The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I'm very late to the game with this book. At this point, it almost feels redundant to review it. Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give is a novel that has captured readers from the moment it was published by shining a light on the people affected by gun violence and police brutality. I've been hesitant to read this book. With so much unnecessary violence, racism, and injustice present in the real world, reading about those same topics in fiction just wasn't something I was emotionally prepared for. But then the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial came in. While his conviction isn't the end of systemic racism in policing, it was a hopeful sign of progress in the long battle ahead. Inspired by the moment and determined to continue reading stories of those with different perspectives from my own, I decided to finally read The Hate U Give. 

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is a girl who lives two lives. The first is that of her life at school, a prominent prep school filled with affluent, mostly white students. She's had no trouble making friends, but she has learned to adapt and compartmentalize her school life with the other side of her. This place and these people just aren't ready to see the "real" Starr. When she leaves school, she heads home to a place that her school friends would probably consider another world. Starr doesn't live in the wealthy neighborhoods of her friends. She lives on the poor side of town. To her, this is home. It is the place her father owns a business, the place her childhood friends have grown up, and a place where she feels the greatest sense of community. 

Starr's worlds begin to collide when she and a friend are pulled over while leaving a party. The officer panics and fatally shoots her friend. In almost an instant, the victim-blaming begins. Claims of the victim being a drug dealer, gangbanger, and thug begin to circulate in the media. It is as if they are saying that he deserved to be killed. Besides the officer, Starr is the only witness to the shooting, the only one who has the voice that can speak the truth to this murder. But putting herself out there to the world will come with a cost. Everyone in her life at the prep school will know she was involved in the shooting. Everyone at home will know too. Determined to not let her friend become another statistic in the long history of police brutality, Starr risks everything to make sure the world knows what really happened. 

It is hard to describe the impact a book like The Hate U Give has on the reader. Angie Thomas begins her story like any other young adult novel. Her main character is someone who is coming to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. All the pressures of being a normal teenager are present. With an opening that seems so familiar, I was a bit disarmed by the sudden onslaught of police brutality. At one moment, life was normal. In the next, everything changed. This is the harsh reality that far too many people of color have to face. Thomas does an excellent job of building her characters and the community they inhabit. These people are familiar, the kinds of people whom we encounter on a daily basis. Her ability to get the reader to invest so heavily in her characters only adds to the outrage we feel as they face injustice. The Hate U Give is a story for our times, the kind of novel that demands to be read. It forces us to face the harsh reality of our world while encouraging us to learn more about the lives of our neighbors. I can't recommend it highly enough. 

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads

(2021, 17)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 and is filed under ,,,,,,,. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.

27 Responses to “The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas”

  1. I'm even later to the game with this book...I still haven't read it. I keep meaning to, but you know how it goes. Other books always seem to take precedence. Great review! :)

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    1. It will be good no matter when you read it!

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  2. As important and relevant as this one may be, I just haven’t been led to pick it up. I think some of it is what you mentioned... when faced with these actions in the real world, I’d rather escape from in when I turn to fiction. But there’s no denying that it made a big impact on you. I’m glad it was such a powerful read for you.

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    1. I've found that it is important to have a balance in my reading. I read mostly for pleasure, but sometimes it is okay to stray into a book like this one that forces me to think a bit more.

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  3. This sounds like a very moving, emotional book. Thanks for the great review.

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    1. It was very emotional, but in the best way!

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  4. This one is quite popular. Glad you enjoyed it.

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    1. I understand the popularity now. It is fantastic!

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  5. I really loved this book! Thomas addresses so many important topics, and I enjoyed reading the story she told through her characters.

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

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    1. I'm so happy to read that you enjoyed it too! Have you read any of her others?

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  6. I loved this book so much because it spoke to exactly what so many of my students will face as they grow up. I also (not really) hated it for that same reason and that it is so realistic. I read the prequel a couple months ago and while I think THUG is better, it was still valuable and I recommend it.

    I also feel kind of redundant reviewing books late that have already been immensely popular but I still do it anyway.

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    1. I hadn't even thought of your perspective as a teacher, but wow you're right! Such a powerful thing to have to see kids come to terms with.

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    2. It really is. Specifically when I was a Behavior Skills teacher (a self-contained room for students identified with 'behavior disorders' and 'emotional disturbances'), and the majority of my students were Black boys. I was very fortunate to have two African-American paraprofessionals, one of whom grew up on the South Side of Chicago and had some very real life experiences to share. We were very real with our students - at the time 4th-6th graders. Constantly discussing as part of social skills how to interact with police officers - follow directions, no back-talk, no sudden movements, keep your hands visible...everything Black parents have ever had to teach their babies. Then Philando Castile was murdered and we were at a loss for what to tell them anymore. He did everything he was supposed to do, and he was still killed. I don't think I will ever stop worrying about any of my kids, no matter that some have graduated high school at this point.

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    3. That breaks my heart to read about it, so I can only imagine how you must feel going through it with the kids. They are very fortunate to have someone like you who is doing their best to prepare them for the harsh realities of the world. It definitely inspires me to do more to see true accountability and justice happen.

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  7. Love your review Ethan. I have this one on audio.

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  8. This book and this movie were (are) so timely and just stuck with me. It really is brilliant.

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    1. I've heard the movie was done really well!

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  9. I have this one on my shelf but haven't read it yet. I know that it will be a powerful read when I am finally ready to give it a read.

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    1. It is definitely a book you need to be in the mood for, but you won't be disappointed when you do finally read it.

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  10. Wonderful review. I haven't read this one yet either, though I do own it. I'll get there eventually! I'm glad to hear that it really resonated with you. I've read Thomas' book One the Come Up which I really enjoyed.

    lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  11. I hope the Chauvin case leads to changes in policing. I think there's a lot of good officers out there, but there are a lot that join because they enjoy power over others. This story sounds like a powerful read. I'm not sure I'm ready emotionally for it, though. Wonderful review, Ethan!

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    1. I know there are great police officers who are in it for the right reasons, but I think the system in place protects those officers who aren't. I'm hopeful that things are moving in the right direction, and books like this one help that cause!

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  12. It is never redundant to review a good book :)
    Sadly this one fell short for me, really important book, but something something

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    1. Sorry to hear this one didn't quite work for you!

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  13. I think I may have mentioned on Instagram that I didn't read the book, but saw the movie. Tough topic to talk about for sure, but sometimes the things that are difficult to talk about are what brings people together for change. Great review! Hugs and Happy Sunday! RO

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