Hate by Alan Gibbons

ISBN: 9781780621760

Publisher: Indigo

Pages: 304

In 2007 Sophie Lancaster was murdered just for looking different and simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sophie and her partner Rob were viciously attacked in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, Lancashire because of the way they looked and dressed.

This is a hard-hitting real-life thriller about friendship, courage, loss, forgiveness and about our society and communities.

"Times have changed, but some people are still so full of hate."

Eve's older sister Rosie, was bright, alive and always loved being the centre of attention. Then one day, she was brutally murdered in a violent attack.

Six months later, Eve meets Anthony and discovers that he was there the night Rosie died and did nothing to help. He walks the school halls as a painful reminder of a night Eve longs to forget. Instead she is plagued with questions. How could he turn a blind eye? What was he hiding? And will she ever be able to forgive him?

I received an ARC of Hate by Alan Gibbons for review from Indigo, which was a fascinating but saddening read. Hate is written from two perspectives, Eve's & Anthony's, which differ from one another quite drastically, even as they are both trying to cope with the violent attack on Rosie.

As a reader, we didn't learn much about Rosie except from Eve's memories of her sister. These memories not only developed Rosie's character but also Eve's, both before and after Rosie's death.

I'm not really a fan of the cover, but I think it links well with the byline, "Would you dare to be different?", and that the byline in turn relates back to Hate. Alan Gibbons has written Hate in a realistic yet respectful manner, whilst still raising awareness of important issues within society, which is why I would definitely recommend reading this book!

Available at Amazon.co.uk.