The following is my spoiler-free review of a compelling, crisp, and crucial début novel called The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  There’s a video interview with Thomas on Youtube where she talks about why she wrote The Hate U Give, and how it’s based on her own experiences as a young black woman. In the interview she explains that she wrote the book for the people of the black community, in particular the youth, who need hope for their future. As a white woman I feel like I’ve been given a special glimpse into their life. Black Lives Matter. If you’re one of those people who say, “What about white lives? What about police lives?” then this book is not for you, and you do not have the insight to appreciate a story like The Hate U Give. Check out the interview: https://youtu.be/w1gNYFka1-s

 

Title: The Hate U Give

Author: Angie Thomas

Genre: YA Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Date published: February 2017

Page Count: 453

Hardcover

ISBN: 9780062498533

 

“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.” Goodreads

The Hate U Give comes from something Tupac said. Thug Life: T-H-U-G L-I-F-E: The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. Meaning, how we treat our youth will affect all of us.

Our main character is Starr, daughter of a grocery store owner who is known in the neighbourhood as “Big Mav“. Once a gang member, he did jail time to get out of the gang and make a better life for his family. He’s not the perfect dad, however, he loves his kids and he’s passionate. The part where he’s reciting the Black Panther’s Ten-Points with his kids…wow. It took my breath away. I love the relationship between Starr’s father and mother. Their marriage feels like a partnership, where they have each other’s backs even when they disagree.

The relationship between Starr and her mother is tender, yet tough. Her mother knows when she needs to make Starr laugh, when to let her yell, and when she needs wise words to remember.

“‘It’s okay. Like I was saying, I did everything right. I remember being in that delivery room, and when they pulled you out, I waited for you to cry. But you didn’t. Everybody ran around, and your father and I kept asking what was wrong. Finally the nurse said you weren’t breathing.
I freaked out. Your daddy couldn’t calm me down. He was barely calm himself. After the longest minute of my life, you cried. I think I cried harder than you though. I knew I did something wrong. But one of the nurses took my hand’ – Momma grabs my hand again – ‘looked me in the eye, and said, ‘Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right’.”

Starr and her two brothers attend a mainly white private school called Williamson, and live in a black neighbourhood called Garden Heights. Starr’s boyfriend, Chris, is a white boy that she goes to school with. She’s been dating him for over a year, but hasn’t told her Dad because Chris is white. Starr and Chris come from two different worlds, which reminded me of Romeo and Juliet. I think many readers relate to Starr feeling like she’s one person while at home in Garden Heights, then a different person when she’s at Williamson prep school.

When Starr was twelve her parents talked to her about what to do if a cop talks to her. No moving. No talking back. I never needed that talk because I never had to fear the cops. My daughter is almost twelve years old, and I can’t imagine having to talk with her about how to avoid getting shot by the cops. I take my white privilege for granted, and I’m thankful for a book like this that reminds me to remember how lucky I am.

“‘This is bigger than me and Khalil. This is about Us, with a capital U; everybody who looks like us, feels like us, and is experiencing this pain with us despite not knowing me or Khalil’.” – Starr

The plot is fantastic, however it’s the characters that truly shine in this dark story. I love how Thomas uses the appearance and sound of the English language to create distinct voices. I could hear each character’s voice in my head while reading.

The Hate U Give is suspenseful, and emotional page-turner. I couldn’t put it down.

Other reviewers have disliked the parts of this book that are racist towards white people. Anyone who gives this novel a low rating because the cop who shot Khalil is white, or that Starr says racist things about white people, you didn’t get the point of this story.

This is one of the best début novels I’ve ever read.

I’m not sure if I can summarize my thoughts into a sentence or two. I could write, and write, and write, about this book. I recommend The Hate U Give to every reader mature enough to handle its powerful message (probably 12-14 years old+). I urge you to read this ASAP.

“Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Meyers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, was acquired by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in a 13-house auction and will be published in spring 2017. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star.” https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15049422.Angie_Thomas