Review: The Hate U Give

Title: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Purchased
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Review:

I have FINALLY read this book and wow! It was so amazing. I kept putting it off because it’s fairly long, but I flew through it.

I loved Starr’s voice in the narrative. She was so real! Each of the characters had depth so they seemed very realistic too. Especially Mav. He was one of my favourites, because he worked hard for what he had. He started out in a gang and went to prison, but he worked hard to turn is life around so his kids would have a better lifestyle. He was very inspirational.

I have seen many riots on TV, like the ones described in this book. I could never imagine being close to something like that. What was amazing about this book is that puts you right in the middle of the action. You get to see exactly what Starr and her family and friends are going through. That’s the side of the story that they don’t show on the news.

On a happier note, I loved the Harry Potter references in the story. It gave me such a warm feeling to see her relating to Harry, because those books are an important part of my life. My favourite part was when Mav compares the Hogwarts houses to gangs. It was hilarious because it actually makes sense! Though I don’t have much in common with Starr personally, I could relate to her love of Harry Potter and pop culture. This brought me right into the book and made me love it even more!