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 wcs53 on

5 of 5 stars

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I had heard and read so much about this book over the past few months that I had to read it for myself and see what all the hype was about. I'm glad I did, because it is a must read book for sure.It's probably one of the best debut novels I have read.

The story, which is such a timely one, centres around a young girl of colour, Starr Carter, who exists between two very different worlds - the poor black neighbourhood where she lives and the world of the prep school she attends in the suburbs. These worlds collide when she witnesses one of her best friends, Khalil, who was unarmed and doing nothing illegal at the time, being killed by a police officer. After it becomes pretty clear that the police officer will not be charged with anything, tensions start to rise and it becomes evident to Starr that she needs to do something, to be heard, to get the truth out there.

Although the story takes place in a world that I really have no experience of, it seems to be very realistic in the way that it is portrayed. There is a rawness to the writing, which is appropriate as the author weaves a story that is all too close to the truth of the reality for many people today.

As I previously said, this is a must read book, especially for anyone who has no experience of the kind of situation that is described in it. I can't wait to see what Angie Thomas comes up with next, although this may be a difficult one to follow. The movie of the book is already being filmed and I hope that it does justice to the story.

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  • Started reading
  • 31 January, 2018: Finished reading
  • 31 January, 2018: Reviewed