And even if it was, that gives her a reason for it, but does not excuse her behavior, because there's no excuse for being a bitch, okay?
And then there was the whole debacle with their parents having an affair, and we get the hint that that’s not going to work out, because I guess the girl’s mother is horrible or something, even though we never even get to meet her, nor know how that turns out.
Now, aside from this big mean girl plot, there were other things in this book. Things that I didn’t like. Like how Hailey gets a boyfriend and, of course, there’s this big overwrought blow job scene, how she’s embarrassed but is doing it because she thinks she has to (because they’ve been together for a couple of months, even though that is absolutely no reason to do that), and then how she messes it up. The whole thing was dumb and humiliating and had absolutely no point to the plot.
The writing in this book I did not like at all. The author, I think, was just trying really super hard to sound like a teenager, and ended up not sounding like a teenager at all. And then she tried to sound thoughtful and quirky, and ended up just not working that out at all. There were a lot of thoughts from Hailey that were supposed to be funny and true and relate-able, but there were too many, they were too long, and they just ended up sounding dumb. Like getting a paragraph PSA about some doctor job that doesn’t have enough people. And a page or something of how she likes milk chocolate, even though dark chocolate is supposedly better for you but she doesn’t care. Not to mention all of the overused, cliched tropes used in this book, some of which I mentioned above: teen pregnancy, sex and blow job issues and embarrassment, divorcing and cheating parents, mean girls, taking down the mean girls, self-image issues, stealing, doing drugs, connecting with older sister, sisterhood with friends, being Invisible, fighting with your best friend, fighting with your boyfriend. Just.. all of it, in ridiculous amounts.
And then there were all of the mildly to majorly offensive comments, mostly regarding slut-shaming type of things, girls with daddy issues, things like that. And those weren’t needed, either. Then there were the tense changes: for most of the book, it’s in present tense. But then sometimes Hailey will look back on what she did in past tense, from a time after all of the mean girl journal debacle is over, I suppose for some foreshadowing, anticipation. That didn’t really work, but mostly it bothered me that she couldn’t decide which tense the book should be in.
Overall, this book just pulled off pissing me off. I was angry and ready to be done with it by half-way, and thankful it was finally over when I finished it. This book is crap, okay? I hated all of it. I’m trying to think of a single thing I liked. Maybe I liked Hailey’s boyfriend, even though Hailey was not particularly good to him? I think I might have liked Anya, a little, for a while? I don’t think there was enough development, though, for me to say any of those things confidently enough.
And honestly, I’m rather glad to be done with this book, and be able to not think about it anymore.
Sidenote: Also, I think I'm kind of done with the whole mean girl idea, as well. I used to like it, and I still think it can be done well and exists in real life, but overall I'm just done with it. It's overused and rather dumb, in my opinion, especially when exaggerated.
[Read more at my blog, Geeky Reading!]
A review copy was provided by Cuddlebuggery's Little Blogger, Big Ambitions project. Thank you!
Warning: Contains mass rage, and some spoilers.
I really wanted to like this book. I requested it thinking that I would enjoy it, that it sounded good. Then it started sounding like maybe it would be more annoying, angst mean girls, but I tried staying optimistic. I went in hoping that it would be quirky and funny, and that maybe it would surprise me. And I started it, got a couple pages in, and was thinking I was right. And then I read some more pages, and realized that I was wrong.
This book, very quickly, got on the wrong foot with me, and just continued getting worse and worse the more I read. I’m not even sure what I think about the rating I’m maybe giving it, because I don’t usually give books 1 star ratings, and it feels wrong. But this book rather deserves it.
So Hailey, our protagonist, has to move because of her father’s new job. And she’s totally not upset about this, you guys; she understands. I mean, she doesn’t really, and she’d rather get to stay in her home town with her one friend and those girls that bully her, but she understands, okay? And as she’s packing up her stuff, she finds this old journal of her sister's, detailing how to be a hater, which really means how to be one of those bitch bullies that have always picked on Hailey. But that doesn’t matter, because Hailey totally wants to be one of them, duh, because doesn’t everyone?
So Hailey gets to the new town, and she meets her next door neighbor, a boy who goes to her school. She’s warned away from another girl on her street, because she’s a total freak. And then she goes to school and she gets in with the popular girls, and she’s so excited. I mean, the main girl gives her a speech on how she’s supposed to dress, on how she has to get permission before she buys stuff, on all these guidelines, the first time she talks to them, but that doesn’t matter. Because they’re the cool girls, and so they obviously totally rock, right? Of course, everyone wants to be them, duh.
But then Hailey starts hanging out with that freak girl, and finds out that she likes her more, and then stands up to the girls. She’s warned away from doing this, but she does it anyway. And honestly, this is where I got a little hopeful, for like a chapter. Because that didn’t make the rest of the story any better.
Okay so I hate Hailey. She’s selfish and mean and wants all the attention and to be the queen b of the school. She had one friend from her previous school, who doesn’t get enough mention to seem that great, and is bullied by the popular girls. And yet she never seems actually that mad about it. She acts mad, at some points, but the overpowering emotion I felt from her was that she wanted them to like her. And I don’t understand that.
She gets in with the popular girls, it’s obvious that they are horrible people, but she ignores that. And then when Anya, the freak girl, tells her this, she gets all pissed off/shocked. Like it wasn’t obvious from the start? And yet, despite this, everyone still wants to be their best friends?
Is it just me, who doesn’t understand this whole ‘popular girl’ phenomenon? Because I really don’t. I mean, these girls are horrible, okay? To everyone. And everyone knows it. And yet everyone tries being nice to them, stepping on eggshells around them. If no one did that, then they would have no power. I just don’t understand.
But aside from that. Hailey hangs out with the girls for, like, two days or something. And then she goes to sit with Anya at lunch, because she’s decided that she’d rather be with someone she actually likes. And then they make friends with a bunch of other girls.
I didn’t understand this, even a little. Anya is the freak girl, who used to be popular before something happened. And she sits alone at lunch. But then, suddenly, Hailey makes friends with her, and somehow in the time between two chapters, they make friends with like four other girls. We’re never shown this, they’re just introduced in the next chapter, like they’ve been friends all along. When they were never even mentioned before. But whatever, right? And all of these girls are obviously different and unique, of course. I mean, there’s that one Asian girl, you know, who’s smart and doing some kind of drugs because of all the pressure. And then there’s that one shoplifter. And that girl with really low self-esteem who just wants to be popular. And there’s the teen pregnancy one. None of which, of course, are even a little fleshed out. I couldn’t tell you their names, nor whether that first one is actually the same one or two different people.
I did not care about, or remember, or get to know, any of them enough. The druggy girl even had a meltdown or whatever at the end, but it merely gets a mention and an “I feel bad” from Hailey. Not a fuck given.
And then Hailey’s sister shows up, the girl behind the hater journal book they’re following, and she gives them this big sob story of how horrible that journal is, what it resulted in for her. And it’s just so cliché and overused, that I couldn’t form much care for it.
I’ve talked about how I don’t get the mean girl thing, right? Because those girls… there was not a single likeable thing about them. The main girl is given some hint of a back story, a “oh her family life is bad, she has her reasons” but none of that was fully developed, or explained, nor did we actually get to see any of it. And even if it was, that gives her a reason for it, but does not excuse her behavior, because there's no excuse for being a bitch, okay?
And then there was the whole debacle with their parents having an affair, and we get the hint that that’s not going to work out, because I guess the girl’s mother is horrible or something, even though we never even get to meet her, nor know how that turns out.
Now, aside from this big mean girl plot, there were other things in this book. Things that I didn’t like. Like how Hailey gets a boyfriend and, of course, there’s this big overwrought blow job scene, how she’s embarrassed but is doing it because she thinks she has to (because they’ve been together for a couple of months, even though that is absolutely no reason to do that), and then how she messes it up. The whole thing was dumb and humiliating and had absolutely no point to the plot.
The writing in this book I did not like at all. The author, I think, was just trying really super hard to sound like a teenager, and ended up not sounding like a teenager at all. And then she tried to sound thoughtful and quirky, and ended up just not working that out at all. There were a lot of thoughts from Hailey that were supposed to be funny and true and relate-able, but there were too many, they were too long, and they just ended up sounding dumb. Like getting a paragraph PSA about some doctor job that doesn’t have enough people. And a page or something of how she likes milk chocolate, even though dark chocolate is supposedly better for you but she doesn’t care. Not to mention all of the overused, cliched tropes used in this book, some of which I mentioned above: teen pregnancy, sex and blow job issues and embarrassment, divorcing and cheating parents, mean girls, taking down the mean girls, self-image issues, stealing, doing drugs, connecting with older sister, sisterhood with friends, being Invisible, fighting with your best friend, fighting with your boyfriend. Just.. all of it, in ridiculous amounts.
And then there were all of the mildly to majorly offensive comments, mostly regarding slut-shaming type of things, girls with daddy issues, things like that. And those weren’t needed, either. Then there were the tense changes: for most of the book, it’s in present tense. But then sometimes Hailey will look back on what she did in past tense, from a time after all of the mean girl journal debacle is over, I suppose for some foreshadowing, anticipation. That didn’t really work, but mostly it bothered me that she couldn’t decide which tense the book should be in.
Overall, this book just pulled off pissing me off. I was angry and ready to be done with it by half-way, and thankful it was finally over when I finished it. This book is crap, okay? I hated all of it. I’m trying to think of a single thing I liked. Maybe I liked Hailey’s boyfriend, even though Hailey was not particularly good to him? I think I might have liked Anya, a little, for a while? I don’t think there was enough development, though, for me to say any of those things confidently enough.
And honestly, I’m rather glad to be done with this book, and be able to not think about it anymore.
Sidenote: Also, I think I'm kind of done with the whole mean girl idea, as well. I used to like it, and I still think it can be done well and exists in real life, but overall I'm just done with it. It's overused and rather dumb, in my opinion, especially when exaggerated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2022
Hailey is an unpopular girl trying to survive high school when her parents decide to move to California. As she prepares for her fresh start she finds her older sister's diary about how to be a hater. This reads as sort of a manual of how to be popular and it works. She becomes friends with the popular crowd but realizes that they are pretty awful. She ditches them and finds a new crowd which they call the Invisibles.
This could work except the Invisible girls are such cliches as are the popular girls. Only about 2 characters have any depth at all.
This could work except the Invisible girls are such cliches as are the popular girls. Only about 2 characters have any depth at all.
November 16, 2016
"They say nothing brings two people together like a common enemy, but they never tell you what brings two common enemies together."
Hailey is a nerd, a nobody, a loser and she wants things to change. Her father receives a job of a lifetime and decides to move his family to Hollywood.(eye roll, snort, sigh)
Going through her sisters things that she no longer wants, she takes her clothes and finds a journal. Sweet baby jesus!! It's a how to be a hater journal. Just what she needs to be a typical asshole who picked on her.
Wearing her sisters "cool" clothes, picked up a few tips from the journal, off she is to make her statement.
Befriending the cool kids on her very first day. It only takes her a short time to screw everything up. Pfft! What a nerd!!
Those bullies are ruthless and become her worst nightmare. With this special journal, she has a few schemes up her sleeve for her and her outcast friends to get those pesky teens back.
Now, let me save you a few boring hours and sum this up nice and tight for you. If you look at the illustrations in the front and back cover you will figure out the entire story. Minus a few makeout sessions and the racism.
How none of these girls got arrested is beyond me. I don't care how good you think your art is, you are still going to jail for being an idiot.
Just save your time and pick up something not written by a rich valley girl.
Like, you know, whatever!
Hailey is a nerd, a nobody, a loser and she wants things to change. Her father receives a job of a lifetime and decides to move his family to Hollywood.(eye roll, snort, sigh)
Going through her sisters things that she no longer wants, she takes her clothes and finds a journal. Sweet baby jesus!! It's a how to be a hater journal. Just what she needs to be a typical asshole who picked on her.
Wearing her sisters "cool" clothes, picked up a few tips from the journal, off she is to make her statement.
Befriending the cool kids on her very first day. It only takes her a short time to screw everything up. Pfft! What a nerd!!
Those bullies are ruthless and become her worst nightmare. With this special journal, she has a few schemes up her sleeve for her and her outcast friends to get those pesky teens back.
Now, let me save you a few boring hours and sum this up nice and tight for you. If you look at the illustrations in the front and back cover you will figure out the entire story. Minus a few makeout sessions and the racism.
How none of these girls got arrested is beyond me. I don't care how good you think your art is, you are still going to jail for being an idiot.
Just save your time and pick up something not written by a rich valley girl.
Like, you know, whatever!
June 25, 2015
OMG, so funny!
Seriously, I was laughing out loud at times. Of course, there was some serious moments too, and even a couple of sad ones. All-in-all, it made for one great story!
We can all relate to high school and wanting to fit in somewhere. This story is a cute look at that part of life and all of its' clichés, but with a twist. The author, Caprice Crane, is so talented. The story flows with fast with the ease of her writing. She teaches a valuable bully lesson in the story too. It had a ton of impact on me. I just know it would have the same effect on other readers. It's so powerful.
As you can plainly tell, I LOVED this book. I know most of you, if not all, will too. Get it today!
Seriously, I was laughing out loud at times. Of course, there was some serious moments too, and even a couple of sad ones. All-in-all, it made for one great story!
We can all relate to high school and wanting to fit in somewhere. This story is a cute look at that part of life and all of its' clichés, but with a twist. The author, Caprice Crane, is so talented. The story flows with fast with the ease of her writing. She teaches a valuable bully lesson in the story too. It had a ton of impact on me. I just know it would have the same effect on other readers. It's so powerful.
As you can plainly tell, I LOVED this book. I know most of you, if not all, will too. Get it today!
October 21, 2018
This book had nothing to do with being a hater at all (or at least not in the conventional sense). It was also filled with jokes and pop culture references which have not aged gracefully since 2013.
There were some enjoyable moments, but these were largely overshadowed by the stereotype-rife characterizations and 2D narrative. Also, some scenes were just extraneous and plain weird (The aderall-sniffing Asian kid? The frozen bananas/altoids ? The parents who suddenly did a 360 degree turn from normal to dysfunctional in the final act of the book?
1.5 stars.
There were some enjoyable moments, but these were largely overshadowed by the stereotype-rife characterizations and 2D narrative. Also, some scenes were just extraneous and plain weird (The aderall-sniffing Asian kid? The frozen bananas/altoids ? The parents who suddenly did a 360 degree turn from normal to dysfunctional in the final act of the book?
1.5 stars.
October 24, 2020
I loved this story, it was so good and it sure was a page turner. It explains everything that has been happening in school all these years , and it is still contenuing to this present time. i was able to relate to so many people in this book. If you have not read this yet, i would suggest you pick this book up!
June 18, 2013
From zero to hero?; 3.5 stars
When I saw on NetGalley that Caprice Crane had written a YA novel, I decided to request an advance copy for review. I’d read and enjoyed some of Crane’s adult novels, so I was prepared to like this book, too. And I did, although there were a few things about it that didn’t quite work for me.
Confessions of a Hater is the story of Hailey Harper, who feels like an invisible loser at her high school. She gets a chance to reinvent herself, though, when she finds her popular sister’s journal as she packs for a move to California. At her new school, she successfully follows her sister’s guidelines for “How to Be a Hater.” She joins, and then abandons, a clique of popular girls, which leads to an escalating prank war between the clique and Hailey’s new group of friends, the Invisibles. Along the way, Hailey becomes more popular at school and finds a great boyfriend. However, her desire to get back at her archenemy, Skyler, and the other popular girls ultimately jeopardizes all the gains she’s made.
I was one of the “invisibles” myself in high school, so I was predisposed to be sympathetic to Hailey and her quest to make herself over into a new person. As a narrator, Hailey is often very funny, and some of her observations of high school life were very true to life. However, as Hailey’s prank war with the mean girls’ clique went on, I became less tolerant of her choices. I found it a little difficult to believe that someone who had been picked on herself wouldn’t realize when her actions escalated to the point of pure meanness. And Hailey doesn’t have to pay any real consequences for what she does, either. She never gets caught and disciplined for any of her mean girl pranks. When she vandalizes the school in a massive and very public way, she basically gets a slap on the wrist, when in real life she would have been arrested. That part of the book left me unsatisfied, since it was just too unbelievable.
I had a few other minor quibbles with the novel. The ending is very abrupt—Hailey and Skyler call their conflict quits, and then the book immediately ends. It made me wonder if there would be a sequel, since Hailey has two more years of high school to go. Also, Hailey is the queen of verbal asides. Sometimes they’re funny or relevant to the action or Hailey’s character, but other times they seem pretty random and didn’t add much to the book. (Did we really need a paragraph-long PSA on the need for more cardiothoracic surgeons?) There were moments when I just wanted Crane to get on with the story.
These issues aside, I did enjoy Confessions of a Hater. It was mostly a fun read that kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen to Hailey. I just wish it had been a little more realistic in terms of the likely outcomes of some of her actions.
When I saw on NetGalley that Caprice Crane had written a YA novel, I decided to request an advance copy for review. I’d read and enjoyed some of Crane’s adult novels, so I was prepared to like this book, too. And I did, although there were a few things about it that didn’t quite work for me.
Confessions of a Hater is the story of Hailey Harper, who feels like an invisible loser at her high school. She gets a chance to reinvent herself, though, when she finds her popular sister’s journal as she packs for a move to California. At her new school, she successfully follows her sister’s guidelines for “How to Be a Hater.” She joins, and then abandons, a clique of popular girls, which leads to an escalating prank war between the clique and Hailey’s new group of friends, the Invisibles. Along the way, Hailey becomes more popular at school and finds a great boyfriend. However, her desire to get back at her archenemy, Skyler, and the other popular girls ultimately jeopardizes all the gains she’s made.
I was one of the “invisibles” myself in high school, so I was predisposed to be sympathetic to Hailey and her quest to make herself over into a new person. As a narrator, Hailey is often very funny, and some of her observations of high school life were very true to life. However, as Hailey’s prank war with the mean girls’ clique went on, I became less tolerant of her choices. I found it a little difficult to believe that someone who had been picked on herself wouldn’t realize when her actions escalated to the point of pure meanness. And Hailey doesn’t have to pay any real consequences for what she does, either. She never gets caught and disciplined for any of her mean girl pranks. When she vandalizes the school in a massive and very public way, she basically gets a slap on the wrist, when in real life she would have been arrested. That part of the book left me unsatisfied, since it was just too unbelievable.
I had a few other minor quibbles with the novel. The ending is very abrupt—Hailey and Skyler call their conflict quits, and then the book immediately ends. It made me wonder if there would be a sequel, since Hailey has two more years of high school to go. Also, Hailey is the queen of verbal asides. Sometimes they’re funny or relevant to the action or Hailey’s character, but other times they seem pretty random and didn’t add much to the book. (Did we really need a paragraph-long PSA on the need for more cardiothoracic surgeons?) There were moments when I just wanted Crane to get on with the story.
These issues aside, I did enjoy Confessions of a Hater. It was mostly a fun read that kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen to Hailey. I just wish it had been a little more realistic in terms of the likely outcomes of some of her actions.
June 8, 2013
First, I got to read this book through NetGalley.com, a site that offers early digital access to educators, reviewers, and media, so a big thanks to Netgalley. I get to devour countless books this way. Lucky me~
High-school sophomore and self-proclaimed loser Hailey gets a chance at a new start when her family moves across the country and she discovers her older (popular) sister's abandoned diary while packing up. Hailey uses the diary's sage/harsh advice to transform herself - her eating habits, her style, her instincts - in hopes of removing the bullies' target from her back.
Wouldn't you know, the first group she meets is THE popular group, reigned over by Skyler Brandt, head Mean Girl. She has the choice the be accepted by the stereotypical group that shunned her in the past, or to create her own, new-and-improved popular group, made up of other formerly invisible types. What will she do? Will she find popularity at the cost of authenticity? Will she become that which she has detested, or will she break the mold?
I had trouble putting this book down, mostly because I appreciate Hailey's voice. Caprice Crane writes the natural awkward humor of a high-school girl. During my first 100 pages, I recommended this book to several of my former students - girls that are headed to high school next year. I kept hearing their voices in my head as I read. I really liked Hailey... for the first half of the story. The second half? I don't know - lots of tough-to-buy plot twists and reactions. Often I was willing to suspend belief because I liked the character and I was already invested. I WAS invested. There's just a weird aftertaste now. I feel a little duped. I enjoyed the story, but I was hoping for something as satisfying at the end as it was at the beginning.
And here's the biggest issue for me. My real problem with many young adult fiction stories is that they perpetuate these 2-dimensional stereotypes. The Queen Mean Girl, The Vacuous Minions, the Performance Artist, The Bullied Fat Girl, The Tech Nerd... Come on. Hailey even pokes fun at movies and TV shows that have these types of characters in them, which is really ironic, since this story is chock full of them. Ugh.
Check out this book for a few different reasons. Check it out because the voice is well-written. Check it out because there are truly touching moments that make up for hard-to-believe stuff. Check it out to decide for yourself if the book is part of the problem, perpetuating these stock figures, or part of the solution of softening the lines.
High-school sophomore and self-proclaimed loser Hailey gets a chance at a new start when her family moves across the country and she discovers her older (popular) sister's abandoned diary while packing up. Hailey uses the diary's sage/harsh advice to transform herself - her eating habits, her style, her instincts - in hopes of removing the bullies' target from her back.
Wouldn't you know, the first group she meets is THE popular group, reigned over by Skyler Brandt, head Mean Girl. She has the choice the be accepted by the stereotypical group that shunned her in the past, or to create her own, new-and-improved popular group, made up of other formerly invisible types. What will she do? Will she find popularity at the cost of authenticity? Will she become that which she has detested, or will she break the mold?
I had trouble putting this book down, mostly because I appreciate Hailey's voice. Caprice Crane writes the natural awkward humor of a high-school girl. During my first 100 pages, I recommended this book to several of my former students - girls that are headed to high school next year. I kept hearing their voices in my head as I read. I really liked Hailey... for the first half of the story. The second half? I don't know - lots of tough-to-buy plot twists and reactions. Often I was willing to suspend belief because I liked the character and I was already invested. I WAS invested. There's just a weird aftertaste now. I feel a little duped. I enjoyed the story, but I was hoping for something as satisfying at the end as it was at the beginning.
And here's the biggest issue for me. My real problem with many young adult fiction stories is that they perpetuate these 2-dimensional stereotypes. The Queen Mean Girl, The Vacuous Minions, the Performance Artist, The Bullied Fat Girl, The Tech Nerd... Come on. Hailey even pokes fun at movies and TV shows that have these types of characters in them, which is really ironic, since this story is chock full of them. Ugh.
Check out this book for a few different reasons. Check it out because the voice is well-written. Check it out because there are truly touching moments that make up for hard-to-believe stuff. Check it out to decide for yourself if the book is part of the problem, perpetuating these stock figures, or part of the solution of softening the lines.
September 6, 2013
I gotta say, I was all over the place with my feelings regarding this book. Hopefully I can explain it all fairly well.
I like Hailey, most of the time. I think when she's being herself she's okay. At times she was even great, especially when she first made her new friends, but through much of the book she's trying too hard to be something she's not. However, this is where room for growth is allowed, and Hailey did grow. I can't say I loved her, even at the end, but I liked her fairly well. She had a pretty strong voice, and she had some good funny snark, and I enjoyed that.
This is another mean girl story, but I like books like this, about bullying and stuff. Unfortunately this one didn't quite wow me. I felt like I was constantly waiting for that big moment of OOPS and when it came I wasn't real impressed. It wasn't bad, but I felt like a few too many things came together at the same time. And while it wasn't all completely predictable, there were some twists thrown in, for the most part by the end everything I had predicted happened.
I honestly don't feel like I really have a lot to say about the book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. I didn't really 'feel' the romance, but I liked it well enough. I liked her friends, but I felt like some of them could have been fleshed out a bit more because I had a hard time even keeping them straight. And there was an issue with two of her friends that I don't recall ever being resolved (although there were so many things going on, I might have missed that bit). I also felt a bit uncomfortable with the very descriptive sex act in the book. I can handle some sex talk, or even knowing when two people do it, as long as it's not described. I think I've even read some YA books that had some fairly descriptive stuff, but this just made me a bit uncomfortable with how detailed it was {note: this was not full on sex, just a sex act}. There was also quite a lot of bad words, this didn't bother me so much, but just a heads up. I would definitely only recommend this one to mature readers, but even then I would be hesitant about who I would recommend it to.
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
I like Hailey, most of the time. I think when she's being herself she's okay. At times she was even great, especially when she first made her new friends, but through much of the book she's trying too hard to be something she's not. However, this is where room for growth is allowed, and Hailey did grow. I can't say I loved her, even at the end, but I liked her fairly well. She had a pretty strong voice, and she had some good funny snark, and I enjoyed that.
This is another mean girl story, but I like books like this, about bullying and stuff. Unfortunately this one didn't quite wow me. I felt like I was constantly waiting for that big moment of OOPS and when it came I wasn't real impressed. It wasn't bad, but I felt like a few too many things came together at the same time. And while it wasn't all completely predictable, there were some twists thrown in, for the most part by the end everything I had predicted happened.
I honestly don't feel like I really have a lot to say about the book. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. I didn't really 'feel' the romance, but I liked it well enough. I liked her friends, but I felt like some of them could have been fleshed out a bit more because I had a hard time even keeping them straight. And there was an issue with two of her friends that I don't recall ever being resolved (although there were so many things going on, I might have missed that bit). I also felt a bit uncomfortable with the very descriptive sex act in the book. I can handle some sex talk, or even knowing when two people do it, as long as it's not described. I think I've even read some YA books that had some fairly descriptive stuff, but this just made me a bit uncomfortable with how detailed it was {note: this was not full on sex, just a sex act}. There was also quite a lot of bad words, this didn't bother me so much, but just a heads up. I would definitely only recommend this one to mature readers, but even then I would be hesitant about who I would recommend it to.
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
August 11, 2016
While packing in preparation for a cross-country move, Hailey Harper finds a journal that belonged to her older and more popular sister, Noel. The journal, titled “How to Be a Hater,” is filled with all kinds of information and advice about how to be popular, and Hailey decides that now is a good time to reinvent herself. Armed with the journal and Noel’s cast-off (but still more fashionable than Hailey’s) clothes, Hailey becomes one of the in-crowd at her new school within a matter of hours. Ironically, Hailey doesn’t actually like being popular if it means that she has to be cruel like the queen bee, so she ditches her new friends after a few days and makes friends with other outcasts who call themselves “The Invisibles.” The Invisibles decide to use Noel’s journal to become more confident, but soon they are using the journal to turn the tables on the in-crowd, making everyone wonder who the cruel ones really are.
At first, I loved this book. I loved Hailey’s snarky, clever voice and her awkward but lovable personality. When she started becoming a Hater, however, I grew to like Hailey less and less. The plot, the characters, and the theme are filled with clichés and very predictable. I would have still liked the book a lot, though, if a couple of random oral sex scenes weren’t thrown into the mix. That’s when the book took a nosedive for me. Ultimately, I was disappointed that a story with such great potential ended up being worse than your average 1980s after-school special.
Recommended with reservations for gr. 9-12.
At first, I loved this book. I loved Hailey’s snarky, clever voice and her awkward but lovable personality. When she started becoming a Hater, however, I grew to like Hailey less and less. The plot, the characters, and the theme are filled with clichés and very predictable. I would have still liked the book a lot, though, if a couple of random oral sex scenes weren’t thrown into the mix. That’s when the book took a nosedive for me. Ultimately, I was disappointed that a story with such great potential ended up being worse than your average 1980s after-school special.
Recommended with reservations for gr. 9-12.
July 6, 2013
Hailey was never the popular girl in school (far from it), but as her family moves to Hollywood she finds her sister's journal with tips on How to be a Hater. Using her sister's journal, and old wardrobe, she decides to reinvent herself for Hollywood and become one of the popular. That lasts all of five minutes when she gets an up close taste of how awful these popular girls are. That's when Hailey and several other outcasts, who call themselves The Invisibles decide to use the journal as a confidence guide, which evolves into giving the popular crowd a taste of their own medicine. However, in trying to enact revenge on the popular crowd has Hailey's crowd become them?
Confessions of a Hater was a quick, but interesting read. Very Mean Girls, but I thought it felt a little more grounded. While I get why it was wrapped up like it was (although a few things were left open) I thought all of the girls could have faced a few more consequences. All of them committed big and public acts and virtually nothing ever really came of it. While there is something to be said for doing things even though you will get in trouble, in life you generally still get in trouble (at least some). I'm not saying they all should have ended up in juvie, but lots of detention just didn't seem enough. All in all though I enjoyed the read.
Confessions of a Hater was a quick, but interesting read. Very Mean Girls, but I thought it felt a little more grounded. While I get why it was wrapped up like it was (although a few things were left open) I thought all of the girls could have faced a few more consequences. All of them committed big and public acts and virtually nothing ever really came of it. While there is something to be said for doing things even though you will get in trouble, in life you generally still get in trouble (at least some). I'm not saying they all should have ended up in juvie, but lots of detention just didn't seem enough. All in all though I enjoyed the read.
August 22, 2013
Confessions of a Hater had some funny and entertaining moments for sure, but it was almost TOO much. I realize it's fiction so it doesn't have to be realistic, but there were so many opportunities for the author to take the story in a better direction and she just... didn't. It got a little ridiculous - the BitchBook prank wasn't even good, and the author spends so much time trying to explain it that my eyes just started to glaze over. After all the trouble that Hailey causes I doubt she would do such an extreme apology, let alone not get in serious trouble for it (left vague to avoid spoiling it). I'm only 31 years old and I feel like I'm a young 31 - I read a lot of YA and enjoy it - but maybe I was just too old to read this book.
I enjoyed Hailey's initial transformation and I thought some parts of the book were pretty cool. Their karaoke party sounded like a blast. I could see young, misguided people trying to use this book the way Hailey used Noel's journal despite the negative aspects and that's a little scary. I know kids are growing up fast these days, but does the "F" word and a detailed description of a blowjob really need to be in a book for 13 year olds? Now I'm really sounding old. I'm sure many kids will like this book but it was really over the top for me.
Thank you to MacMillan for the advanced readers' copy!
I enjoyed Hailey's initial transformation and I thought some parts of the book were pretty cool. Their karaoke party sounded like a blast. I could see young, misguided people trying to use this book the way Hailey used Noel's journal despite the negative aspects and that's a little scary. I know kids are growing up fast these days, but does the "F" word and a detailed description of a blowjob really need to be in a book for 13 year olds? Now I'm really sounding old. I'm sure many kids will like this book but it was really over the top for me.
Thank you to MacMillan for the advanced readers' copy!
July 28, 2015
This book was so good!! I saw this on BookOutlet and was immediately attracted to the over, because it looks like a comic book, and I thought that was really neat. Then I read the title, and I was hooked! I'm a very cynical and sarcastic person, so I definitely felt like this book was speaking to me. So I bought and read it almost as soon as it came in the mail! And I loved it!!
If you liked the movie Mean Girls, you will enjoy this book. It sounds kind of typical, a girl takes down the popular girls, yada, yada, yada. It is rather predictable, but still so adorable and cute and enjoyable! It is a quick read, so it's definitely worth the investment of time.
The characters are all very lovable and pretty much all relatable. We've all been to highschool, even if some of us didn't go to public school, we've had to deal with the mean popular kids. This is a character-driven story, rather than plot-driven, and it works nicely.
The writing style is very easy to read, and it makes the book go by quickly. It's easy to understand what is going on and who is speaking.
This book is one I would definitely recommend to people. It would also make a great movie! It's just an all-around good story, light-hearted, funny, serious at times, just so great!!
If you liked the movie Mean Girls, you will enjoy this book. It sounds kind of typical, a girl takes down the popular girls, yada, yada, yada. It is rather predictable, but still so adorable and cute and enjoyable! It is a quick read, so it's definitely worth the investment of time.
The characters are all very lovable and pretty much all relatable. We've all been to highschool, even if some of us didn't go to public school, we've had to deal with the mean popular kids. This is a character-driven story, rather than plot-driven, and it works nicely.
The writing style is very easy to read, and it makes the book go by quickly. It's easy to understand what is going on and who is speaking.
This book is one I would definitely recommend to people. It would also make a great movie! It's just an all-around good story, light-hearted, funny, serious at times, just so great!!
August 21, 2013
There are no words for how I feel about this book. There are some valuable lessons inside, but you'll be too busy laughing to notice them at first.
I absolutely loved Hailey. If she were real and my age, we would be best friends. She's so smart and funny, she's definitely a worthy successor to the Veronicas (Sawyer and Mars). I love that she manages to become popular but then realize that she was better off before. (That's not a spoiler; it happens early on.) And I love that she forms her own clique of unpopular girls (the "Invisibles" mentioned above in the synopsis).
Yes, it's a little snark-happy, but it's high school. We all need that.
This book was an absolute delight and I'm a little sad that it's not doing very well on Goodreads (solid three stars). I see that Caprice Crane has written something like four other novels (this is her YA debut) and I hope to read them sometime soon.
Highly recommended.
I absolutely loved Hailey. If she were real and my age, we would be best friends. She's so smart and funny, she's definitely a worthy successor to the Veronicas (Sawyer and Mars). I love that she manages to become popular but then realize that she was better off before. (That's not a spoiler; it happens early on.) And I love that she forms her own clique of unpopular girls (the "Invisibles" mentioned above in the synopsis).
Yes, it's a little snark-happy, but it's high school. We all need that.
This book was an absolute delight and I'm a little sad that it's not doing very well on Goodreads (solid three stars). I see that Caprice Crane has written something like four other novels (this is her YA debut) and I hope to read them sometime soon.
Highly recommended.
October 7, 2013
I honestly have no clue why I read this book as it was not gear for my demographic. I guess the power of an awesome cover tends to prevail. The story itself tended to be believable at the beginning with the classic tale of an outsider trying to reinvent themselves in a new surrounding. I could follow along pretty well. I was a little taken back during the second half of the book when the F-bombs began to fly freely and the story took a left turn into outlandish territory. I was also taken aback by the detailed explanation of fellatio. The target audience for this book is presumably 13-15-year-old girls. So, having those items in this book for readers of that age seemed to be very inappropriate. Comparing it to a movie rating, it would have been rated R. Granted I am no prude and I am aware that cussing and sex happen at this age, reading it, knowing the target audience, made me squirm a bit. I knock my rating down one point just because of these factors.
June 18, 2014
I was sucked into this otherwise-rather-vapid story by Crane's consistent teenage voice. Unfortunately, it became way too try-hard, but it was bearable throughout the novel. That isn't to say I didn't skim a whole lot; most of her tangents were insufferable. I had to sigh every time she went to those parenthetical add-ons. Still, the teenage idioms were forgivable when one remembers she is trying to portray a teenaged girl with all her mood swings and off-track thoughts.
The plot was extremely trite and predictable and just about as realistic as any chick lit book (that is to say, not at all.)
It's, like, over 300 pages, and by the end of it, I wasn't as enthralled with the protagonist Hailey and I was starting to hate her friends.
Overall: I was entertained, I guess. I was looking for a light summer read, and this delivered adequately.
The plot was extremely trite and predictable and just about as realistic as any chick lit book (that is to say, not at all.)
It's, like, over 300 pages, and by the end of it, I wasn't as enthralled with the protagonist Hailey and I was starting to hate her friends.
Overall: I was entertained, I guess. I was looking for a light summer read, and this delivered adequately.
September 17, 2013
I had high hopes for this one being about how to deal with bullying in a funny, positive way. In reality, it teaches you how to deal with haters by hating back. Ugh. Lots of language, a totally unnecessary oral sex scene, and a lot of hating.
February 28, 2015
At best, this is the story of mean girls. At worst, it'll be a constant reminder of why you hated high school.
December 28, 2015
It was okay. Didn't really like it. But it was fun and entertaining. Just not my type of novel. It felt like a retelling of mean girls. Very predictable.
December 31, 2021
these are the confessions of a hater at hater high school (Hollywood hills high school) that follows a girl named hailey Harper who befriends the popular girls
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