SOME KIND OF HATE by Sarah Darer Littman

 

Everything about Declan Taylor revolves around baseball. His skill as a high school pitcher will probably earn him a ticket to college which will be helpful since even with his parents working hard at their jobs, it's difficult to make ends meet. 

Unfortunately, Declan's dreams of baseball and pitching come to an abrupt halt when he badly injures his throwing arm while showing off for a pretty girl. After surgery and painful physical therapy, Declan still isn't ready to give up on returning to the pitcher's mound, but his doctor and his family are expressing doubts that he will return to his former strength. Feeling abandoned by his family and friends and feeling blamed for his family's increased financial trouble, Declan sinks into depression and withdraws. Playing video games for hours on end is his escape. While gaming online, he is invited to join a new group who offer a different kind of friendship.

Needing someone to blame for his bad luck, Declan falls in with a group of extremists spouting conspiracy theories and hate. Their hateful rhetoric gives Declan an excuse for his loneliness and pain. When his father gets laid off by a company the extremists say is part of a globalist plot, Declan goes all in and begins participating in terrorist activities planned by the group.

It isn't until the group's leader sends Declan and some others to attack a gathering at the local synagogue that Declan wakes up to the hatefulness of the organization he has joined. Will his warning be enough to save the people he has long called friends?

Author Sarah Darer Littman uncovers the dangers of white nationalism in this unflinching story about how easily a young man is indoctrinated into an evil group plotting to do damage to innocent people. I found Declan's story to be frighteningly believable. The ease with which he is pulled into Ronan's group and brainwashed into thinking they have the answers to his troubles. His own family, busy with their work and financial difficulties, easily overlooks Declan's real pain and suffering making it simple for Declan to find comfort elsewhere. Littman's novel is important for our time and is a must read for both teens and adults.