Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross: A Poignant Examination of Trauma and Resilience

In Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross we learn that Hazel Blum’s family moves from Brooklyn to small-town Riverburg, Maine. She’s getting ready for school and she expects the usual first-day jitters. Instead, her new principal propositioning her in his office becomes a watershed moment she never imagined. Hazel’s refusal sets off a year of upheaval: secret accusations, public scrutiny, and the web of small-town relationships testing her family’s bonds. As Hazel’s mother wrestles with lost creativity, her father navigates his new teaching role, and her younger brother seeks acceptance, the Blums discover that even the darkest moments can reveal unexpected light.

My Review

Reading Hazel’s story felt like sitting with a friend who’s carrying a heavy secret yet refuses to be defined by it. Jessica Berger Gross balances heart-wrenching scenes of trauma with moments of unexpected joy—like watching Hazel find solidarity with a trusted classmate or seeing her family rally around her in quiet support. I was on edge during the investigation and moved by Hazel’s determination to reclaim her voice. Expect an unflinching look at victim-blaming, community gossip, and the resilience that comes from saying “no” to power in the wrong hands. This book will leave you feeling both heartbroken and hopeful, convinced that courage can shine brightest in the aftermath of darkness.

You can get a copy of Hazel Says No on Amazon or Bookshop.

If this has you intrigued, read an excerpt from Hazel Says No below.

Excerpt Preview of Hazel Says No

“When it comes to your applications, what I’m saying is: Don’t sell yourself short. I can make some calls. I went to Brown myself. And look at me now.” The principal waved his arms in a self-deprecating and all-encompassing sweep, gesturing to the dingy office, run-down school, and the seen-better-days town beyond.

This was when she was supposed to laugh. She was tempted to tell him her dad went to Brown for graduate school. That her parents met in Providence. Another coincidence, what a small world, etc. But Hazel was silent. She wondered how much longer this could possibly take and what she was missing in class. Legacy or no, Hazel could never get into Brown. And if she needed strings pulled elsewhere, she had her father, who was friendly with what seemed like half the professoriate in the country. Vassar was already a reach, sparse state or not. “We need to talk about the literary magazine, too, don’t we? I have some ideas for us.” He took a swig from his plastic coffee mug. “We should brainstorm. Think about the themes we want to explore. Genres, too. Let’s figure out what you’re into, but also what your fellow students would respond to, right? Get some readers, some contributors.”

Hazel nodded, uncertain.

“And I was thinking, we should start meeting after school. Regularly, you know? So that we can make this happen. Get our first issue off the ground by Thanksgiving. We could use my office. Or, maybe better, find a place where we can really dig in. Where we won’t be constantly interrupted because some kid is vaping in the bathroom. Are you free on Saturday?”

“Oh yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll have to see. But I should probably be getting back to math.”

Hazel’s stomach was starting to hurt. She didn’t know what to make of him. Was he one of those dedicated live-for-teaching teachers who change your life and inspire you to find your best self? The kind of teacher you never forget? Or was he supremely sketchy?

“It’s my first day. And my worst subject. I don’t want to miss anything.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” he said.

Hazel eyed the door, slung her bag over her shoulder and contemplated standing up.

“I could write you a letter.”

“A letter?”

“A letter of recommendation. I’d like to, as a matter of fact. For Vassar. I know someone in admissions. That sort of thing can be make-or-break.”

Oh.

He moved off the desk and into the chair next to hers.

“A letter of recommendation would be good,” she said, although his invasion of her personal space was making her uncomfortable. “A letter would be great.” It would be. At least it couldn’t hurt.

“We both know you’re special, Hazel.”

Okay? But again, no. She was not special.

She was fine. Decently smart, decently talented. Smart enough to be fully aware that she was not particularly extraordinary. Hazel had never felt extraordinary.

What she had felt, for some time—years? Since the ninth grade, at least—was anxious. The steady hum of dread. A sense of doom, even. Like something bad was about to happen. Raised on screens and toxins and a constant barrage of horrific news stories, she felt like the world, her world, could implode at any time.

Sweat glued Hazel’s thighs to her chair.

“I have one last question for you. Before I let you go. Can you keep a secret?” he asked, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

“Sure,” said Hazel. She could. She was, in fact, a great secret keeper.

“Here’s the thing—”

“Yes?”

The principal inched closer to her.

“Here’s the thing.”

He reached out his hand, brushing her thigh. And then his fingers began to crawl back and forth. Purposefully. Pathologically.

He was touching her—and he was disgusting—and he was an adult and her principal—and she wanted to scream. Instead, Hazel froze, gripped by some sort of catatonic terror.

White lifted her chin with his fingers and stared into her eyes.

“Every year I choose one student to have sex with. This year, I pick you.”

Excerpted from Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross, Copyright © 2025 by Jessica Berger Gross. Published by Hanover Square Press, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

Ready for More?

If Hazel’s journey has you captivated, grab your copy of Jessica Berger Gross’s Hazel Says No today. Once you’ve finished reading, come back and share your thoughts in the comments—I can’t wait to hear which part of Hazel’s story moved you most!

You can get a copy of Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross on Amazon or Bookshop.