Starr Carter lives with one foot in each world. In her suburban, mostly white high school, she must act the part of the demure African American student, who puts up with racist comments and sidelong glances every day without comment. In her poor, mostly African American neighborhood, she’s “Big Mav’s daughter who works in the shop,” and must be the unshakeable daughter of a former gang member. In Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give, Starr’s two worlds collide as she wrestles with herself and her town after her childhood friend is shot by a police officer. This book had many strengths, the most important being its ability to make you truly contemplate the state of American racism. The book is not filled with people screaming their bias at the black community; it's filled with people who are more subtly discriminating against minorities through their unconscious bias that leads to action or offensive comments. The events leading up to an unprovoked shooting will make readers reconsider the real nationally covered shootings that are so easily explained away by the media. For the teenagers looking to read this novel, the language used by the teenaged main characters is surprisingly accurate. The book was written in 2017, and the author was just out of college at the time she wrote this book. The correct slang - words like dope, lit, queen, etc. - easily convince the reader that the book is about real teenagers, experiencing real teenage things. It also aids the reader in identifying with Starr as she navigates her grief for her friend, and her attempts to prosecute the police officer involved. In terms of weaknesses, there were very few, but do be aware that there is a very large amount of cussing contained in the book, consistent with common high school language. The f-word is dropped several times, including multiple uses of less serious expletives, so this is something to consider for younger readers. There is also some sexual content involving teenagers. Neither were necessary to the plot development of the novel, and frankly are a disappointing addition to an otherwise fantastic novel. Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to older teens. It was an excellent read: the main character is relatable, the plot is never boring, and the circumstances of the novel are believable and current. I would caution younger readers due to some adult content, but this book is an incredible read and almost a necessary read in today’s current culture.
This book had many strengths, the most important being its ability to make you truly contemplate the state of American racism. The book is not filled with people screaming their bias at the black community; it's filled with people who are more subtly discriminating against minorities through their unconscious bias that leads to action or offensive comments. The events leading up to an unprovoked shooting will make readers reconsider the real nationally covered shootings that are so easily explained away by the media.
For the teenagers looking to read this novel, the language used by the teenaged main characters is surprisingly accurate. The book was written in 2017, and the author was just out of college at the time she wrote this book. The correct slang - words like dope, lit, queen, etc. - easily convince the reader that the book is about real teenagers, experiencing real teenage things. It also aids the reader in identifying with Starr as she navigates her grief for her friend, and her attempts to prosecute the police officer involved.
In terms of weaknesses, there were very few, but do be aware that there is a very large amount of cussing contained in the book, consistent with common high school language. The f-word is dropped several times, including multiple uses of less serious expletives, so this is something to consider for younger readers. There is also some sexual content involving teenagers. Neither were necessary to the plot development of the novel, and frankly are a disappointing addition to an otherwise fantastic novel.
Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to older teens. It was an excellent read: the main character is relatable, the plot is never boring, and the circumstances of the novel are believable and current. I would caution younger readers due to some adult content, but this book is an incredible read and almost a necessary read in today’s current culture.