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jol69's review against another edition
4.0
Not an easy read. As someone with zero experience of Starr's world I felt that Thomas gave me an insight into some complex issues.
emldavis001's review against another edition
5.0
I have put off reading this book because A) I didn't want to buy it and B) No library near me had it. Well, finally I found it in a library and checked it out, and boy am I glad that I did. This book was amazing. I felt so many different emotions while reading it an that's what i want in a book. I wanted and still want to watch the movie , but I couldn't until I read the nook. I defiantly recommend this book. It's one of the best that I have read in a while.
heidikundin's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars that definitely deserves to be rounded up! I was worried that this book wouldn't live up to its hype and high ratings, but it absolutely did.
Everything about this book is SO good, but for me, its greatest strength lies in the character development. I loved every single one of the relationships, especially the family relationships between the parents and the siblings, and they were all really relatable despite being incredibly different from my own life. Another reviewer called this "not-so-fictional fiction," and I think that's a perfectly fitting description. The topic of race and the Black Lives Matter movement is always a difficult subject to approach, and Angie Thomas does it brilliantly in a way that immerses you into the situation.
Maybe I'm just being picky, but because the character development was done so well, the only thing that I felt was missing from this novel was a little more Khalil at the beginning. True, we learn a lot about Khalil through Starr and the other characters as the story goes on, but I wish there had been one more chapter at the beginning where the reader gets to know him a bit better on our own before the tragedy occurs.
Everything about this book is SO good, but for me, its greatest strength lies in the character development. I loved every single one of the relationships, especially the family relationships between the parents and the siblings, and they were all really relatable despite being incredibly different from my own life. Another reviewer called this "not-so-fictional fiction," and I think that's a perfectly fitting description. The topic of race and the Black Lives Matter movement is always a difficult subject to approach, and Angie Thomas does it brilliantly in a way that immerses you into the situation.
Maybe I'm just being picky, but because the character development was done so well, the only thing that I felt was missing from this novel was a little more Khalil at the beginning. True, we learn a lot about Khalil through Starr and the other characters as the story goes on, but I wish there had been one more chapter at the beginning where the reader gets to know him a bit better on our own before the tragedy occurs.
librarylandlisa's review against another edition
5.0
This book was great. I am putting it in my top 10 for the year, maybe top 5. GREAT audiobook
kelliv810's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
haruko's review against another edition
3.0
I typically don't pay attention to reviews before I read a book but I noticed that the Hate U Give has nearly five stars. After finishing it, I think I understand why.
The Hate U Give discusses racism, classism, gang violence, love, loss, and protest. These are topics that will always be relevant and is a modern commentary on the Black Lives Matter movement, Trayvon Martin, police brutality, and modern-day politics.
These messages are extremely important to convey, especially to young people. They are multi-layered and will take more than one book to truly understand. Regardless of their complexity, Angie Thomas attempted to put them in a digestible format for younger audiences.
What I've found is that it's very hard to take a novel seriously when the author chooses to express emotion and actions through pop culture references, as seen here:
"Before Khalil, I planned to cold-shoulder Chris with a sting more powerful than a nineties R&B breakup song. But after Khalil I'm more like a Taylor Swift song. (No shade, I fucks with Tay-Tay, but she doesn't serve like nineties R&B on the angry-girlfriend scale.)
You know what? I'll Beyonce him. Not as powerful as a nineties R&B breakup song, but stronger than a Taylor Swift."
Reading the excerpt in real time felt like a train wreck; the scene derailed quickly and I still don't understand what the author was trying to convey. Ten, twenty, thirty years from now, the audience isn't going to understand either. Books immediately become dated when pop culture references are used in this way and they don't connect with young readers as well as authors think they do. After this scene, all the forced slang and references are toned way down. They're no longer interrupting the story and more important messages are focused on.
Overall this book was decent and hopefully it encourages young readers to understand African-Americans as individuals and as American citizens who are still being oppressed in this day and age. Change comes in baby steps and can start with a young child's hands holding this book.
The Hate U Give discusses racism, classism, gang violence, love, loss, and protest. These are topics that will always be relevant and is a modern commentary on the Black Lives Matter movement, Trayvon Martin, police brutality, and modern-day politics.
These messages are extremely important to convey, especially to young people. They are multi-layered and will take more than one book to truly understand. Regardless of their complexity, Angie Thomas attempted to put them in a digestible format for younger audiences.
What I've found is that it's very hard to take a novel seriously when the author chooses to express emotion and actions through pop culture references, as seen here:
"Before Khalil, I planned to cold-shoulder Chris with a sting more powerful than a nineties R&B breakup song. But after Khalil I'm more like a Taylor Swift song. (No shade, I fucks with Tay-Tay, but she doesn't serve like nineties R&B on the angry-girlfriend scale.)
You know what? I'll Beyonce him. Not as powerful as a nineties R&B breakup song, but stronger than a Taylor Swift."
Reading the excerpt in real time felt like a train wreck; the scene derailed quickly and I still don't understand what the author was trying to convey. Ten, twenty, thirty years from now, the audience isn't going to understand either. Books immediately become dated when pop culture references are used in this way and they don't connect with young readers as well as authors think they do. After this scene, all the forced slang and references are toned way down. They're no longer interrupting the story and more important messages are focused on.
Overall this book was decent and hopefully it encourages young readers to understand African-Americans as individuals and as American citizens who are still being oppressed in this day and age. Change comes in baby steps and can start with a young child's hands holding this book.
rebeccasreadingrambles's review against another edition
5.0
Wow this book hit hard. Beautifully written, strong vibrant characters and so much emotion. It made me sick to my stomach and my chest hurt. It made me smile and laugh. It made me think. I can't remember the last book that made my cry so many times. The writing was so vivid and well done that I could feel character's emotions like they were my own. Strong strong strong characters. And so many important themes that made this book feel like a true to life story.
Starr's struggle to navigate her world and the extraordinary and life altering situation she is put into. She is amazing. I simply don't think I could step into her shoes. She's a rockstar because she is so real.
I'm not going to start an argument via goodreads reviews, but just state my feelings through this amazing book.
I'm from the suburbs of Baltimore and lived in the city while the Freddie Gray case happened. I remembered the media, the riots, the looting, seeing tanks drive down the streets of my neighborhood. Being on lock down at work and at a baseball game. Walking past armed military men and women who were there to protect some people in the city against others. It's something I hope never has to happen in a city again. Though I did not grow up in the city and have not faced what many people face on a daily basis, I could understand both side of what was going on. And I saw so many of things play out the way they did in this book. Not only the "police vs thug", but the poverty that forced people to live lives they wouldn't have chosen. How the media always picks a side. How truths and perception all get muddled together.
The biggest message for me here was when Starr that even if Khalil was a drug dealer, so what, that doesn't mean his life should be forfeit. And that Starr has hope that these things will change. I hope and pray that they do Starr.
Starr's struggle to navigate her world and the extraordinary and life altering situation she is put into. She is amazing. I simply don't think I could step into her shoes. She's a rockstar because she is so real.
I'm not going to start an argument via goodreads reviews, but just state my feelings through this amazing book.
I'm from the suburbs of Baltimore and lived in the city while the Freddie Gray case happened. I remembered the media, the riots, the looting, seeing tanks drive down the streets of my neighborhood. Being on lock down at work and at a baseball game. Walking past armed military men and women who were there to protect some people in the city against others. It's something I hope never has to happen in a city again. Though I did not grow up in the city and have not faced what many people face on a daily basis, I could understand both side of what was going on. And I saw so many of things play out the way they did in this book. Not only the "police vs thug", but the poverty that forced people to live lives they wouldn't have chosen. How the media always picks a side. How truths and perception all get muddled together.
The biggest message for me here was when Starr that even if Khalil was a drug dealer, so what, that doesn't mean his life should be forfeit. And that Starr has hope that these things will change. I hope and pray that they do Starr.