The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, follows the story of an African American teenage girl, Starr, whose life gets torn apart after her childhood best friend gets killed by a policeman during a stop. Her friend Khalil was unarmed and not dangerous, but when he disobeyed an instruction and reached into his car, the policeman got nervous and shot him dead. The clear controversy this situation provides leaves not only Starr’s personal life in ruin, but also her entire neighborhood. A national spotlight is held over her previously overlooked home, as the man responsible for killing Khalil is put on trial and protestors march in the streets. The complexities of Starr and Khalil’s relations to the local drug gang of the area and the questions raised by police and family on both sides of the ongoing fight for justice turn an otherwise simple narrative into a complex and riveting story. One of the biggest appeals the novel has in my eyes is its realism and portrayal of all the issues it raises as complex and multidimensional. The effects of the killing reverberate through Starr’s neighborhood throughout the entire story and highlight how these issues cause riot and protest in the real world. If you are someone who is at all interested in the ongoing discussion of police brutality in America, as well as the calls of justice for the African American community, this novel will provide an accurate and detailed depiction of both sides of that coin, and illustrate skillfully how and why each side behaves the way it does.
Review by Brett, Teen Reviewer