REVIEW: The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas

Title: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
Format: Paperback
Pages: 464 Pages
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads Blurb

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighbourhood 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 afterwards, 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 trying 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. 

Thoughts

The book follows Starr, a young African-American girl who witnesses the death of a friend in a police shooting.

I will admit I found the start of the book slow going, but I really started to enjoy this book, and it was so good. I just wanted to jump into the book and hug Starr. I also felt so angry, that they just assumed Khalil was a gangbanger, they didn't know his story, that he was just a boy that was trying to save his mothers' life, but lost his instead. I can understand how thought-provoking this book is, I found myself wanting to shout 'Where is the justice'.

I loved Starr, and I was so glad that she stood up for what was right, and stood up for Khalil when he couldn't. She was such a strong character, and Angie Thomas just writes these moments for her and it makes you realise that she is just a teenage girl, who has witnessed something terrible and is just trying to make some sense out of it.

Overall, I did love this book and think this needs to be read by more people as if it can make me feel angry, and wanting to throw the book, or smack characters because of the injustice. It might bring the message to more people and have more people shouting against this injustice.