Back of Book: 

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. 

Book Number: Stand Alone

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A powerful and moving novel that has positively affected so many people, "The Hate U Give" is a poignant look into racism in America and the tragedy that is police brutality against Black Americans. 

Starr Carter is used to being a chameleon. At home, she gets to be her true self and embraces her Black culture. At the prep school she attends that is dominated by white folks, Starr adapts to be a version of herself that the majority of society is more likely to accept. When she is the sole witness of the murder of one of her best friend's, Khalil, it's hard for Starr to be herself anywhere. Everyone at home is treating her like a fragile piece of glass, while her fellow classmates act entirely too insensitively, because they have no idea what is happening in her other life. The world is desperate to know the truth of what happened the night that tragedy struck, and Starr is the only one that is able to tell the truth. Now, Starr must find the courage to use her voice and fight her hardest to obtain justice for her fallen friend. 

"The Hate U Give" is one of those books that most everyone has heard of, and it is long overdue that I read this one. A reading challenge I was doing prompted me to finally read this one, and I'm glad that I finally got around to doing so. 

Cultural diversity is something that I have long time admired, so reading about all the racial injustices in the world always makes my heart bleed. Starr goes through so much tragedy at the hands of others simply because of the color of her skin. This is a sad truth for many youths (and adults alike) in America, so I'm so glad that Thomas pens the types of novels that she does, because we really need to bring this type of awareness to so many people. 

Going a bit deeper into the tragedy in Starr's life, she has lost two of her best friends to acts of needless violence. When she was ten years old, her friend Natasha was shot in a drive by shooting, simply because she was a black girl enjoying herself. When she was sixteen, another one of her dear friends, Khalil, was shot by a hasty cop that assumed he was a dangerous criminal solely due to the color of his skin. As the book progresses, Starr and her family face dozens of accounts of other acts of racial discrimination, many of them overtly violent, and it makes me so mad that people are willing to try so hard to try to scare and harm innocent people. 

Another way that racism is explored in this book is through Starr's best friends from her prep school as well as the entire vibe of the school in general. Starr's two besties outside her neighborhood are Maya and Hailey. Maya is Chinese American whereas Hailey is a snooty white girl. Hailey says some pretty awful "jokes" throughout this book that are quite clearly racist comments that she is too afraid to say without a label. Yes, Hailey says some awful stuff to Starr about being black and Khalil's shooting, but she also pokes fun at Maya's religion. The two girls eventually decide to team up and confront Hailey about all the trashy comments that she has made over the years. This is such a great reminder to keep one's friends in check; if they are saying things that aren't okay, it is your responsibility as an advocate to stand up for what's right, even if it may make your friends angry at you for a while. 

I wanted to take a moment and talk about how this book is so much more than a discussion of race. Starr is a young girl, and like all people, she has her own share of problems that have nothing to do with the color of her skin. She has a boyfriend named Chris who is super sweet but can sometimes be a little pushy about sex stuff. Starr's brothers constantly keep her on her toes. Her little brother, Sekani, is filled with innocent joy, and Starr wants to keep him oblivious to the dangers of the world as long as possible. Her older brother, Seven, is often on her back about things. And of course, her parents are always up in her business about who she is friends with, why she's dating certain people, and about how well she is doing in school. Starr has an involved family who always have her back, and it makes for a tight-knit cast of characters. The interactions and minor conflicts between Starr and those involved in her life all offer valuable lessons about growing up and taking accountability for one's actions. 

I managed to get my hands on the Barnes & Noble collector's edition of this book, which comes with some bonus content put together by Thomas. It has a letter from her about what "The Hate U Give" means to her and others, a note on the names in the book, as well as a glimpse into the short story that inspired this book. It was really cool to read "The Black Widows," as it reads now as an alternative universe version of this world where Khalil is killed by a police officer while selling drugs rather than while driving home from a party. This short following Khalil really highlights the importance of decision making and showcases an alternative way that Khalil could have died. Sadly, there never seems to be a happy ending for this boy, and he is still killed by the rage of white police officers who assume the worse about a young black boy. 

Overall, "The Hate U Give" is a powerful story that explores systemic racism in America and the power that we all have to do go in this chaotic world. Starr is a young girl that I feel many can relate to, even if one isn't Black. Just like everyone else, she has problems with her family members and her boyfriend. She struggles through the mundanity of school, just like everyone else does. Yes, she's went through some terrible things in her lifetime, but that doesn't mean that her life isn't filled with joy either. This book is the perfect reminder to embrace the good, stand up for what is right even in the smallest of circumstances, and to always be a decent person regardless of the emotions one feels inside. I'm so happy I finally got around to reading this one, and I hope to explore more of Thomas' work soon. 

Audiobook Note: Bahni Turpin is the one that brings story to life in the audio format. I feel they did a great job of bringing Black culture to life in a way that I never could have done justice to with my brain power alone. I only listened to probably two-thirds of this book on audio, but it was enough to get the mannerisms, the slang and the tone of these characters embedded in my mind. I feel that the audio itself was a touch crackly at times, which I thought a bit strange for a book as big as "The Hate U Give," but I got over it pretty quick. 

Back of Book: 

International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man. 

Book Number: Prequel

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary 

Review: ?