A powerful and brave YA novel about what prejudice looks like in the 21st century.
Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice. Movie rights have been sold to Fox, with Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) to star.
Review by Tanaya Lowden
There's a lot of hype surrounding The Hate U Give, with many calling it the young adult book of the year. It is well deserved hype, as The Hate U Give is an incredibly powerful and moving debut inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised, and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. What Starr reveals could destroy her community, making this narrative a powerful book about the voice you have, and knowing when to speak up.
Although dealing with some incredibly deep and heavy themes, The Hate U Give managed to be an equal balance of empowerment and entertainment. The strong themes are interspersed with lighthearted moments, both through references to pop-culture, and through the strong family dynamic that resonates throughout this book.
YA readers would know that parents, in particular, have a tendency to be almost non-existent in young adult books; The Hate U Give is so far from this, and is part of what makes this book so brilliant. I loved Starr's family - they were all so well written and just a fun bunch of characters to read about.
The Hate U Give is thought-provoking and deeply moving, and a book that everyone should read.
About the Author
Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still lives in Jackson, Mississippi. A former teen rapper, she recently won a Walter Dean Myers Grant, awarded by the We Need Diverse Books campaign. The Hate U Give is her first novel. You can find her on Twitter@acthomaswrites or visit her website, acthomaswrites.com.