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Honk If You Hate Me
Everyone in Muessa Junction hates Monalisa Kent. After all, she was the thickwit who blowtorched the futon factory—the town's heart, soul, and bread and butter. So what if she was just six at the time? Junctioners don't forgive and forget.
And now it's the 10th anniversary of the blaze that fried Mona's supposed life. In the past 10 years, her bitter town resurrected itself through the divine intervention of the fast food industry. But there is no absolution for Mona—they still hate the sorry sight of her. And Mona doesn't like them either.
At 16 she's dyed her hair blue, found her place at the local tattoo parlor, and taken to memorizing bumper sticker sayings instead of dealing with people. But disappearing is never that easy, especially with blue hair. And in her efforts to retreat, Mona has forgotten the oldest bumper sticker in the book: "No matter how deep you bury the past, it always climbs out to bite you in the butt."
From the Hardcover edition.
And now it's the 10th anniversary of the blaze that fried Mona's supposed life. In the past 10 years, her bitter town resurrected itself through the divine intervention of the fast food industry. But there is no absolution for Mona—they still hate the sorry sight of her. And Mona doesn't like them either.
At 16 she's dyed her hair blue, found her place at the local tattoo parlor, and taken to memorizing bumper sticker sayings instead of dealing with people. But disappearing is never that easy, especially with blue hair. And in her efforts to retreat, Mona has forgotten the oldest bumper sticker in the book: "No matter how deep you bury the past, it always climbs out to bite you in the butt."
From the Hardcover edition.
- GenresYoung AdultContemporary
256 pages, Library Binding
First published July 10, 2007
2 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Halverson
7 books42 followersDeborah Halverson is the award-winning author of Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies and the forthcoming Writing the New Adult Novel: How to Write & Sell New Adult Fiction, as well as the founder of the popular writers’ advice website DearEditor.com. Deborah edited young adult and children’s fiction with Harcourt Children’s Books before picking up a pen to write the teen novels Honk If You Hate Me and Big Mouth, the picture book Letters to Santa, and three struggling reader books for the “Remix” series. She speaks extensively at workshops and conferences for writers and freelance edits adult fiction and nonfiction while specializing in teen fiction and picture books.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 24, 2014
I got so tired of living in Our Heroine's head, that by the time of the Big Reveals I just didn't care. She was so whiny and vapid, that her turn-around, which should have made her more human and likable, just make her kind of pathetic.
Her inner dialog was clunky and not entirely authentic for a teenager. Even a teenager whose inner life was mostly expressed through bumper-sticker wisdom.
The author did a thorough job of describing the setting; I totally understood that their town was a pathetic, loser-ville. Or at least that's what OH thought about it.
The narrative arc wasn't entirely predictable, which is a note in favor, but once again: just didn't care.
And by the way, to use a big word to describe small: use minuscule, not miniscule. Normally, I'd let that slide (enough misuse of the word will undoubtedly shift the language to that spelling anyhow), but I hated the book so much by the time I came across it that I just couldn't give it a pass.
Her inner dialog was clunky and not entirely authentic for a teenager. Even a teenager whose inner life was mostly expressed through bumper-sticker wisdom.
The author did a thorough job of describing the setting; I totally understood that their town was a pathetic, loser-ville. Or at least that's what OH thought about it.
The narrative arc wasn't entirely predictable, which is a note in favor, but once again: just didn't care.
And by the way, to use a big word to describe small: use minuscule, not miniscule. Normally, I'd let that slide (enough misuse of the word will undoubtedly shift the language to that spelling anyhow), but I hated the book so much by the time I came across it that I just couldn't give it a pass.
October 1, 2009
I didn't really understand the concept of the book. I wish it was in more detail and maybe longer.
November 26, 2010
Boring.
April 15, 2018
Wonderful story about finding your identity. The book is a young adult story but I also enjoyed.
Mona lives in Muessa Junction. Her mother died when she was young so it´s her father who is raising her, or trying to raise her. He worked as a furniture designer at the local furniture warehouse and was well known for his designs. The furniture warehouse was the largest employer in town. Was, that is, until a fire burned it down 10 years ago when Mona was only 6 years old. Mona doesn´t remember the blaze but the town blames her for causing the fire. Her father was the savior who went into the fire and saved Mona and her best friend. For 10 years she´s been carrying the guilt. Now it´s time for the 10 year anniversary of the fire. How can she survive?
Deciding not to be a wallflower any longer, Mona dyes her hair purple and begins performance art by standing on tables in fast food joints and reciting poems or from her multitude of bumper sticker sayings. She is a hit. Slowly her memory returns about the fire. She didn´t cause it after all! Her father? Her best friend? She must come to terms of who she is and if she lets the fire control her destiny.
Great story about not fitting in with other kids at school and discovering who you really are.
Mona lives in Muessa Junction. Her mother died when she was young so it´s her father who is raising her, or trying to raise her. He worked as a furniture designer at the local furniture warehouse and was well known for his designs. The furniture warehouse was the largest employer in town. Was, that is, until a fire burned it down 10 years ago when Mona was only 6 years old. Mona doesn´t remember the blaze but the town blames her for causing the fire. Her father was the savior who went into the fire and saved Mona and her best friend. For 10 years she´s been carrying the guilt. Now it´s time for the 10 year anniversary of the fire. How can she survive?
Deciding not to be a wallflower any longer, Mona dyes her hair purple and begins performance art by standing on tables in fast food joints and reciting poems or from her multitude of bumper sticker sayings. She is a hit. Slowly her memory returns about the fire. She didn´t cause it after all! Her father? Her best friend? She must come to terms of who she is and if she lets the fire control her destiny.
Great story about not fitting in with other kids at school and discovering who you really are.
September 4, 2018
I really struggled to finish this book, even with its short length. Often zoned out while reading and couldn’t quite keep track of all the characters and who was who. I thought the relationship between Mona and Glenn could have contained more, their arch fell flat. Not a terrible book but missed the mark.
February 10, 2016
Monalisa Kent sort of set fire to the futon factory and burned it down when she was six, and the town she lives in has never forgiven her, even ten years later.
So Monalisa has gone her own way, wearing blue hair. She's used to people being mean to her, blaming her for what happened even though she was only six at the time. Some people are willing to go beyond words, though, and she has to actually hit someone with her skateboard to escape from them.
This year it's the tenth anniversary of what happened, and the news crew tapes an interview at her house. Her father had saved her and another child from the fire and is a hero; Monalisa regards herself as a major loser.
It would seem that the book would end up being a pretty standard one, where the girl finds out she's innocent and ends up the winner.
It's a little more complicated than that, though. It's possible her own dead, considered a hero, might have set the fire. It's possible someone else did. It's possible a friend of hers died in another fire saving someone else. It's also about tattoos, hamburgers, french fries, TV news reporting, body art, making ornaments out of discarded car parts, Elvis, donuts and a bunch of other things, especially bumper stickers.
In other words, it's a somewhat unusual story, and a very good one. Some things happen that you'd expect, but a bunch of things happen that you didn't, including “poetry raids.”
It's also a story of a town coming to terms with its past and moving on toward its future. Definitely a good read.
So Monalisa has gone her own way, wearing blue hair. She's used to people being mean to her, blaming her for what happened even though she was only six at the time. Some people are willing to go beyond words, though, and she has to actually hit someone with her skateboard to escape from them.
This year it's the tenth anniversary of what happened, and the news crew tapes an interview at her house. Her father had saved her and another child from the fire and is a hero; Monalisa regards herself as a major loser.
It would seem that the book would end up being a pretty standard one, where the girl finds out she's innocent and ends up the winner.
It's a little more complicated than that, though. It's possible her own dead, considered a hero, might have set the fire. It's possible someone else did. It's possible a friend of hers died in another fire saving someone else. It's also about tattoos, hamburgers, french fries, TV news reporting, body art, making ornaments out of discarded car parts, Elvis, donuts and a bunch of other things, especially bumper stickers.
In other words, it's a somewhat unusual story, and a very good one. Some things happen that you'd expect, but a bunch of things happen that you didn't, including “poetry raids.”
It's also a story of a town coming to terms with its past and moving on toward its future. Definitely a good read.
November 11, 2012
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
Monalisa Kent has had a strange childhood, one that has made everyone in town hate her and treat her like an outsider.
But it's not Monalisa's fault that she accidentally burned down the futon factory, the one building that had tons of meaning and was considered the town's landscape and nucleus. She was just a kid, and it is what it is -- just an accident. Of course, no one in her town can understand this, or will find it in themselves to forgive her.
Ten years later, Monalisa has changed (specifically, her hair color) and is all grown up. But the town still hasn't. This year just so happens to be the anniversary of the fall of the futon factory, and the events of the past are still on everyone's mind. You would think that after this much time has passed, people would forgive and forget!
Monalisa is fine, though. She enjoys having purple hair, she likes her special hangout, and she doesn't mind having Glenn as a friend, since he is her only one. But soon Monalisa will see that in order for others to forget, she needs to stop hiding and help them get over it, even if it means having to deal with every single person in town.
HONK IF YOU HATE ME is just as unique and funny as Mona's purple hair. Deborah Halverson creates a situation in which none of us want to be in but would rather stanf on the sidelines and root for Mona. Read this one if you want to laugh your butt off!
Monalisa Kent has had a strange childhood, one that has made everyone in town hate her and treat her like an outsider.
But it's not Monalisa's fault that she accidentally burned down the futon factory, the one building that had tons of meaning and was considered the town's landscape and nucleus. She was just a kid, and it is what it is -- just an accident. Of course, no one in her town can understand this, or will find it in themselves to forgive her.
Ten years later, Monalisa has changed (specifically, her hair color) and is all grown up. But the town still hasn't. This year just so happens to be the anniversary of the fall of the futon factory, and the events of the past are still on everyone's mind. You would think that after this much time has passed, people would forgive and forget!
Monalisa is fine, though. She enjoys having purple hair, she likes her special hangout, and she doesn't mind having Glenn as a friend, since he is her only one. But soon Monalisa will see that in order for others to forget, she needs to stop hiding and help them get over it, even if it means having to deal with every single person in town.
HONK IF YOU HATE ME is just as unique and funny as Mona's purple hair. Deborah Halverson creates a situation in which none of us want to be in but would rather stanf on the sidelines and root for Mona. Read this one if you want to laugh your butt off!
July 12, 2008
When Monalisa Kent was six years old, she accidentally burned down the futon factory which employed most of the townspeople including her father. In the ten years that have elapsed apparently the townspeople still hate her for this accident even though they have recovered economically by focusing on the university and its students and providing endless fast food joints. Every year the local TV station does a profile of the fire and the heroics of Mac Kent, Mona’s dad who saved Mona and her best friend Paco Glenn from the raging inferno and who hasn’t been the same since his wife’s death. Mona also collects bumper stickers which lead to her gaining attention in a whole new way when she stands on the table of a local fast food restaurant and shouts out a bumper sticker slogan leading to random poetry raids around town. This implausible plotline coupled with a series of quirky characters providing subplots to the tale but with no real discernable narrative thread make this book a tedious and repetitious read.
August 6, 2011
This book was just that...ok. I liked some of the story lines like with her dad and whatnot, but a lot of the stuff seemed like it was just filler. I found myself skipping through a lot of the descriptions because it was all pointless. I feel like her supposed best friend was extremely useless. I didn't think Binny had that much depth to suddenly make such a huge escape in the beginning. He just seemed so 2-Dimensional to me. I wanted to feel bad for Mona, but what I got from Binny was that he was just a weird guy who liked to say vague things and sit on sidewalks. It didn't feel like much of a loss when he "disappeared".
Overall, I think the book was good, but could have had more depth to the characters. A lot of the wording was confusing at times, but I think that was the point? I couldn't wait to finish it because it was kind of tedious, but the ending was great.
Overall, I think the book was good, but could have had more depth to the characters. A lot of the wording was confusing at times, but I think that was the point? I couldn't wait to finish it because it was kind of tedious, but the ending was great.
October 27, 2008
this gave me a whole new outlook on tattoos, not kidding, two of the main settings are tattoo parlors
other than that, this is a interesting, if unlikely story of a girl who the whole town hates because she burned down the factory that was the main source of occupation for the town
she finally rebels and finds truths and changes peoples outlooks
interesting story about people
other than that, this is a interesting, if unlikely story of a girl who the whole town hates because she burned down the factory that was the main source of occupation for the town
she finally rebels and finds truths and changes peoples outlooks
interesting story about people
November 18, 2008
A fantastic and fully realized reflection on the damaging weight of self recrimination and the transcendent power of redemption, brought to life through a disparate array of characters. Engaging and enlightening.
May 31, 2012
Don't you have to like it just because of the title?
December 5, 2011
Okay writing, adequate characterization and plot, but the ending was unsatisfactory and there were too many "Yeah, right" moments for my taste.
February 10, 2013
A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
November 17, 2016
Cute book about growing up in a small town.
July 16, 2008
So far the book has interesting characters but the plot is a little slow. There isn't much action.
October 5, 2017
I distinctly associate this book with my middle school library and the feeling of reading it too young. Perhaps 5th grade, possibly 7th . . . Honk If You Hate Me has always existed in my head as striking moments of clarity. Those moments belong to Mona, but to the reader, as well; our understanding comes--more deeply, perhaps--alongside her revelations. The sensation of standing on a table and shouting came through clearly, all those years ago, and it surprised me to re-discover the defensive anger that prompted it. Mona lines her narrative with pop culture references, movie quotes, and superhero illustrations. No surprise, therefore, that her story sprouts from the disgustingly mass-produced hamburgers of American fast food chains. Contradictions line the background of this story: a girl who hates attention yet dyes her hair blue, a town that's lost its prized factory and become addicted to the burgers that replaced it, a customer who visits the tattoo parlor but can never decide what to get. Beyond all else, this book confronts the evolutions and (in)consistencies of friendship, unraveling relationships to examine their insides. My largest quibble would be the pacing, which moves wonderfully slowly for the first half of the book and then increases like a train picking up steam. The abrupt change took my feet out from under me, yet I doubt Halverson could have charted such believable growth in a shorter timespan. My stance for future readers: I have a soft spot for this, but if you appreciate goth/punk styles, tattoos, or slam poetry, you'll enjoy this book.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews