THE BASICS
- Title: The Hate U Give
- Author: Angie Thomas
- Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Realistic Fiction
- Structure: First-person linear narrative
- First Line: “I shouldn’t have come to this party.”
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
THE GOOD
There’s a reason why everyone is losing their mind over this book. It is damn good. I’m a little nervous for the movie to come out because this is such a dense and fantastic book. It’s an extremely rare occurrence for Hollywood to get it right and do a book like this any justice. Regardless, I will go see it in theaters because I believe this is a story that needs to be told in many formats. This book is high, high on my “best books ever” list and will stay there for the rest of my life. So, let’s get into some more specific things I loved about it:
- I love that you feel like you’re in Starr’s head the whole book. I felt like I could really get into the story and put myself in Starr’s place easily, which made this book more of an in-body experience. It also lent to a fast read because you could fly through the pages and truly get sucked into the story.
- I am blown away that this is a debut novel. I’ve read good, even great, debut novels before, but nothing on this level. Angie Thomas is an author that everyone is going to have their eyes on for decades to come. I think her writing is akin to Maya Angelou because it’s powerful, beautiful, and touches a very raw part of humanity. Her writing forces you to look at truths, no matter how painful. Thomas has already shown that she has the chops to impact all corners of the world with a single book. That’s not artistry that you come across every day or even every year.
- This story needed to be told. And it will need to be told over and over. It’s not just the story of a black child being shot by a police officer. It’s about deep, deep racism that runs through this country that effects the lives of everyone in every single way imaginable. It’s about how people in privilege (aka white people) are oppressors, whether or not they know it and whether or not they have good intentions. I choose to believe that the world will change. That one day we will live in a place that looks nothing like this and these times will be down in history books as a dark time in human history. But it starts and continues with books like this.
- As a white person, I have a profound appreciation for this book. I grew up in a household that is slightly south of white supremacy. I’m severely undereducated in matters of racism. Usually, my best tends to look like me trying to be a decent person and checking myself on my own prejudices and biases. But, it’s not enough. I desperately need books like this that can help me “get it” on new levels and educate me in ways that just weren’t available when I was growing up.
- This book holds some serious weight. It is extremely important to the times right now and I think it will continue to bear the same weight as the years pass. I could see this being “required reading” for high schools due to its significance. I especially urge anyone who is not black, particularly white people, to pick up a copy of this book. Things can’t stay the way they are, which means we can’t keep doing the same shit. “Thoughts and prayers” aren’t action. Educate yourself. Read more. Read this.
THE UNFAVORABLE BITS
The only complaint I have is that the ending had a “I have to figure out a way to wrap this up quick” feel to it. I think the final scenes could’ve had more to them. Maybe they did before editing. I know it was already a long book, but length has nothing on quality. If a book is that good that the majority of your readers are staying well over the 200 page mark, then it can be stretched. The industry tends to shy away from lengthier novels, especially stand alone novels, because there’s this notion that people will lose interest. Ultimately, I think the rushed ending cheapened the work of Thomas and the storyline. I wish those final scenes were looked at longer or put into a follow-up novel so they could have their day in the sun.
As always, I give you a heads up about strong language or graphics in case you’re sensitive, or if the person you’re recommending the book to is sensitive. This book does have strong language, but please do not let that stop you from reading this. Please do not let that stop you from recommending this or buying this for someone else. I think this book is appropriate for the high school crowd and above. In fact, I encourage anyone in high school to pick up a copy of this.
CONCLUSION
I rate this book an easy 5/5 stars. I’d read it over and over again. Anyone who has been asking me for a good book to read, the first question I ask them is if they’ve read this book. The Hate U Give should be on everyone’s “required reading” list. This book is a must. This book is a game-changer. This book speaks and, damn, you don’t want to be the person not listening.
