A central theme in Hate List is hate; the novel shines a light on the many forms, both obvious and hidden, hate takes. At the end of the novel, Valerie says at graduation, “At Garvin High we were dealt a hard dose of reality this year. People hate. People are hated and carry grudges and want punishments” (398-399). Nick’s hate takes the form of anger—a gnawing anger over being treated unfairly and dealt an unfair hand in life. Hate also takes form against Nick, specifically in the shape of Chris Summers’ bullying. Valerie’s words also capture her own hateful actions: at first, she claims to develop the hate list as a way to hold people accountable for their behavior, but it quickly morphs into an outlet for Valerie to express and spread hate.

There are less explicit ways hate appears in the novel. Hate List explores what happens when people deny hate exists. Before the shooting, students like Jessica and Christy bully and divide other students without really knowing them. Principal Angerson, by banning solitary activity, thinks he can create community, but Valerie sees firsthand that Nick’s shooting has little effect on the old cliques and social norms of high school because the underlying issue, hate, still remains.