Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Source: Review
When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.
At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself.
Hate List was one of my favorite books from 2009. Jennifer Brown is an amazing writer and with Bitter End, she establishes herself as a talented writer that creates the most unthinkable situations and sticks her characters right in the middle of the story. For Alex, it is being physically and mentally abused by her boyfriend. She isn't allowed to talk to certain people(like her best friends), wear certain clothes, or do what she wants after she meets Cole. She realizes that something is wrong, but she loves him. Alex's friends were so amazing and I loved Zack and Bethany for different reason. Alex's boss Georgia was motherly of Alex and I liked that she recognized that something was wrong and tried to help her. Bitter End is a strong and fierce ride. The plot captures your soul and takes you for a ride. This book was an emotionally journey and impossible to put down. As for originality, I liked that this book had more then the abuse going in it and that it had several layers going on. I recommend this book to fans of contemporary fiction and a must read, if you loved Dreamland by Sarah Dessen, Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, and Rage by Julie Anne Peters.