Book Review: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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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.

My Review:

I really just want everyone to read this book. This book is so important. Especially with everything that goes on today.

The Hate U Give follows Starr. A black girl who lives in Garden Heights and she basically lives to separate lives. She's a different person at school than she is at home. She thinks she can't be herself at her school. She's scared people will only see her as a ghetto poor black girl. 

She witnesses the fatal shooting of her friend Khalil, who was murdered by a cop. This book shows what she goes through trying to tell Khalil's story and make sure that he gets the justice he deserves.

This book is moving. This book is heartbreaking. I'm so pissed with how this book ended. But if it had a happy ending, it wouldn't do it's job. It wouldn't be realistic.

The Hate U Give tackles serious topics that we see on a day-to-day basis. It's definitely a good book to read to get more information about police brutality against people of color. You get to see something so innocent get turned into something to terrible and something so untrue. 

You really have to read this book. You get so much perspective. It's such an inspiring read. Please, please pick it up!

5/5 Stars