Skip to main content

REVIEW: The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas

 get it here

 BOOK SUMMARY

 Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood 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 afterward, 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 try 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.

 BOOK REVIEW

 5 STARS

"That's the hate they give us, baby, a system designed against us. That's Thug Life."  

 The Hate U Give is an important read. Especially with the numerous cases of police brutality. I recommend you to read it before the movie comes out. Of course, if you aren't a reader, watching to movie is good too but there's only a few parts that could be captured in 2.5 hours. 

 It was a funny yet heart-breaking read. Some moments made me want to cheer, some made me ugly cry. (It happened in the college library but luckily there was no one around.) There was even a chapter that made me boil with rage. Although this book is considered fiction, it felt way too close to reality because I believe somewhere in this world, it is happening. 

Thomas writes about a community. A group of people who has each others' backs but there's also some threats from the local drug lord. It shares the duality of the people from the hood. My most favourite part would definitely be the part where there were many people who supported the case, using social media as a platform to get your thoughts known. The voice is a tool. Combined with social media to gain support, it's a powerful tool.

 I also loved the tiny details in the book such as minorities working together and the issue of friendships in this story. Race is a very important thing, it's a sense of belonging to a group and we can also share and relate to one another's pain through it. For Starr, a Black girl attending school in a White neighbourhood, she is bound to face a sense of unbelonging. She starts to realise the offensive things her friends say that she used to disregard. Making her question her friendship and relationship with her White boyfriend, Chris.

Furthermore, police brutality is one of the main themes in the book. It is terrible since they are the ones who we trust to protect us. Who can we turn to when the ones who are supposed to protect us turn against us? There's of course, two sides to everything. Despite her lack of trust in the police after what happened, her uncle is a Black policeman and he is willing to risk it all for justice.


Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MAY WRAP-UP

The month of May was the beginning of my blog. I've been wanting a space to write down my thoughts as well as to share the books that I've read for a long while now. I'm glad to say that the month of May may have been the most progressive month when it came to reading. A whopping total of 7 books! Here are the books that I've read in May, in no particular order 1.  The Colossus Rises  by Peter Lerangis I remember getting this book when the author, Peter Lerangis, visited my school. I was only 13 then and it was the first time in a book signing event. The first time I read this book, it was rather disappointing, I could not understand what was happening and I was so lost the whole time. 5 years later, I picked up this book again to give it another chance. This time, I understood it more. You can check out my review of it  here . 2.  Lost in Babylon  by Peter Lerangis I had a copy of this book but I lost it somewhere in my house amongst the oth...
2 comments
Read more

JUNE WRAP-UP

The month of June has been absolutely wonderful! I've not read as many books as I had in May, however, most of the books I've read were worthy of 5 stars. I've dipped my toes into the world of sci-fi, it was a huge step for me since I've always stayed comfortable in the land of Fantasy. I've also read and reviewed a poem collection, which was something different too. Here are the books I've read in June, in no particular order. 1.  NIMBUS  by A.C. Miller The storyline of NIMBUS has captivated me from the start. Over in the land of Nimbus, 14 year-olds are separated from their families for 11 years to live outside the wall. Every day, kids are fighting for their lives, suffering to find food and shelter. They were kicked out without any skills to defend themselves. Only the strong ones can survive.  The writing was consistent, never had there been a moment that was boring. Every character faced their portion of pain and suffering but continued to...
2 comments
Read more

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Alretha Thomas

Meet award winning author and playwright, Alretha Thomas. It has been a decade now since her first novel,  Daughter Denied was launched and now she is back with a mystery novel, The Women on Retford Drive. You can read the first chapter  here . We had the opportunity to interview the busy Alretha Thomas and ask her about her latest release!  THE WOMEN ON RETFORD DRIVE Julia Pritchard, an aging sitcom star making a comeback, and her stepdaughter, Blythe Pritchard, an aspiring attorney, form a pact to start fresh and pursue their dreams. But their plans go awry when Keith Pritchard, Julia’s soon-to-be ex-husband and Blythe’s father, goes missing and is presumed dead, the day they plan to move out of his mansion. The women are filled with bittersweet emotions when they consider the idea that Keith, a tycoon and functional alcoholic, could be out of their lives for good. Moreover, they fear the police will name them as persons of interest because of the abuse they...
2 comments
Read more