The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

      Thomas, A. (2017). The Hate U Give. Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN 9780062498533

     🚨Content warning:  police brutality, murder, social injustice, racism, racial profiling, implied domestic violence, childhood trauma, death, drug dealing🚨

       In The Hate U Give, Starr Carter is a 16-year-old girl hiding her two very different worlds from each other.  In one world, she's the fancy prep school Starr, and in the other world, regular Starr, the one who lives in a poor black neighborhood.  Her worlds threaten to crash into each other when Starr's best friend Khalil was murdered by police in front of her own eyes.  As the murder becomes a national headline, Starr's community is trying to figure out what happened that night.  Starr was the only witness, and it is up to her to decide to give her side of the story or have it spun into a false narrative by others.  

       The Hate U Give was an easy but difficult novel to read.  It is an eye-opening book about the injustice that African-Americans have to face on a daily basis.  Angie gives readers a look into what it means to be an African American in America, and she does so by having scenes where Starr says she was twelve when she had the Talk with her parents.  It's in this science that we learn the Talk wasn't just the normal sex talk many have with their parents, but rather what Starr should do if she's stopped by the police.  

       The Hate U Give is a powerful political message about the Black Lives Matter movement and is extremely important.  It highlights injustices a group of people go through and doesn't shy away from being brutally honest. You FEEL Starr's fear when the police stop her, and it continues when Khalil is killed, and she is still being held at gunpoint.  You become ANGRY when her father is profiled by police after he was talking with one of his store neighbors.  Most of all, you can feel the love that Starr and her family have for each other.  Their family dynamic is one of the best ones I've read.  Despite all the hardships Starr and her family have gone through, they are always there for each other, and that is one of the shining messages in the book.  Her family will always stand behind her and for what is right.  

       All the characters are beautifully written and have so much depth to their emotions. Even after being faced with one of the hardest things in life, seeing her best friend shot and murdered right in front of her eyes, Starr doesn't give up.  She is a strong-willed 16-year girl who, despite being hesitant at first, is simply trying to bring justice to her friend.  She is able to find the courage to stand up for what is right, even when others are trying to silence her voice.  Angie has written a powerful and moving book.  It's a book that everyone should read, no matter your race.  It's no wonder why it's become such a popular and best-selling book!  I also had a "Eureka" moment when I realized that the acronym for The Hate U Give is T.H.U.G., something continually referred to in the book!  

       Kirkus wonderfully sums up The Hate U Give in the review by saying "This story is necessary. This story is important." James U., a teen from Wichita, agreed in his review on the Wichita Public Library website that this novel was important by stating the topics in the book "are difficult ... [but]  With this information, the future and current generations can work in order to resolve these issues like poverty, racism, and police brutality."  If you loved this book, you should also read Dear Martin by Nic Stone or follow up by watching The Hate U Give movie starring Amandla Stenberg!

Awards and Recognition:

• Goodreads Choice Award, 2017, Winner, Young Adult Fiction
• Books are My Bag Readers Awards, 2017, Winner, Young Adult
• British Books Awards, 2018, Short List, Illustrated Children's Book
• Carnegie Medal, 2018, Short List, Children's Book
• Children's and Teen Choice Book Award, 2018, Finalist, Teen
• Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2018, Honor, Author
• Cybils Awards, 2017, Nominee, Young Adult Fiction
• Edgar Allan Poe Awards, 2018, Nominee, Young Adult
• German Youth Literature Award, 2018, Nominee, Prize of the Youth Jury
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2017, Winner, Fiction
• Indies Choice Book Award, 2018, Finalist, Young Adult Book
• Kirkus Prize, 2017, Finalist, Young Reader
• Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2018, Finalist, Young Adult Literature
• Michael L. Printz Award, 2018, Honor
• National Book Award, 2017, Long List, Young People's Literature
• Odyssey Award, 2018, Winner, Children (13-18)
• Silver Inky, 2018, Long List
• Waterstones Children's Book Prize, 2018, Winner, Older Fiction
• William C. Morris Award, 2018, Winner, Young Adult

Sources:  

Thomas, A. (2017). The Hate U Give. Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN 9780062498533

Thomas, A. (2017b, February 28). The hate U give. Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/angie-thomas/hate-u-give

Thomas, A. (n.d.). The hate U give. STARS Library. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1247/

U, J. (n.d.). Wichita Public Library. Teen Blog Post: Book Review: The Hate U Give. https://www.wichitalibrary.org/Youth/Teens/blog/Pages/Book-Review--The-Hate-U-Give.aspx

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