Recommended by a Thayer 7th Grader in 2021
Angie Thomas is the author of...
The Hate U Give, which was also recommended by Thayer students
Synopsis, via Amazon:
"Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill.
But it’s hard to get your come up when you’re labeled a hoodlum at school, and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral . . . for all the wrong reasons.
Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn’t just want to make it—she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.
Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free."
What Thayer students are saying:
"You should pick up and read this book if you you are interested in how music artists start their career and the struggles they go through."
"This book is about a girl named Bri who wants to become a rapper. It is hard for her to get her name out there, because her family doesn't have much money which makes it difficult for Bri to find music opportunities. Throughout the novel, Bri has to learn to stay to true herself even when it means risking her success."