“That’s the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”
- Title: The Hate U Give
- Author: Angie Thomas
- Genre: YA Fiction
- Pages: 444 pages
- Publication date: February 28, 2017
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
I saw the movie trailer and got interested in the story, but of course I couldn’t watch the movie until I read the book. So, while it was on sale, I grabbed it.
The Hate U Give opens with a girl named Starr, who is uncomfortable at a party. She runs into an old friend though. But shots ring out, they leave. As her friend was taking her home, a cop pulls them over and shoots her friend when he was trying to ask Starr if she was okay.
The book talks about a serious issue going on in America. It shows the side that the media does not show: the side of the oppressed. It talks about how families get into the drug business and how dangerous life is for them. It also takes a critical take on racism today.
The story’s message can be taken wrong though. After her friend got shot, Starr seems to assume that white means terrible and deadly. She even takes it out on her white boyfriend, who did nothing but support her the whole story. It could be taken as “all white people are racist and should be guilty for it” at times. I don’t think that’s what the author meant to do though.
Angie focused on getting a clear story out about how rough most parts of America are. This is a difficult but important topic to discuss. We all need to discuss it all more.
I liked Starr’s character. I also like how diverse all the characters were. It didn’t feel like only one opinion of what happened got across, but many sides of the story. The characters were vivid throughout. The story does slow down in certain spots where it focuses more on the side story than the main story. This isn’t a story about the boy who got shot, but rather about a girl rising up against the silence.
If you’re curious about what some parts of America is like, it’s a great book to read for that. It does a good take on the unjust police shootings. It’s a heartwarming story about a girl growing up in a hard world that she never asked for. It’s not a short read at all, so buckle up. I also think the ending is great too because it’s accurate and real.
Now, I got a movie to watch.
Score: 9.3/10
Average rating on Goodreads: 4.55/5
Robin LeeAnn 
I’ve been hmmming and hawing about this book for ages. I thought it was non fiction and has no idea it was YA. Thanks for writing this!
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No problem! Glad you liked the review!
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