The Hate U Give

Genre:

I selected The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas for the Banned Book category.

Target Age Group:

The target age is 15+ years.

Summary:

    The Hate U Give is an explosive and gripping young adult novel written by Angie Thomas. In this novel, Starr Carter, a 16-year-old Black girl is a witness to the murder of her childhood friend, Kahlil, by a White police officer. Kahlil is shot in the back three times and the ramifications of this incident set Starr on a path of self-discovery. She proceeds to realize that shame has been an integral part of her life. Starr goes to Williamson Prep, a school in Riverton Hills, light years away from the impoverished community of Garden Heights where Starr lives with her family. She has convinced herself that she is not being disloyal to her family but with Kahlil's tragic death, Starr has to face whether or not she has the courage and strength to be the fearless person she so desperately wants to be for her family but especially for Kahlil. 

Justification:

    The young adult novel, The Hate U Give, has been sitting on a bookshelf in my study for the last few years. I have meant to read it so many times and I am glad I had the opportunity to read it for this class. I knew, decidedly, that I had to read it for the Banned Book category. I was intent on finding out what teenagers were reading when it comes to race. I knew it was an important book when I learned through the news and different periodicals that several libraries and school districts across the country were banning this noteworthy novel.

Evaluation:

    For this review I will be evaluating mood, setting, and format. The mood of The Hate U Give is established almost immediately when Starr's childhood friend, Kahlil, is murdered. The tragic circumstances surrounding his death are harsh and real. The reader surmises that this will be a serious book full of compelling moments which will lead them to ask, will there be justice for Kahlil? If ever there was a book that had the reader imagine the essence of every day is gray and to be in constant search for a modicum of joy, this novel fits this description. The Hate U Give is never condescending to the reader and the mood of the story is so true to life you feel as if you are reading a horrific newspaper article.

    The setting is a juxtaposition of the two neighborhoods in this racially divisive novel which is clearly apparent by the rough neighborhood of Garden Heights and the upper middle class neighborhood of Riverton Hills. The neighborhoods are worlds apart in terms of class and economics. Starr is in constant turmoil about how she can cohesively exist in these two worlds. There is hardly a moment where Starr can be her authentic self. The setting is a perfect backdrop that utterly manifests the inner conflicts Starr is experiencing at the tender age of 16. She wants to be true and loyal to the community where she grew up but she also desires to create a better life for herself.

    I read The Hate U Give in a physical book format. I read most of my books in this manner and I was glad I had a physical copy of this novel. I was able to flip back to the pages where I knew a certain incident had occurred. I was also able to stop and reread a difficult passage in order to fully comprehend what had just happened. There is simply something about sitting and staring at the cover of a consequential book and allowing the words you have just read wash over you. I really can't compare that feeling to anything else. Ms. Thomas has written and given us such a thought-provoking novel and to have a physical copy if it makes one think that maybe, just maybe, things in this country will not stay the same and that the murdered sons and daughters of this world will find some justice, whether in a fictional or nonfictional format, because their stories are being told. 

Citation:

Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. Balzer + Bray Books.