The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give (The Hate U Give, #1)

by Angie Thomas

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.
Source: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062677082/the-hate-u-give/

Reviewed by layawaydragon on

5 of 5 stars

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Read through in two sittings in one day, the Sunday before Presidents Day.

It's amazing as alllllllllllllllllllllll the hype says it is. Immediately engaging and immersive. Funny and sweet and poignant. It covers every angle and possibility, from black cops to all lives matter. It's brilliantly crafted, well written, and is going to be taught in schools for a long damn time. I'm honored to have watched Angie Thomas grown and gain the recognition she deserves and experience this book while everything is fresh and raw.

Give yourself time, space, and permission to ride all these emotions and absorb the education so many people, especially whites, are needing.

Let me get this out the way--------In the beginning there's a mention of "hoedom" that rubbed me the wrong way as well as complaining about another woman's attire. Uncomfortable, but honestly not that big a deal and there'd have to be a HUGE reversal in YA literature before I'd knock THUG for it. It's minor and only stands out because everything else was really on point and my awareness of these criticisms that enforce slutshaming patriarchy has increased.

I put this behind spoiler tags because people blow shit out of proportion and some white feminists are just looking for bullshit excuses to tear this masterpiece down when they slutshame and rag on black women all the time for no damn reason besides racism.

I really wanted to not mention the hoedom nonsense, but it's girl fighting slut shaming nonsense and leaving this out felt like lying. Yet mentioning it makes me feel bad because of said white woman looking for a fight. Ugh. /rant. -------

It really took me back to Ferguson. No justice, no peace. Throwing back that tear gas ALWAYS gets me.

I'm sure it was done by several people, but that one iconic photo we're all thinking of is of Edward Crawford. One of several Ferguson protestors later found dead in cars. Rest in Power, Edward.

The fight isn't over. We, white people, cannot forget because it's no longer in the news or trending. Cops are stilling killing people. Flint still doesn't have clean water.

I don't know what else to say, besides my heart hurts and it's time to put in more work.

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  • 28 August, 2016: Reviewed