Recipe for Hate

The X Gang #1

by Warren Kinsella

How a group of Portland, Maine, punks defeated a murderous gang of neo-Nazis.



The X Gang is a group of punks led by the scarred, silent, and mostly unreadable Christopher X. His best friend, Kurt Blank, is a hulking and talented punk guitarist living in the closet. Sisters Patti and Betty Upchuck form the core of the feminist Punk Rock Virgins band, and are the closest to X and Kurt. Assorted hangers-on and young upstarts fill out the X Gang’s orbit: the Hot Nasties, the Social Blemishes, and even the legendary Joe Strummer of the Clash. Together, they’ve all but taken over Gary’s, an old biker bar. Then over one dark weekend, a bloody crime nearly brings it all to an end.



Based on real events, Warren Kinsella tells the story of the X Gang’s punk lives — the community hall gigs, the antiracism rallies, the fanzines and poetry and art, and what happened after the brutal murders of two of their friends.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Music, Historical Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2017

Reviews

[Greyson | Use Your Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The first time I heard “Anarchy in the UK” by the Sex Pistols, I said to X: “This is a world where I can finally breathe.” Like lots of others, I wasn't the same after that.

I’m a sucker for educated rebellion.

Recipe for Hate, set in the late 70's, follows Kurt, X and the rest of the Punk scene in Portland, Maine, when a punk kids start being murdered in the area. Kurt and X both work to determine who the killer is while facing backlash from those around them. This book is an analyzation of the villainizing of youth subcultures.

Being punk means being pissed off. Punks have pushed young people to embrace the transforming power of anger.
My mother was a punk as a teenager, she wasn’t a teen until the early 90's but Australia has always been a bit behind the rest of the world. While other kids doodled illustrations in the margins of their friends books my mother kept it simple writing only PUNK in bold letters. To be fair she had a lot to be angry over, he was rebellious and curious by nature, so it was only natural she's turn to a subculture like Punk. She's worked to have bogus laws changed, she challenges every single boss in every single workplace she's ever had. When I'm angry about injustice, she's who I turned to because I know she'll get angry with me, then I don't feel like I'm just screaming into the void.

PUNK IS WHAT WE MAKE. Punk is about trying to scratch out some meaning in a big old world that seems pretty meaningless, most days. It’s about being angry at being lied to, and cower behind, even if you know you’re the one who is probably going to get hurt. Punk is about raging against all the powers that be, to try and make things better, if only for just an instant. Punk is something that is real, and holding onto it like your life depends on it.
Which, when you get right down to it, it does.
Luckily for me, I inherited my mother's predisposition of questioning all authority, challenging social norms, and the belief that we should hold those in power accountable. After all, youth subcultures are only in existence because kids see through shit far better than adults, they don't stand for corruption. They’re not jaded by adulthood.
So there’s a reason why people are looking to YA literature, why it’s on the front line of social change. It’s no longer a genre restricted for teens that side steps all the tough and real subjects in life in favor for fluffy stories, providing only escape. It’s showing the world for what it is, it’s bring attention to our faulty systems on which the world runs, and dismantling them It's pointing out the ways we as human beings have failed each other, and are continuing to fail those who need the most help while helping those who don't.

“PUNK KIDS LINKED TO SATANIC CULTS.”
What the fuck?
Other media pulled the same sort of crap. None of the reporters and editors appeared to notice, or care, that it was punks that had been the actual victims. It didn’t matter to them.
Recipe for Hate is a stark example of this, it shows just how much hate can poison people, especially when that hate is ingrained in uneducated and unfounded rationalization.
It's a too real example of when shit hits the fan and a marginalized group or one deemed as 'other' is attacked, with people dying or getting hurt, it's often that same group that is blamed. "If they only...", "Well, maybe the should have...", "It's their own fault, if they'd just...".

The X Philosophy of the world decreed that human beings are flawed, so human institutions are flawed, too. “People are stupid, and they come together to do stupid things,” X said, shrugging, when I asked him how a punk like him could still periodically attend Mass, as he did. “The church does stupid things, but so does every other institution, group, government, union, or corporation. They are only as good or as bad as the people who make them up.”
Recipe for Hate also shows how too often when a hate group forms, their way of fixing what they view to be as the problem of our society is to just wipe whole groups of people out. Blood is apparently how to make our world clean but they seem to forget, that shit fucking stains. It is never okay to play God, to choose who does and doesn’t deserve to die. I don’t give a fuck how rooted in religion your faction is, humans don’t have any right in playing God.

At that gig, one Portland cop hustled straight up to X’s younger sister, Bridget, who was the most un-punk-looking kid there, and demanded that she spit out her gum that she was chewing— into his hand. Bridget, shocked, did. We then watched speechless as the cop brought the gum up to his nose and sniffed it repeatedly like a dog. He was looking for the odor of drugs, apparently. “Wow,’ I whispered to X, “good thing these morons don’t carry guns or anything.”
Recipe of Hate feels like a call of arms to fight back, and that's because it is. Recipe of Hate is a megaphone scream for us to "just fucking do something", in a time where basic human rights are at risk, USA has never been less united and the rest of the world is just bracing for the fallout when shit finally well and truly hits the fan. Although this novel is set in the 70's, it's a story that's relevant now, just as much as it would have been back then.

“Well, I say that punk is all about the future. Getting one. Keeping it.”

___
│Blog│Instagram│Twitter│Tumblr│

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books that normally I wouldn't read, but since I'm melodrama mama lately, "think menopausal mess!" I'm trying new things that I usually wouldn't have...I was initially taken in by the description of based on a true story, and all that entails. What I couldn't find was the true story that it was based on. Bummer. I spent hours searching, but to no avail. If anyone does have a link to the true story then I'd really appreciate it if they sent it to me. So, on with my meandering review! I loved X. I've been lucky to come across a rare few like him in my life, and they've added something to me that I hadn't even known was missing. Kurt Blank on the other hand is someone I've crossed paths with more often, and they've added nothing. Kurt seemed to be so caught up in not being a lemming, "his words" that he struck me as someone who really was. Punk Rock was not, is not, nor ever will be the best of everything, as Kurt thinks. I also liked punk. I also liked country, disco, pop, rock and roll, rap, soul, new wave, etc. I think that if you're closed off to all music, then you really aren't expanding your horizons. Kurt was a true and faithful friend, but he was also the lemmings that he railed so hard against. This whole book was good. I find it almost unbelievable though, and had it been written as fiction then it would have received the 5 star treatment. Hell, if there had been something in the afterword relating to what was real and what wasn't, then I'd still have given in 5 stars. It's the not knowing that bugs the crap out of me! As always, my thanks to Dundurn Press, and Netgalley for this free galley copy to read and review.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Warren Kinsella, Dundurn, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
This plot was a bit surreal. I had to keep reminding myself that it was based on true events because the narrator seemed absolutely implausible. Kurt must have never let X go to the bathroom he was so attached to his side. So if I were to take that out of the equation I could believe that some of this occurred. But I think the book would benefit from a more thorough author's note or an historical timeline something to that effect. I guess I'm just really bothered by the narrator. It really comes down to that. He's just always RIGHT THERE. ALWAYS I mean if that were truly the case he would have been a suspect. Again it's surreal

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to stop reading this book about halfway through. The way the book describes the narrator’s best friend, X, and he’s CONSTANTLY talking about him, it’s like he’s some sort of messiah. The rest of the book is pretty decent but, seriously, the descriptions of that X dude remind me of someone making those silly, old Chuck Norris jokes (eg. Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried) but actually being sincere. I hate to dump on a fellow Canadian punk rocker but I just couldn’t take it seriously.

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unusual crime novel is told from the viewpoint of one of the intended victims. Kurt and his friends don’t fit in anywhere. They are the school misfits, useless at sport, generally scrawny and unloved – until Punk Rock happens. Suddenly, they have a home, an identity, a way of expressing their anger at the world. Needless to say, their conversion to Punk is not universally welcomed. They don’t expect anyone to like them – being unloved fits in with their new-found confidence as part of a huge movement of outsiders. However, they also don’t expect to be murdered for their taste in music.
One after the other, punks are targeted – murdered, or ‘just’ beaten within an inch of their lives. The authorities react as though the punks are to blame. Places where the punks would congregate are closed down. School and parents actively dissuade the punks from meeting their friends. The police seem ambivalent about catching the perpetrator(s), even though there is strong evidence pointing towards extreme right-wing racist groups and skinheads.
However, nothing is as clear cut as it seems. One of the main themes of this book is that you should never judge a book by its cover. The punk movement is by nature non-conformist. The music and dress code often feels like a slap in the face of traditional values and can be seen as offensive – but that doesn’t mean that that they are necessarily violent nor that they want to overthrow civilisation – but they do want to be heard.
Another group that seldom gets good press is the bikers. In this book, the individual bikers give much needed assistance to the punks, although their respective groups normally have little in common. A number of other groups in this book have particularly repellent ideologies. But, that does not necessarily mean that they are guilty of murder.
Justice is also a major theme. Should someone be imprisoned for holding abhorrent views, that may have (or may in the future) lead to criminal acts? Is killing another person ever justified, and should the police always investigate unexplained deaths?
A third theme is the destructive power of hate. Ideologies that advocate a “Recipe for Hate” against groups of people, can only lead to evil outcomes, that harm everyone.
I really liked the main punk characters in this book. They are very big on tolerance and acceptance, and operate on a gender, race and sexuality neutral basis – all are welcome in the punk fold. They come across as intelligent young people, well organised and competent, who care greatly about the world around them – even if the world does not care for them. Their world view contrasted greatly with that of the extreme right. I also enjoyed the sections on punk music’s heroes and had the music playing as a backdrop when reading the book.
There is not a lot of character development in the book – there isn’t really the time span for it, as the action takes place too quickly. But the named characters are fully realised and believable. The book is fast-paced, with some unexpected twists, and very readable – whether you are a punk fan or not.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Kasey Giard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of can’t resist books featuring punk kids or the late 70s era punk scene, and this book is both. It’s raw and gritty and soaked in the passion for personal freedom, disdain for authority, and commitment to indie music which the punk scene is so known for. Reading it felt, to me, much like watching the movie SLC Punk.

While I loved the setting and all the punk culture, the style of the writing was hard to follow at times. The narrator, Kurt, would digress from the present into memories and backstory—all of which were interesting and added some flavor to the story, but made it a little confusing to keep the timeline straight.

Scenes jumped around from one perspective to another, revealing details the narrator, Kurt, wasn’t present to witness. Sometimes he would explain he’d learned the details later. Especially toward the end of the book, as things begin to happen quickly, I found the narrative choppier. Sometimes the story would shift to a different scene or time within the same paragraph. I think it would have helped to have a hard break before each shift to make it easier to follow what’s happening visually.

In terms of plot, Recipe for Hate had some really surprising moments which I didn’t see coming. (I won’t give anything away.) More than once the story took a turn I didn’t expect—in a good way. The plot made sense but wasn’t predictable.

The story contains a lot of profanity and some graphic descriptions of violence, so that may be a barrier to sensitive readers. See the content section for more specifics. If you like murder mystery with a sort of stream-of-consciousness style narration, you will want to check out Recipe for Hate.

[Siobhán · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this author while watching a documentary about Skinheads in Canada and he interested me. The only reason I’m not giving the fifth star is due to the subject matter being a bit difficult to read about at times, maybe not a fair way to rate a book, but hey, you’ve been warned, there’s some gross stuff to read here, the ugly side of humanity.

I intend to read more by this author.

[Laurel Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if you don't like punk music, or understand the culture, this might be a nice primer. At least as far as punks in the US, and Maine specifically go. Those who have been outraged by the racism we are seeing on the news everyday will find some interesting parallels.

[Grace Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was actually 3.5. I was always intrigued by the storyline and liked how it unfolded. When I first picked up the book I thought that I was gonna be very uninterested but as I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. The only problems that I had with the book was 1) I found that near the end it was kinda predictable, but it was kinda supposed to be that way and I didn't really have a problem with it and 2) I didn't like that Kurt was always telling us how he got the information for the book, like saying that Patti (or maybe it was Betty) tells him everything. I don't know it was just a little annoying and felt over explained at times, but that says nothing about the writing style of Warren Kinsella's because I thought the book as a whole was really well written. Oh, also this book was kinda graphic at times, which was kinda shocking and disturbing, but umm yeah just maybe look out for that.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an intriguing read. I really have no background knowledge of punk or the punk scene, so learning about it was interesting. I enjoyed the mystery of the murders and was shocked by the ending. The writing was easy to follow and the characters were believable. I have a number of student who I think will enjoy reading this book.

[Enid Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting trip down memory lane for readers of a certain ‘vintage’… the soundtrack of your parent’s youth! The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Patti Smith, Modern Love, Iggy Pop, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Devo… and, of course, The Clash.

Mind though your expectations as you prepare to read this novel. While it is literary fiction, it reads very much like (literary) non-fiction. A little background research on the author is worth embarking on prior to beginning your read.

The book is told, mostly, from Kurt’s PoV sometime in the future. But, it is not always Kurt’s PoV. This makes for a different reading experience, one which, admittedly, takes a little getting used to as the changes in voice are sometimes not as well delineated as they could be.

Notwithstanding that minor criticism, there is some really good - and oh so timely!! - stuff here. The trip back in time to understand the roots of punk - as a protest movement and as creating artistic possibilities, not just in music, but also in art and photography, and whatever else - will have you firmly in its grip. Certainly there are lots of parallels to be drawn to our current political moment. There’s also some humour - especially that to support environmental causes was to be considered to be ‘counter cultural’. Imagine that!... Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!

While the book is set in the US, the movement, the time, the events in the novel were happening around the world, including here in Canada. In fact, the events in the novel are very much a mash up of a number of individual events that happened in various places across Canada (including the Clash concert they go to in the book which would have been the one that happened on Feb 16th, 1979… and which saw The Clash come to Toronto on the same tour at the O’Keefe Centre that same September, the 26th).

[Dania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this was an action packed book!!! The badass qualities of X and his gang, Kurt's effortless narration of the story, X's talent of thinking smart and being a few steps ahead, the punk movement.... Awesome story, brilliant characters.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not think I would like this as much as I did! A bit gruesome in some descriptions. But felt like I learned a lot!

[Rachel Seigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the series is being re-branded as adult, but I really enjoyed this and think it definitely should be read by older high school students. The events in this book mirror a lot of what's happening now, and it's a really engaging and fast read. I've downloaded an ARC of the 2nd book and look forward to reading it.

[Tristan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book from start to finish. The interesting name and cover art caught my attention at first, and I’m glad I was able to read it because it was very interesting. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in suspenseful stories.

[Lucija · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great book for teenagers, but I expected something less childish...

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Essentially Kinsella who's more of a decent political strategist
goes on to write an childishly brain-damaged punk rock murder mystery book.

partially based on Kinsella's days when he was a dumb punk rocker because the Ventures were uncool for him.

........

Honestly, buy a bluray of Double Indeminity and a CD of the Rezillos from Scotland
or something if you want less mindnumbingly boring and dumb

Kinsella is basically reliving the commie punk rockers vs the nazi punk rockers that live in his head, 40 years later

.........

Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine full of punk rockers fight the skinheads and Pat Buchanan

and they do a concert for World Peace when Hillary Clinton defeats the evil Bernie Sanders and the even more evil Donald Trump, in this exciting 28 book series!!

In book 28 all the punk rockers die of Heroin Overdose and their musical equipment and van end up in the Smithsonian Institution

I saved you the trouble for reading it, but no honestly read it for the Art of Bad Writing!

........

Goodreads review

Great book for teenagers, but I expected something less childish...
Lucija

.......

Amazone

Stolen title from a Bad Religion song
Essentially unreadable. My interest was piqued as the book shared a title with a song from a punk band, Bad Religion. Many others have summed up its issues well.
A. Sharar

Confusing, sloppy and boring
This could win a "bad fiction" award for 2018. The book is riddled with grammatical errors. The author has a jumbled storytelling style, with characters and plot points introduced for no discernable reason.
I am thinking about showing some passages of this book to my students as a "what not to do" example.
Dr. Terrence Smith

Virtually unreadable
So disappointing, expected more from him.
Joe Blow

...........

the media

Kinsella skilfully blends convincing depictions of both the punk scene and the racist underground with the hoary trope of a band of kids setting out to solve a mystery … a suspenseful page-turner that also gives considerable food for thought. ― Quill & Quire

Tension starts high and stays there in this unflinching page-turner, which offers a fascinating glimpse into the early punk scene and a moving testament to the power of friendship. ― Publishers Weekly

A compelling and jagged read. ― School Library Journal

Unlike anything he has written before. ― Calgary Herald

Raw and gritty and soaked in the passion for personal freedom, disdain for authority, and commitment to indie music ― TheStorySanctuary.com

Of interest to anyone interested in punk culture — not just the music, but the fanzines, art and writing of the period. ― Toronto Star

Kinsella’s book explodes off the page from the start...a dark and engrossing tale of punk-rock heroes fighting for justice. ― Booklist

Absorbing, jarring and raw. ― Globe and Mail
Kinsella’s book explodes off the page from the start … A dark and engrossing tale of punk-rock heroes fighting for justice. ― Booklist (U.S.)

a complex, multilayered mystery that highlights the energy and passion of youth while pointing a finger at issues like police misconduct, irresponsible journalism and the rise of the alt Right. ― CM Magazine

.........

[Arlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview yet another YA novel. This one, Recipe for Hate by Warren Kinsella, will be published December 5, 2017.

Because it is set in and around Portland, Maine, which was a favorite vacation spot of mine for 10 years and is where my husband and I met the son we adopted, I really wanted to like this more than I ended up doing. I think it's because, as far as storytelling goes, the setting overpowered the narrative. While the plot could have happened anywhere, Kinsella made Portland practically one of the characters. I would feel much more comfortable recommending this to my high school readers if I didn't think they'd be bored by all of the setting descriptions interrupting the flow of the story.

Other than that, though, when I could downplay the interference of setting descriptions, the story itself was compelling. Part cultural history, part murder mystery, Recipe for Hate helps today's readers understand the punk rock movement and see that the racism of neo-Nazis has been around for a while.

I required a bit of suspension-of-disbelief with the main character X as the hero. As a character, X was part The Outsiders and part Fonzie from Happy Days -- a tough underdog who was feared and revered by his peers and adults alike. The coincidences toward the end, of the punks using their acquaintances with bikers as allies and the police choosing to apply the law where it benefitted them, added to the surreal impossibilities of this being a realistic and not hyperbolic tale.

Readers will relate to the way the teens in this book think and are thought about by adults. They will be interested in reading how Kinsella describes the murders, the friendships, and kidnapping. This is where Kinsella's attention to detail allows readers' creative imaginations to flow - and Kinsella writes some great descriptive images. Unfortunately, then, the fact that this is all taking place in Maine intrudes on the narrative progression. I understood the importance of the plot occurring in "Small Town, USA." As a reader, though, I needed to know why it was so important that it happened in Portland. A map of Portland on the end pages would have been more useful, i.e., less intrusive, than precise details of streets in Portland.

As I said, I really liked the premise of the story - I just wish I hadn't been grounded to Portland or encountered a demigod-like X. (p.s. - I'm still not sure why the book is entitled Recipe for Hate.)

[Zachary Houle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, memories. I never really was a true punk fan, but I listened to my share of the genre in the ’90s and early 2000s. I was into Hüsker Dü, and, for a period, I was involved in zine culture. I read Alternative Press religiously, too. So Warren Kinsella‘s new book for older young adults, titled Recipe for Hate after a Bad Religion song/album, certainly took me back. The book is set in Portland, Maine’s fledgling punk scene in 1978 and ’79. Punk bands rule the local biker bar. Punks make newspapers. And punks go and see the Clash perform live in Boston. The book is the stuff of good memories for a first-wave punk, so I suspect this book will resonate with adults, too.

However, there is a deeper and darker edge to this story. Amid the glory of making the NME and getting signed to Stiff Records is a murder mystery. Skinheads are suspected to be behind the deaths of two young punks, friends of a punk mysteriously known as Christopher X — or just “X” as his friends call him. Seeing that punks kind of disdain the local police force, and that’s when the police seems to know what its doing, it’s up to X and his friends to solve the murders and a series of attempted murders.

Read the rest here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warren Kinsella likely relives his misspent rocking youth in this lively mystery about the punk rock scene in the late 1970s. From snippets of actual punk/racist news, Kinsella sets a story in Portland, Maine where a group of young punk enthusiasts led by the enigmatic and intelligent Christopher "X" find themselves at odds with the police and justice system when two of their friends are mysteriously and brutally killed. More deaths occur and yet the police seemed determined to set the blame squarely in the punk scene, despite obvious clues that there is more horror and hate and even religion involved. It is up to The X Gang to solve the crimes which they do with a little help from their biker friends.

Recipe for Hate is a real page-turner despite also being a fictional history of punk rock, its philosophy and its musical greats. Narrated by X's best friend, Kurt Blank, some twenty years or so after the fact, the story still works well and its pace is maintained by short breathy chapters (60+), although this sometimes creates some choppy plotting and incredulity for the reader. There's just enough profanity for the older adolescent!

[day · Rating 4 out of 5]

"PUNK IS WHAT WE MAKE. Punk is about trying to scratch out some meaning in a big old world that seems pretty meaningless, most days. It's about being angry at being lied to, and smashing your fist against the doors the liars cower behind, even if you know you're the one who is probably going to get hurt. Punk is about raging against all the powers that be, to try and make things better, if only for an instant."

I don't know much about the late 1970s punk scene. This book was a sharp, painful sort of introduction - it's brutal, raw, and honest. There is so much inside this book, and I loved the main characters. It paints an incredible story; one that, at times, seems almost fantastical and unreal.

I wasn't really in the best place to read this, though, so it didn't affect me as much as it would have otherwise. I suggest actually reading up about punk and being interested in the topic (which I wasn't, since this was for school) before going into it. It is still a good book, though!

TW: homocide (graphic descriptions), racism, antisemitism, sexual assault (mentions)

[Shannon Ozirny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warren Kinsella’s many professions include author, political strategist and commentator. Is YA author now on the list? Yes and no. Kinsella’s latest book is published for teens and, in many ways, shines as a book for mature younger readers. It focuses on two teenage best friends—Kurt Blank and X—leaders in Maine’s burgeoning 1978 punk scene. When their friend is brutally murdered outside of a club, it’s the beginning of a very dark, violent time for Kurt, X and their punk crew. Portrayals of rebellious and non-conforming teens can feel reductive or contrived but Kinsella nails it without any stereotyping or embellishment. Though this authenticity will have big teen appeal, the novel is also part police procedural, part detailed history on the emergence of punk and part gritty murder mystery, all elements that skew more adult. Classification aside, it’s absorbing, jarring and raw.

[Hunter Faulkner-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I know I have students who would as well. I think the characterization is nicely done and the characters feel genuine. The pacing seems to really keep a nice pace too, I think it could have veered off into wasted pages, but the author really managed to keep a building pace until a pretty wild crescendo. The book is very action packed and has some rather graphic and violent parts, and also contains more than a few choice words. These could be a problem for some people, but the curse words are used for effect and not dropped every sentence and the violence, while graphic was not gratuitous. I would definitely recommend this book to some of my students, I have already told some of my junior and senior boys about it and that I think they would enjoy it.

[David Altman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun easy read. I think the fan boy aspect of the narrator with the main character was over the top, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it. I actually did not figure out the twist at the end.

[Philip Freda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was fucking dogshit. I read it for a english project in grade 9 and had to pick a random book I've never read and mistakenly picked up this piece of trash. I have never read such shitty literature in my life. I hope nobody ever reads this book ever again.

[Maryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the writing in this is clunky - particularly in the dialogue - but it's a compelling story and a good choice for mature cynical teens.

[*Weebles* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sad from the very beginning!

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kurt, the narrator, is a member of a punk rock band whose members are slowly being killed. Hate crimes? Are they being targeted? Why? Okay book. Don't know that I'll read the sequels.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a few months since I read Recipe for Hate, but a lot of the story is still with me. The book claims to be based on real events, but I'm not sure how true that is, regardless, it grabbed my attention, and kept it, and I read it in two days.

I was born in the 80s, and didn't really realize that the "punk" scene started in the 70s. I know it's sad, but I thought that the birth of Punk in America began with Nirvana, and all those great stereotypes my 90s punk teenage sister tried to be.

Recipe for Hate is an intense story, about teenagers, that are really invested in the punk scene, but their town, like most adults, are against it, and want to keep it out of their Mayberry-like community. When punks start getting murdered, the book takes a turn and becomes a mystery that while it seemed would be easy to solve, was a bit more difficult than expected.

The books is considered YA, but has a lot of adult themes. It's going to make the reader question things that they learned when they were younger, and look at the Punk movement a bit differently. I liked the book enough to give it four stars, and while the details are a bit rusty (its been six months), its a book that you'll remember for the vibrant characters and the struggles of America's youth during the beginning of the Punk movement.

[Kathryn Kania]

Reviewed for SLJ

I would like some sort of anything to show that this book was actually based on true events. I am severely doubting it at this point.