Haters (novel)
Encyclopedia
Haters is a 2006 young adult novel by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
, who was named one of the 25 most influential Hispanics in the US by Time magazine in 2005. It is Valdes-Rodriguez's first young adult novel.
girl named Pasquala Rumalda Quintana de Archuleta (Paski) who moves from Taos, New Mexico
to Aliso Viejo, California
with her father so he can work on the movie for his comic 'Squeegee Man'. Before moving, Paski visits her psychic grandmother, who gives her a necklace with a turquoise stone carved into a Anatidae
, which is supposed to protect her. When she moves into her new apartment, she meets Japanese twins Keoni and Kerani, and starts to hear Japanese voices in her head. They warn her about the 'Haters' at school. Later, Paski rides on her bike to her new school, Aliso Niguel High School
, where she meets Chris Cabrera, who also warns her about the haters, three popular girls in school. Her dad signs her up for a 'peer mentor' named Tina, who tells her about the 'haters',but now,this person named Jessica Nguyen, who is the national motocross champion, shares a clothes line with her mom, and is worth over two-hundred-fifty-million dollars, Haley Williams, who is a great singer/songwriter and looks like Alicia Keys
, and Briana, who looks like a younger Britney Spears
or older Jamie Lynn Spears
and plays volleyball, but Jessica only keeps in in the group because she "looks great in a bikini". Upon meeting Jessica, Paski has a vision of her in a cast in the hospital. A kid in her class named Andrew Van Dyke invites her to a party. Tina warns her to be careful at the party because she is still a virgin. Before school, Paski tells Keoni and Kerani about the Japanese yelling in her head, and their mom tells Paski that her mother and her grandmother were put in internment camps where the grandmother was raped in front of the mother. Paski then decides to join the newspaper at her school, and the editor, Sydney, gives her a piece about the motocross race to interview other racers about her. At the party, Andrew slips in a Date rape drug
to her Coke, and Paski begins to see the full vision of Jessica upon her arrival. Paski tries to warn Jessica about the vision, however, everyone thinks she's crazy, and, knowing that Chris has feelings for Paski, threatens her and pushes her into the pool, making her hit the back of her head and her nose on one side of the pool. Chris breaks up with Jessica. When Paski is released from the hospital, she has a dream where Keoni and Kerani's grandmother, Yuko, tells her that her father is going to marry the twins' mother. Chris invites Paski over so he can teach her how to ride a motorcycle, where they share their first kiss together. Paski invites Haley over to go shopping, since she was being much nicer to her. While they were shopping, Paski asks her to warn Jessica about the vision, but when they call her she only gets a voicemail
. When Haley and Paski go to the competition to see Jessica and further warn her, Jessica falls, breaking two legs and an arm, and having a concussion because her helmet wasn't tight enough. Jessica invites her over after she gets out of the hospital, and apologizes for pushing her in the pool. At Jessica's house, Jessica tells Paski she can date Chris and join their group, but they're going to have to kick Haley out. Jessica begins to plot to make her substitute rider, Lori McCafferty , to fall in the competition. Briana and Andrew loosened the bolts on Lori's bike, and, having signed a contract, Paski calls Chris to warn Lori. Briana and Andrew are sent to jail, because Jessica refused to take the blame for it. Paski ends up being the substitute rider for Lori, and wins. Later, Chris takes her to Haley's house, where she performs a song that she wrote for Paski. The story ends with an early surprise birthday party, including Paski's friends from Taos, Emily and Janet, and her grandmother...:)
Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is an American writer known for her novels in the Chick Lit genre.-Early life:Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her father, Nelson Valdés, is a retired sociology professor at the University of New Mexico, and emigrated from Cuba in the early 1960s...
, who was named one of the 25 most influential Hispanics in the US by Time magazine in 2005. It is Valdes-Rodriguez's first young adult novel.
Plot summary
The novel follows a young psychicPsychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
girl named Pasquala Rumalda Quintana de Archuleta (Paski) who moves from Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
to Aliso Viejo, California
Aliso Viejo, California
Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...
with her father so he can work on the movie for his comic 'Squeegee Man'. Before moving, Paski visits her psychic grandmother, who gives her a necklace with a turquoise stone carved into a Anatidae
Anatidae
Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...
, which is supposed to protect her. When she moves into her new apartment, she meets Japanese twins Keoni and Kerani, and starts to hear Japanese voices in her head. They warn her about the 'Haters' at school. Later, Paski rides on her bike to her new school, Aliso Niguel High School
Aliso Niguel High School
Aliso Niguel High School is a high school located in the city of Aliso Viejo, California, U.S. Most of its students reside in the communities of Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel. The school is a California Distinguished School, a National Blue Ribbon School, and a New American High School...
, where she meets Chris Cabrera, who also warns her about the haters, three popular girls in school. Her dad signs her up for a 'peer mentor' named Tina, who tells her about the 'haters',but now,this person named Jessica Nguyen, who is the national motocross champion, shares a clothes line with her mom, and is worth over two-hundred-fifty-million dollars, Haley Williams, who is a great singer/songwriter and looks like Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, and Briana, who looks like a younger Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
or older Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Marie Spears is an American actress and singer. The younger sister of pop star Britney Spears, she rose to prominence for her appearances on Nickelodeon shows All That and for playing Zoey Brooks on Zoey 101....
and plays volleyball, but Jessica only keeps in in the group because she "looks great in a bikini". Upon meeting Jessica, Paski has a vision of her in a cast in the hospital. A kid in her class named Andrew Van Dyke invites her to a party. Tina warns her to be careful at the party because she is still a virgin. Before school, Paski tells Keoni and Kerani about the Japanese yelling in her head, and their mom tells Paski that her mother and her grandmother were put in internment camps where the grandmother was raped in front of the mother. Paski then decides to join the newspaper at her school, and the editor, Sydney, gives her a piece about the motocross race to interview other racers about her. At the party, Andrew slips in a Date rape drug
Date rape drug
A date rape drug is any drug that can be used to assist in the execution of a sexual assault, such as date rape. Drugs used to facilitate rape may have sedative, hypnotic, dissociative, and/or amnesiac effects, and can be added to a food or drink without the victim's knowledge.The act of adding...
to her Coke, and Paski begins to see the full vision of Jessica upon her arrival. Paski tries to warn Jessica about the vision, however, everyone thinks she's crazy, and, knowing that Chris has feelings for Paski, threatens her and pushes her into the pool, making her hit the back of her head and her nose on one side of the pool. Chris breaks up with Jessica. When Paski is released from the hospital, she has a dream where Keoni and Kerani's grandmother, Yuko, tells her that her father is going to marry the twins' mother. Chris invites Paski over so he can teach her how to ride a motorcycle, where they share their first kiss together. Paski invites Haley over to go shopping, since she was being much nicer to her. While they were shopping, Paski asks her to warn Jessica about the vision, but when they call her she only gets a voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
. When Haley and Paski go to the competition to see Jessica and further warn her, Jessica falls, breaking two legs and an arm, and having a concussion because her helmet wasn't tight enough. Jessica invites her over after she gets out of the hospital, and apologizes for pushing her in the pool. At Jessica's house, Jessica tells Paski she can date Chris and join their group, but they're going to have to kick Haley out. Jessica begins to plot to make her substitute rider, Lori McCafferty , to fall in the competition. Briana and Andrew loosened the bolts on Lori's bike, and, having signed a contract, Paski calls Chris to warn Lori. Briana and Andrew are sent to jail, because Jessica refused to take the blame for it. Paski ends up being the substitute rider for Lori, and wins. Later, Chris takes her to Haley's house, where she performs a song that she wrote for Paski. The story ends with an early surprise birthday party, including Paski's friends from Taos, Emily and Janet, and her grandmother...:)
External links
- Revisiting the awful teenage years, Chicago Sun-Times
- Review of audiobook, School Library Journal