Reasons to Hate Me - by Susan Metallo (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Susan Metallo has the best YA voice I've read in years--sharp, hilarious, and heartbreakingly honest. I couldn't put this book down." --Rachael Allen, author of A Taxonomy of Love and Harley Quinn: Redemption

There are countless good reasons to hate seventeen-year-old Jess Lanza, Stone Bridge High's premier autistic theater nerd and Champion of Questionable Life Choices. Unfortunately, the cyberbullies that hounded her all summer are stuck on last year's life-ruining mistake, the one that earned Jess the title "Boyfriend Stealing Slutbag." To relieve the bullies of their stale content, Jess vows to dazzle them with online posts about her own ridiculous fails and embarrassing character traits. But somehow, all of Jess's posts circle back to her friendship with Chloe--the friendship her alleged sluttiness pulverized--and the gaping hole she left in Jess's life. As Jess chases Chloe's forgiveness, she must confront some of her darkest weaknesses--and darker still, the truth of what happened with Chloe's boyfriend, a story neither of them wants to hear. Told through a series of blog posts and short scripts, this cleverly staged and structured debut novel crackles with spot-on dialogue, features a range of fully developed neurodiverse characters, and sharply evokes high school in all its hilarious and agonizing complexity.

Review Quotes

Metallo balances acerbic comedy with insightful prose to present an intimate character study. . . .Characterization is a standout feature of this aching and self-aware novel; through Jess's appealing first-person perspective, Metallo crafts interesting and realistic teens and adults, and offers a unique and nuanced view of an autistic teen experiencing high school.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Sympathetic readers will find many reasons to love this book, including Jess and Cam's genuinely sweet relationship, Jess's borderline-obsessive passion for musical theater, and the diverse cast of drama kids who come to her aid just when she needs it most.
--The Horn Book (starred review)

Metallo's creative debut offers an amusing POV as Jess addresses all of her posts to the trio of popular girls Chloe unceremoniously dumped her for, with plenty of deepcut theater references exhibiting her special interest. An introspective, amusing, thought-driven narrative.
--Booklist

Susan Metallo has the best YA voice I've read in years--sharp, hilarious, and heartbreakingly honest. I couldn't put this book down.
--Rachael Allen, author of A Taxonomy of Love and Harley Quinn: Redemption

About the Author

Susan Metallo is a neurodivergent author and youth services librarian. Reasons to Hate Me, her debut novel, won the SCBWI Work-in-Progress Award for Young Adult Fiction and the Seven Hills Literary Contest and was honored by Book Pipeline and the Searchlight Writing for Children Awards. She serves as regional advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in New Mexico.