This review of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is by our resident teen book reviewer.
Title: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Publisher: Walker Books
About the book
“Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.”
Starr, 16, lives in two worlds: the rich high school where she attends school, and the poor neighbourhood where she was raised. When she is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her best friend, the two worlds collide, and what she does next could destroy her local community.
What I thought
The Hate U Give is one of the best books I have read all year. The characters, particularly that of Starr, a black teenager, continued to develop throughout the novel. This drove the plot forward, keeping me telling myself ‘just one more page’.
The book tackled topics such as racism and social hierarchies. But it’s presented in a relatively easy-to-understand manner. And while delivering very serious and relevant issues, the book managed to stay entertaining, and even funny in places.
I would recommend his book for ages 14+, as it deals with drug use, shootings and violence, and other mature themes.
Buy The Hate U Give at Booktopia.
Find more book reviews by BookBoy and BookBoy Jr here.
Other book lists you might like:
- 21 fantastic books for older girls (picks by bestselling author AL Tait)
- 21 books turned into kids’ movies that will inspire non-readers
- 21 awesome books for reluctant readers (they won’t be able to resist)
