Scan barcode
laura_corsi's review against another edition
5.0
Best book ever!! I am way obsessed with this book and could not get enough. I will be thinking about this one for a long long time. This is the first book in years that I could not put down and had to stay up late to finish. Mom's just don't do that if they want to function in the morning, but it had to be done.
Starr Carter is from Garden Heights, a poorer black neighborhood, whose parents started with nothing and are living the American Dream. Her father is a former gang member turned store owner after a stint in prison, and her mother is a nurse at the local clinic. They have taught their kids to be proud of where they are from and to try to make things better. However, Starr and her brothers go to private schools in a more middle class neighborhood. In the beginning, Starr is struggling to figure out who she is--the girl who goes to the private high school and has white friends or the girl from the projects. She feels as though she has to be 2 different people depending on her location or who she is hanging around.
One night she is reconnecting with old friends at a party in Garden Heights when shots ring out at the party. Everybody runs and her best friend from childhood, Kahlil, grabs Starr and gives her a ride home. However, on their way to Starr's they are pulled over by a cop for a broken taillight and one thing leads to another and BAM!! The cop shoots Kahlil.
The book really is a young adult book. Angie Thomas captures the voice of a young 16 year old black girl trying to come to grips with her identity and with who others say she is or who she should be. It is deftly handled by Ms. Thomas. I can't say enough good about it. It is amazing! Everyone should read it, especially white people or non-minorities.
Starr Carter is from Garden Heights, a poorer black neighborhood, whose parents started with nothing and are living the American Dream. Her father is a former gang member turned store owner after a stint in prison, and her mother is a nurse at the local clinic. They have taught their kids to be proud of where they are from and to try to make things better. However, Starr and her brothers go to private schools in a more middle class neighborhood. In the beginning, Starr is struggling to figure out who she is--the girl who goes to the private high school and has white friends or the girl from the projects. She feels as though she has to be 2 different people depending on her location or who she is hanging around.
One night she is reconnecting with old friends at a party in Garden Heights when shots ring out at the party. Everybody runs and her best friend from childhood, Kahlil, grabs Starr and gives her a ride home. However, on their way to Starr's they are pulled over by a cop for a broken taillight and one thing leads to another and BAM!! The cop shoots Kahlil.
The book really is a young adult book. Angie Thomas captures the voice of a young 16 year old black girl trying to come to grips with her identity and with who others say she is or who she should be. It is deftly handled by Ms. Thomas. I can't say enough good about it. It is amazing! Everyone should read it, especially white people or non-minorities.
caitiep92's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
5.0
I always wanted to read this book, but I never felt I had the emotional fortitude to do so. And after reading and disliking On The Come Up, a companion of sorts to The Hate U Give, I didn't want to read it for fear of being disappointed.
I am relieved that this was not the case. I thoroughly enjoyed The Hate U Give.
A lot of Starr's experiences are unlike my own. I have never grown up in the projects, or worried about gang violence in my immediate vicinity, nor have I ever been a witness to something so tragic and pivotal. But, the breadth of black experiences in this book were universal.
I might not have had the life that Starr did, but as a black woman who has operated within primarily white spaces (I went to a majority white high school, had majority white friends in middle school, live/lived in the white suburbs) since I was a kid I found so much of this book staggeringly relatable. The code switching, the fear of being treated differently, that same fear being validated, the disillusionment with white friends, the resignation to black violence going unpunished are just a handful of the themes showcased that I also had to deal with growing up. It was a painful, bittersweet trip down memory lane.
While I'm largely removed from the situations Starr finds herself in, my everyday life is filled with friends as well as family that live her reality. I’m a really flexible person, but this book still managed to keep me on my toes. There's a point when Starr is upset with Khalil's mother, Brenda, for mourning him when she wasn't there for Khalil his whole life. Starr’s mother checks her saying that regardless of her actions Brenda was his mother; a connection that Starr is trying to invalidate for the sake of her own grief. And I was on Starr's side, but as I read more I started to see the parallels in my mindset to that of the supporters of Khalil’s murderer. I thought a lot about the circumstances that led to Brenda getting on drugs. How an entire system was put in place to oppress black people like Brenda who all in one manages to be a victim as well as an abuser. It’s also a sad dichotomy comparing her life to Khalil’s; it’s a vicious cycle that has been stacked against us from the beginning. It doesn’t justify what she had done nor does Khalil deserve to be totally absolved of his mistakes even in death. But, to be able to observe the blatant evidence of how systemic racism has so meticulously infiltrated my people and judge these actions from the comfort of my own home is undoubtedly a privilege; one that I did not even consider. It’s very easy to judge when I have never had to confront the shades of grey face to face.
While I still largely agree with Starr, I appreciated the space that this book gave me to think about *why* I agreed with Starr as well as the fact that it challenged my natural preconceptions regardless of the fact that it didn’t change my mind. It’s a difference of opinion so I won’t say I’m right in an objective sense. However, I loved how much this book so strongly encouraged the push back against supposed inexorable truths.
I liked that Starr was allowed to go through a myriad of emotions. Grief differs from person to person and it’s not always pretty. Sometimes it’s angry, sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it’s even happy. Starr’s mixed up emotions span the entirety of the book not only immediately after Khalil’s death. It was refreshing to see the death of a character not be a footnote in a protagonist’s development; a shortcut to force a character in a certain direction without having to do the real work of organically building a logical arc.
I loved seeing a strong black family. It was complicated in a way that was both foreign and all too close to home. Traversing complex family politics is an almost inescapable persistence in a persons’ life, yet the navigation of such dynamics in a healthy, constructive way is rarely handled so well (at least not in most of the contemporary YA I’ve read). And reading about an unabashedly black - from the names to the description of the neighborhood to the community leaders - family was so fulfilling especially in light of recent (recurring) issues. The importance of young black people seeing this kind of positivity is immeasurable.
My admiration aside, there were a few flaws.
I find Angie Thomas’ ‘teen speak’ very forced. It involves the liberal utilization of pop culture references and little else. Many young people use an excess of allusions to tv, movies, etc to communicate in real life, that’s true, however, I feel like Thomas is merely retreading mainstream witticisms through the characters rather than creating the types of characters that would use them naturally. For example, there’s a point where Chris is watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The episode is the one where Will has to come to terms with his father being a deadbeat. That is probably the single most talked about episode of the Fresh Prince. So much so that there are several fake internet rumors about it. Chris and Starr also mention that the first Aunt Viv is better than the second; another super common opinion. Both of these things feel like Thomas plucking out the most well known memes in an attempt to pander to the lowest common denominator of teenagers. As a result when the teenagers speak ‘teen’ it’s glaringly obvious and conspicuous. It also feels disingenuous. It doesn’t happen all that often in comparison to On the Come Up, but it’s noticeable enough that I was bothered.
I didn’t like that it was split into parts for no reason. It didn’t always translate to time passing so I don’t get the point especially when the parts starting having less chapters as the book went on. I
I thought there were times when the author did not juggle the cast effectively. There is a large cast at play and there will be times when some characters will just disappear for several chapters. It makes sense that not everyone will get the same amount of attention because not everyone is equal in the narrative. It’s just that a fair amount of characters would get lost in the shuffle more than I’d like. It made me question Starr’s assertions of their purported significance to her life.
Overall, this book did live up to its hype. I would highly recommend it if you’re ready for an inside look at some of the realities of living while black in America. A read that is as relevant today as it was when it was released.
I am relieved that this was not the case. I thoroughly enjoyed The Hate U Give.
A lot of Starr's experiences are unlike my own. I have never grown up in the projects, or worried about gang violence in my immediate vicinity, nor have I ever been a witness to something so tragic and pivotal. But, the breadth of black experiences in this book were universal.
I might not have had the life that Starr did, but as a black woman who has operated within primarily white spaces (I went to a majority white high school, had majority white friends in middle school, live/lived in the white suburbs) since I was a kid I found so much of this book staggeringly relatable. The code switching, the fear of being treated differently, that same fear being validated, the disillusionment with white friends, the resignation to black violence going unpunished are just a handful of the themes showcased that I also had to deal with growing up. It was a painful, bittersweet trip down memory lane.
While I'm largely removed from the situations Starr finds herself in, my everyday life is filled with friends as well as family that live her reality. I’m a really flexible person, but this book still managed to keep me on my toes. There's a point when Starr is upset with Khalil's mother, Brenda, for mourning him when she wasn't there for Khalil his whole life. Starr’s mother checks her saying that regardless of her actions Brenda was his mother; a connection that Starr is trying to invalidate for the sake of her own grief. And I was on Starr's side, but as I read more I started to see the parallels in my mindset to that of the supporters of Khalil’s murderer. I thought a lot about the circumstances that led to Brenda getting on drugs. How an entire system was put in place to oppress black people like Brenda who all in one manages to be a victim as well as an abuser. It’s also a sad dichotomy comparing her life to Khalil’s; it’s a vicious cycle that has been stacked against us from the beginning. It doesn’t justify what she had done nor does Khalil deserve to be totally absolved of his mistakes even in death. But, to be able to observe the blatant evidence of how systemic racism has so meticulously infiltrated my people and judge these actions from the comfort of my own home is undoubtedly a privilege; one that I did not even consider. It’s very easy to judge when I have never had to confront the shades of grey face to face.
While I still largely agree with Starr, I appreciated the space that this book gave me to think about *why* I agreed with Starr as well as the fact that it challenged my natural preconceptions regardless of the fact that it didn’t change my mind. It’s a difference of opinion so I won’t say I’m right in an objective sense. However, I loved how much this book so strongly encouraged the push back against supposed inexorable truths.
I liked that Starr was allowed to go through a myriad of emotions. Grief differs from person to person and it’s not always pretty. Sometimes it’s angry, sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it’s even happy. Starr’s mixed up emotions span the entirety of the book not only immediately after Khalil’s death. It was refreshing to see the death of a character not be a footnote in a protagonist’s development; a shortcut to force a character in a certain direction without having to do the real work of organically building a logical arc.
I loved seeing a strong black family. It was complicated in a way that was both foreign and all too close to home. Traversing complex family politics is an almost inescapable persistence in a persons’ life, yet the navigation of such dynamics in a healthy, constructive way is rarely handled so well (at least not in most of the contemporary YA I’ve read). And reading about an unabashedly black - from the names to the description of the neighborhood to the community leaders - family was so fulfilling especially in light of recent (recurring) issues. The importance of young black people seeing this kind of positivity is immeasurable.
My admiration aside, there were a few flaws.
I find Angie Thomas’ ‘teen speak’ very forced. It involves the liberal utilization of pop culture references and little else. Many young people use an excess of allusions to tv, movies, etc to communicate in real life, that’s true, however, I feel like Thomas is merely retreading mainstream witticisms through the characters rather than creating the types of characters that would use them naturally. For example, there’s a point where Chris is watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The episode is the one where Will has to come to terms with his father being a deadbeat. That is probably the single most talked about episode of the Fresh Prince. So much so that there are several fake internet rumors about it. Chris and Starr also mention that the first Aunt Viv is better than the second; another super common opinion. Both of these things feel like Thomas plucking out the most well known memes in an attempt to pander to the lowest common denominator of teenagers. As a result when the teenagers speak ‘teen’ it’s glaringly obvious and conspicuous. It also feels disingenuous. It doesn’t happen all that often in comparison to On the Come Up, but it’s noticeable enough that I was bothered.
I didn’t like that it was split into parts for no reason. It didn’t always translate to time passing so I don’t get the point especially when the parts starting having less chapters as the book went on. I
I thought there were times when the author did not juggle the cast effectively. There is a large cast at play and there will be times when some characters will just disappear for several chapters. It makes sense that not everyone will get the same amount of attention because not everyone is equal in the narrative. It’s just that a fair amount of characters would get lost in the shuffle more than I’d like. It made me question Starr’s assertions of their purported significance to her life.
Overall, this book did live up to its hype. I would highly recommend it if you’re ready for an inside look at some of the realities of living while black in America. A read that is as relevant today as it was when it was released.
gizadaemon's review against another edition
4.0
No doubt a great book with a crucial message. I loved most of the characters and was impressed by how many topics she was able to cover. The one that struck me the most was the dissonance between Starr’s home life and school life. The way the other kids and even her friends looked at her authentic self and experiences as inferior and “ghetto” just because they couldn’t relate and didn’t care to.
I know firsthand how painful it is to care about people and realize that they see you as some undesirable, “other” being because your experiences are different from theirs and you don’t fit perfectly into their group.
Ultimately, a couple things kept this from being a five star read for me. One, is that the writing is a little basic. It’s not bad, it just didn’t move me. However, considering that this is her debut novel and it’s YA, it’s still very good and does its job. Second, is that I think the message of the book would hit much harder if I as the reader had gotten to know Khalil more than I did. Starr is obviously heartbroken about his loss and grieves deeply throughout the entire story, but it’s hard for me to feel so strongly about a character that was only there for a few pages. I’m told about what a great person he was, but it would’ve been far more effective if it had showed me what a great person he was instead.
Overall, this was still a fantastic read, and I think it’s an essential addition to any young person’s library.
I know firsthand how painful it is to care about people and realize that they see you as some undesirable, “other” being because your experiences are different from theirs and you don’t fit perfectly into their group.
Ultimately, a couple things kept this from being a five star read for me. One, is that the writing is a little basic. It’s not bad, it just didn’t move me. However, considering that this is her debut novel and it’s YA, it’s still very good and does its job. Second, is that I think the message of the book would hit much harder if I as the reader had gotten to know Khalil more than I did. Starr is obviously heartbroken about his loss and grieves deeply throughout the entire story, but it’s hard for me to feel so strongly about a character that was only there for a few pages. I’m told about what a great person he was, but it would’ve been far more effective if it had showed me what a great person he was instead.
Overall, this was still a fantastic read, and I think it’s an essential addition to any young person’s library.
ashley_nicole_bee's review against another edition
4.0
I really appreciate the perspective this book gave me. I feel like the plot is meant more for a younger audience like middle school, but I really appreciated the themes and the first hand look at things I have never and will never experience.
remmslupin's review
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.5
elisajanning's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
angelastaples's review against another edition
5.0
This powerful book is great for both young adults and adults. I found the characters were convincing and it was impossible not to feel for them. The book deals with the difficult story of a young black woman's life in the aftermath of witnessing her friend being shot dead by a police officer. The story is current and relevant and punches it's weight on huge political issues while also being personal and moving on an individual level. The book made our summer reads reading list as a must-read for young adults and older readers.