Book Review: The Hate U Give

Hey everyone! I have recently read an amazing book called The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Back in August I had done a post about books I wanted to read, and this book was number one on the list. Since this book was published in 2017, it's more expensive because there are only new editions out, I borrowed it from my school's library. I haven't been reading a lot recently, which I am quite sad about, but I am getting back into it.

Synopsis from GoodReads:

"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 Thoughts:

The Hate U Give needed to be written. In the news for the last few years, there's been talk about the #BlackLivesMatter movements and police brutality; this book hits it all. Starr, the main character,is a witness to her unarmed friend getting murdered by a police officer. She has to deal with the scarring incident, but also with a series of other events. Starr deals with people from her neighbor not thinking she's "black enough" because she goes to a prominently white school and has a white boyfriend. She deals with people from her own school calling her friend, Khalil, a thug because he was involved with sketchy business before getting killed. She deals with news reporters making it seem like Khalil deserved to be killed, and that she was an unreliable source. The list goes on and on about the things she goes through, yet she's incredibly strong throughout it all.

This book also talks a lot about how the media discredits many witnesses to unarmed murders, and changes the way the deceased person is viewed. In the book, Khalil is made out to be a thug by the officer who shot him because the officer didn't want to be put in jail for murder. The news made the officer seem like the victim and how he was "fearing for his life," even though he's one that pulled the trigger. This situation is incredibly real and happened with many cases in the last few years. Starr mentions a lot of these cases such as Emmett Till, Eric Gardner, Trayvon Martin, and so many other black men and women who were unarmed and killed by police officers.

Another thing I liked about this book was that the main character is a strong female. Although the amount of female characters in literature is growing, there's still a lack of female black girls. On this note, men have been writing for a lot longer than women have in history, so it's important that there is more female representation. Starr is a unique and comedic character, and gives representation to many girls throughout the world. Angie Thomas really did a good job with character development of Starr, but also with her family. Starr's mother is a very successful doctor, and she is a great influence on Starr. Even the other girl characters in this book like Maya and Kenya were very three dimensional.

The Hate U Give is very important because Starr shows how a girl can do anything, but also how you have to speak out to be heard. The book sheds a light on how to advocate for something you believe in. It doesn't have to be just by marching, but through social media; Starr makes a tumblr account to show who the real Khalil was. Starr shows how to cope with death, deal with broken friendships, start fresh, and to be an overall good person no matter what happens. This book will be a look into what it's like to live in 2017 for years to come.

Some Favorite Quotes:

“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”

“At an early age I learned that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them.”

“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?”

“I’ve seen it happen over and over again: a black person gets killed just for being black, and all hell breaks loose. I’ve Tweeted RIP hashtags, reblogged pictures on Tumblr, and signed every petition out there. I always said that if I saw it happen to somebody, I would have the loudest voice, making sure the world knew what went down. Now I am that person, and I’m too afraid to speak.”

I really hope that you read this book. Also, this book is being turned into a movie! Starr Carter is being played by Amandla Stenberg (from the Hunger Games!), and Sabrina Carpenter is also in it.

Thanks for reading!!

Christina Madeleine