It is hard sometimes to not fall victim to peer pressure. And unfortunately, no matter how much we try to, we just can’t fight it off. I’ve been hearing rave reviews about this book and waited to check it out. In the beginning, I knew that I wasn’t a fan of bullying romances but I still wanted to give it a fair shot. I should have listened to my gut.

Hating You made me uncomfortable, angry, confused and quite frankly offended.

Hating You revolves around Parker and Willow. The two knew each other years prior but after Willow and her older sister accuse Parker’s older brother of a crime, the families become enemies. Now both in college, Parker decides to get his revenge.

While reading, I couldn’t help but be angry with the treatment of Willow and her sister, Ashton. Ashton accused Parker’s brother of raping her, and Willow was the witness court. Parker believes that both sisters are lying and wants his brother to be freed. He’s acting on emotion and has not logically proved that his brother is innocent. Nor did he take a moment to even think that he could be guilty of this hideous crime.

Where is the notion that we should believe women? Not found in this book. In addition to the rape ordeal, there are other instances of violence against women that are alarming. There is not one woman in this book that is safe, and honestly, that’s heartbreaking. Especially, how Ashton's storyline wraps up. Where is her justice?

Parker needed psychological help, and there is not one redeeming quality about him. He’s hypercritical and there are no real consequences for his actions. Absolutely none. Also, I want to take a moment to mention the fact that he thought that Ashton was living this happy, lavish life. That was so far from the truth, and he’s inconsiderate.

Besides the hugely flawed and terrible characterization of Parker, that isn’t the only issue with the romance between Parker and Willow. There’s no buildup. It develops at hyper speed. Also, there are so many unanswered questions regarding their past.

Final Analysis

Hating You is an uncomfortable story that doesn't handle sensitive subjects in an acceptable way.