Book Review – The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

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YA genre is not one of my favourites. So it took me a long time to finally get curious and see what all the hype around The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas was about. Was the hype justified? Read on to find out 😉

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.

MY REVIEW

There are three kinds of books, in my humble opinion – books that entertain, books that educate and books changes you. This book was all three together. It is not only about an issue that has far reaching implications in today’s world but is also so well written that you literally cannot put it down once you start reading it.

“Pac said Thug Life stood for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. T-H-U-G-L-I-F-E. Meaning what society gives us as youth, it bites them in the ass when we wild out. Get it?”

This quote is the core concept behind the entire book and it is so true, not just for black people but for any minority or oppressed group in the world. The hate that society gives them, eventually comes back to haunt everyone in the form of anger, riots and violence. It was such a profound concept and it truly changed the way I look at life.

“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”

Starr Carter, our protagonist, is one of the most unforgettable characters ever written in the world of fiction. Her portrayal is so real and life like that you sometimes forget you are reading about a fictional character. Her fears, her attempts to fit in to the world she is thrust in, her feelings of being a misfit, her guilt and most of all her transformation from the girl who was afraid to speak up to the girl in the last chapter of the book are hugely relatable and spell binding to read.

What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?

Each and every character in this book leave a lasting impression in your mind and they stay with you for a long time, in your heart, even after you have moved on to other books. The family dynamics, especially, makes you wish for bonds like these and a support system like that for yourself, in real life.

I could go on waxing poetic about this book for hours and it still would not be enough to describe all the wonderful feelings it evoked in me. I urge you, to take some time out of your busy lives and read this book because it is that one book you don’t want to miss in your life.

“The truth casts a shadow over the kitchen—people like us in situations like this become hashtags, but they rarely get justice. I think we all wait for that one time though, that one time when it ends right.”

Rating : All the ⭐️ in the world, because 5 stars are not enough, for this gorgeous book.

Add to : Goodreads

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About The Author

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Meyers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, was acquired by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in a 13-house auction and will be published in spring 2017. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star.