the hate u give book review new york times

The Hate U Give Enters the Ranks of Great YA Novels

The bestselling young-adult book by Angie Thomas looks at police violence through the eyes of a teen girl.

“They finally put a sheet over Khalil. He can’t breathe under it. I can’t breathe.”

The last words of Eric Garner, adopted and amplified by the Black Lives Matter movement, echo again in the early pages of Angie Thomas’s young-adult novel The Hate U Give. By the time she’s 16, Starr Carter, the protagonist of the book, has lost two of her childhood friends to gun violence: one by a gang drive-by, and one by a cop.

As the sole witness to her friend Khalil’s fatal shooting by a police officer, Starr is overwhelmed by the pressure of testifying before a grand jury and the responsibility of speaking out in Khalil’s memory. The incident also means that the carefully built-up boundary between Starr’s two worlds begins to crumble. For years, she has spent her weekdays at a private, majority-white school, where she explains, “I’m cool by default because I’m one of the only black kids there.” Back at home, she lives with her father “Big Mav,” a former gang-member who wants to make their crime-ridden neighborhood a better place, and her mother Lisa, who wants to move away in order to keep her family safe.

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Now in its third consecutive week at number one on The New York Times bestseller list for young-adult novels, Thomas’s debut novel offers an incisive and engrossing perspective of the life of a black teenage girl as Starr’s two worlds converge over questions of police brutality, justice, and activism.

Thomas’s book derives its title from the rapper Tupac Shakur’s philosophy of THUG LIFE—which purportedly stands for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody”—and it’s a motif the novel returns to a few times. The acronym tattooed across Tupac’s abdomen could be read as an embrace of a dangerous lifestyle. But, as Khalil explains to Starr, just minutes before the cop pulls them over, it’s really an indictment of systemic inequality and hostility: “What society gives us as youth, it bites them in the ass when we wild out.”

This question of appearance versus reality recurs throughout The Hate U Give . Starr, familiar with perceptions of her neighborhood, community, and herself, code-switches to adapt to her environment and others’ expectations. After the shooting, a new narrative—one that paints Khalil as a drug dealer threatening a cop—surfaces, but an emboldened Starr challenges this simplistic framing of her friend. The novel goes on to raise cogent and credible counter-arguments to the flattening narratives often presented by authorities and echoed by many media outlets in shooting cases involving young black males.

As a book written for teens, The Hate U Give reminds readers of just how often racialized violence is carried out against that age group (Michael Brown was 18 when he was killed; Trayvon Martin was 17; and not-yet teen Tamir Rice was 12). And it illustrates how young people of color who might speak out to defend their late friends are unfairly criticized, as happened to Rachel Jeantel when she testified against her friend Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman. Thomas’s novel keenly understands the dangers of defaulting to the cop/vigilante versus “thug” framing device: The deceased get put on trial, rather than their killers.

The Hate U Give has many of the markers of a typical young-adult novel, too: At times, Starr feels judged and out of place in school, she’s navigating a friendship with a “mean girl,” and is a year into her first real romantic relationship. But each of these plotlines is inevitably complicated by race. For example, Starr hides her white boyfriend from her father. “I mean, anytime he finds out a black person is with a white person, suddenly something’s wrong with them,” Starr explains. “I don’t want him looking at me like that.” She’s wary, too, of sharing her role in the investigation at school because she doesn’t trust one of her closest friends to be sympathetic to her situation, and she feels self-conscious about the easy stereotyping of her neighborhood as “the ghetto.”

Thomas’s intimate writing style and the novel’s first-person perspective taps fully into Starr’s shock, pain, and outrage during the shooting and its aftermath. As a result, The Hate U Give allows some readers to see the complexity of their lives mirrored in literature; for others who may be removed from Starr’s experience or haven’t lived through similar tragedies, it can help generate deeper understanding.

In addition to being an engagingly written story, Thomas’s novel is a vital new contribution to the white-dominated publishing industry. Lee and Low Books’s 2015 Diversity survey found that about 80 percent of industry respondents were Caucasian. And while the number of black characters in children’s books has grown over the past decade, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center found that the number of books written by black authors has held relatively steady. In 2016, out of 3,400 new children’s books counted, 278 were about African Americans—a record for 12 years of surveying. But, out of the thousands of books the center receives, the number of African American writers has hovered between 70 and 100 for the same time period.

Appealing to readers across age, not just race, is a goal for Thomas as well. In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan , she explained , “‘Young adult’ is a critical age, and I knew that if I showed Starr going through these types of things, I could provide a mirror for some young adults and a window for adults—a lot of [whom] read young adult books—who might bring open hearts to a story that I told from her perspective, when they might normally look at a topic like this and say, ‘No.’” But thanks to Thomas’s absorbing storytelling, those who read The Hate U Give will be right beside Starr, grappling with understanding entrenched prejudice, where it comes from, and what role she—and those at home—have in exposing and combatting it.

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This Teen Book About Black Lives Matter Is the No. 1 YA Book in the Country Right Now

In these uncertain times, it’s helpful to take solace in knowing teens have great taste in books. Angie Thomas’s debut novel, The Hate U Give , which was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and only came out last week, has already hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list for young-adult hardcover books.

On Twitter, Angie Thomas herself shared her excitement about the news.

It looks like the book’s success isn’t about to stop there, either: It’s already been optioned for a film starring Amandla Stenberg . The kids are gonna be all right.

• the hate u give
• angie thomas

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The hate u give, common sense media reviewers.

Powerful story of police shooting of unarmed Black teen.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Explains police brutality from the victims' perspe

Strong messages throughout The Hate U Give about c

Unlike many books aimed at young adults, this nove

We see several instances of violence and hear abou

There's talk of an affair between two adults. Teen

Conversational swearing by both adults and teens t

Name brands including Jordans, luxury automobiles,

Teens drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at a party

Parents need to know that Angie Thomas' New York Times best-selling book The Hate U Give won a 2018 Coretta Scott King Author Honor, a Michael L. Printz Honor, and the Odyssey Award for best audiobook for kids and teens. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, it involves the police shooting of…

Educational Value

Explains police brutality from the victims' perspective and shows a broad view of protest strategies, justice, inequality, and the systemic failures that often accompany police shootings.

Positive Messages

Strong messages throughout The Hate U Give about community activism and togetherness, family strength, courage, bravery, and redemption.

Positive Role Models

Unlike many books aimed at young adults, this novel is full of positive kid and adult role models. The adults who reach out to mentor and advise the students not only provide guidance but also show vulnerability, which allows the teens in the story to feel comfortable with their own vulnerability. The teens navigate tough situations but show a willingness to learn from mistakes and make amends.

Violence & Scariness

We see several instances of violence and hear about others. A unarmed teen boy is shot and killed; we see the blood, and we see him die. There are other reports of shootings and deaths as a result. Another boy is badly beaten. A woman is described as being beaten. An older gentleman is attacked by a group of young men; we don't see the attack but we see the injuries. Many threats are made on the lives of various people. A young girl dies in a drive-by shooting and her blood is described as mingling with the fire hydrant water. There are school fights between girls and boys. Buildings are set on fire during riots.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

There's talk of an affair between two adults. Teens engage in heavy petting, talk about having sex and condoms. A teen girl is described as being on birth control, and there's discussion of teen pregnancy and the assumption that a married couple is having sex when they go to their bedroom and turn the television up loud. A woman is revealed to be a sex worker.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Conversational swearing by both adults and teens throughout the novel, including "s--t," "f--k," "ass," "bitch," "damn" (and variants), and "nigga."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Name brands including Jordans, luxury automobiles, junk food brands, and restaurants such as Taco Bell are mentioned for scene setting or to show the disparity between lifestyles.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Teens drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at a party. Two adult characters are alcoholics. Adults are described as being addicted to drugs, addiction to crack cocaine is discussed, and both teens and adults are described as selling drugs. We don't actually see drugs being sold, but drug dealing is discussed throughout the novel.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Angie Thomas' New York Times best-selling book The Hate U Give won a 2018 Coretta Scott King Author Honor, a Michael L. Printz Honor, and the Odyssey Award for best audiobook for kids and teens. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, it involves the police shooting of an unarmed black teen. The book covers topics of race, interracial dating, political activism, grief, friendship, wealth disparity, police brutality, addiction, and the media's depiction of African Americans. Parents should be prepared to discuss recent and past instances of police shootings, how they were covered in the media, dealing with grief, and possible reactions to the trauma revealed in the book. There is some conversational swearing by both adults and teens throughout the novel, including "s--t," "f--k," "ass," "bitch," "damn" (and variants), and "nigga." Violence includes an unarmed teen boy shot and killed -- we see the blood and see him die. There are other reports of shootings and deaths as a result. A boy is badly beaten. A woman is described as being beaten. An older gentleman is attacked by a group of young men; we don't see the attack but we see the injuries. A young girl dies in a drive-by shooting and her blood is described as mingling with the fire hydrant water. There are school fights between girls and boys. Buildings are set on fire during riots. Sexual situations include teens engaging in heavy petting, talk about having sex and condoms. There's discussion of teen pregnancy and the assumption that a married couple is having sex when they go to their bedroom and turn the television up loud. A woman is revealed to be a sex worker. Teens drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at a party. Two adult characters are alcoholics. Adults are described as being addicted to drugs, addiction to crack cocaine is discussed, and both teens and adults are described as selling drugs.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (53)
• Kids say (184)

Based on 53 parent reviews

R Rated Book

What's the story.

In THE HATE U GIVE, Starr Carter is a teen between two worlds: her school, which is rich, fancy, and white; and her neighborhood, which is poor and black. She navigates this differing terrain every day of her life until her worlds collide when she witnesses the fatal police shooting of her best friend, Khalil, an unarmed black teen. Khalil's death goes viral, and Starr is caught in the middle between the protesters in the street and her friends at school. With the eyes of the world on her, Starr has to decide: Will she say what happened that night? Will it matter?

Is It Any Good?

Wrenching, soul stirring, funny, endearing, painful, and frustratingly familiar, this novel offers a powerful look at a few weeks in a fairly typical teen girl's life -- with one horrific exception. Sure she worries about school, issues with friends, and her secret boyfriend, but she's also the sole witness to the fatal shooting of her best friend by a police officer. In The Hate U Give , author Angie Thomas manages to bring humanity -- deep, emotionally binding, full-bodied humanity -- to the victims of police brutality and the families and friends they leave behind. The scenarios that revolve around the shooting are achingly routine -- unarmed African American, the media's push to blame the victim, a lax investigation, and a lack of charges or convictions. However, set against the backdrop of typical teen life, of community and family life, the consequences of the officer's actions and the actions others take after the tragedy take on a life and power beyond what any think piece or talking points on the subject could achieve.

The characters in the book are rich, complex, and fully developed. They feel like family, friends, and neighbors, and they give those unfamiliar with life in urban centers an understanding that the setting may be specific but the human condition is the universal. The tragedy and triumph of Thomas' stellar work is that it's very real and heartbreakingly familiar. Teens will enjoy the book for its unfiltered look at life, death, grief, and social and political commentary, while parents and teachers will enjoy the book's well-written and thorough approach to a complex social issue.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how The Hate U Give discusses the media's reaction to police shootings of unarmed African Americans vs. how it reports violence against or perpetrated by white Americans. What's the difference in the language used? Whom and what does the media focus on when it reports the story? Is it fair?

How do you talk about race and other social issues with friends and family? How do you deal with friends who tell racist, homophobic, and otherwise offensive jokes? What about family members who say inappropriate things? Is it better to ignore or confront the person? What are the repercussions of each approach? What strategies could you use to make the discussion less awkward?

Discuss "the talk" -- the conversation that parents of African American and other minority kids have with their children, particularly their sons, about what to do when confronted by the police. Did your parents give you the talk? How does the conversation differ between what minority children are told and white children are told? (Do white children even have this conversation?) Do you think it's fair that there's a difference in the conversation?

Book Details

• Author : Angie Thomas
• Genre : Contemporary Fiction
• Topics : Activism , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date : February 28, 2017
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
• Number of pages : 464
• Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors
• Last updated : January 15, 2019

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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The Hate U Give

This is Angie Thomas’ debut novel and was published in 2017. The book was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.

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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.

Add it on Goodreads

Edgar Allan Poe Award (Mystery Writers of America)

Best young adult nominee, new york times, #1 bestseller, coretta scott king, honor (author), william c. morris, michael l. printz, national book award, boston globe, horn book award.

Ultimately the book emphasizes the need to speak up about injustice. That’s a message that will resonate with all young people concerned with fairness, and Starr’s experience will speak to readers who know Starr’s life like their own and provide perspective for others.

BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS (starred review)

A marvel of verisimilitude.

Booklist (starred review)

John Green, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Absolutely riveting!

Jason Reynolds, bestselling co-author of ALL AMERICAN BOYS

Fearlessly honest and heartbreakingly human. Everyone should read this book.

Becky Albertalli, William C. Morris Award-winning author of SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA

This is tragically timely, hard-hitting, and an ultimate prayer for change. Don’t look away from this searing battle for justice. Rally with Starr.

Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of MORE HAPPY THAN NOT

This story is necessary. This story is important.

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Heartbreakingly topical.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Pair this powerful debut with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely’s All American Boys to start a conversation on racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

School Library Journal (starred review)

…An important and timely novel that reflects the world today’s teens inhabit… Thomas delivers an authentic plot with realistic, relatable characters.

VOYA, (starred review)

Thomas has penned a powerful, in-your-face novel.

HORN BOOK, (starred review)

Ordering Facts

Order a signed copy from Lemuria Books . For more information, call (601) 366-7619.

ISBN-10: 0062498533 ISBN-13: 978-0062498533 February 28th, 2017 by Balzer + Bray

• United Kingdom : Walker Books
• Australia & New Zealand : Walker Books
• Germany : CBT
• France : Nathan
• Spanish Language : Oceano
• Sweden : Natur & Kultur
• Finland : Otava
• Norway : Gyldendal Norsk
• Denmark : Gyldendal
• Brazil : Galera/Record
• Italy : Giunti
• Catalan Language : Grup Editorial 62
• Hungary : GABO
• Israel : Kinneret-Zmora Dvir
• Dutch : Moon
• Serbia : Urban Reads
• Bosnia : BTC Sahinpasic

Collector’s Edition

This special edition includes:

• a letter from Angie
• the meanings behind the names
• a map of Garden Heights
• the full, original story that inspired the book
• an excerpt from On the Come Up

Movie Tie-In Edition

• movie poster art
• full-color photos
• Angie Thomas in conversation with Amandla Stenberg and director George Tillman Jr.

The acclaimed, award-winning novel is now a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg, Russell Hornsby, Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, Issa Rae, and Common. Read More

Social issues YA novels can be terrible. The Hate U Give is a stunning exception.

It’s a smart, warm-hearted book that takes on police shootings and systemic racism.

by Constance Grady

If you buy something from a Vox link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

The Hate U Give is a didactic issues novel for teenagers. It is also a good book. Those two categories intersect only rarely, but The Hate U Give — a debut novel by Angie Thomas — manages the balancing act with aplomb.

Sixteen-year-old Starr grew up in a poor black neighborhood, but after she saw her best friend gunned down in a drive-by gang shooting when she was 10, her parents sent her off to a wealthy white private school.

Starr rapidly becomes an expert in code switching, saying “ew” at school and “ill” at home; dancing at school, where she knows everyone will assume she’s cool because she’s black, and observing at home, where she would have to work harder to earn her coolness. At school, she hangs out in a white girls’ clique and laughs about her middle school obsession with the Jonas Brothers. At home, she hangs out at her father’s grocery store and talks about how Drake is her future husband.

But all of Starr’s careful work to keep her two worlds separate falls apart when a police officer shoots her childhood friend, Khalil, in front of her. It’s the latest police shooting of an unarmed black man, and the case becomes a national scandal. Starr is the only witness.

At school, her friends talk about how Khalil was a drug dealer who probably deserved it. At home, gangs use Khalil’s death as an excuse to expand their turf wars. Whenever Starr talks to the police, she has to remember that one of them shot her friend and then held her at gunpoint. It’s a vivid, intimate portrait of how systemic racism works to forbid Starr any truly safe space of her own — and of how she builds one anyway, with the help of her deeply supportive family.

It was probably inevitable that someone would write a YA novel about police shootings, but it was not inevitable that it would be a good book. Whenever a societal problem becomes a national obsession, some adult will write a book about it for teenagers; usually the result is a Go Ask Alice – style stew of fearmongering and breathless sensationalism.

But The Hate U Give is charming and funny and carefully crafted, and Starr’s witty, observant, pop culture–inflected voice is a delight. There’s a scene early on where she’s trying to decide how to play things with her boyfriend after a minor transgression on his part: Does she want to go full-on ’90s R&B breakup song, or should she be gentler, like a Taylor Swift song? (“No shade,” she adds, “I fucks with Tay-Tay, but she doesn’t serve like nineties R&B on the angry-girlfriend scale.”) Then it comes to her, the perfect solution: She’ll Beyoncé him.

The specificity and whimsy of ideas like the anger scale of breakup songs is what keeps The Hate U Give moving so deftly through its heavy subject matter; it stays warm and focused and grounded in character even when it’s dealing with big, amorphous ideas like systemic racism. The result is a book so thoughtful and so fun to read that you’ll want to Bruno Mars it.

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The Hate U Give

By angie thomas.

Angie Thomas's first novel, 'The Hate U Give,' is a riveting, interesting, and very entertaining piece of work. You will be glued to every page as you read.

Article written by Ugo Juliet

Former Lecturer. Author of multiple books. Degree from University Of Nigeria, Nsukka.

‘ The Hate U Give ’ is one book that offers a lot of education, information, and enjoyment to the reader. From the youthful infatuation of characters Starr and Khalil to the budding romance between Starr and her white boyfriend to the unexpected turn of events when Khalil was shot and killed in the presence of Starr, the book has a lot of action to keep a reader glued to the pages.

This is one book that never gets old as the pages and stories therein are always fresh and exciting. It is a beautiful story of Starr Carter, who is a 16-year-old girl from the poor, black community of Garden Heights. In their mostly black community, her protective dad Maverick owns the local grocery store. Starr and her siblings go to private Williamson Prep school about 40 minutes away in a rich white neighborhood because mom Lisa wants her kids to have a good education.

Dual personalities

Starr never felt totally okay with her existence in code-switching. She feels the disapproving glance mean girls give her at Williamson when she spends time with her white boyfriend, Chris. Yet she doesn’t feel like she belongs at the parties with her neighborhood friends. Starr and Khalil are old friends who reconnect at a party in ‘ The Hate U Give ’.

One day while riding home with her friend Khalil, they’re pulled over, and in a series of unfortunate events, Starr watches in horror as her friend is killed. Khalil reaches inside the car for his hairbrush but is gunned down by a white cop who thinks it was a gun. Seeing cable news reports or reading articles about young African-Americans being shot and killed is one thing, but for Starr, it hurts even more since it’s her second close friend to die via a bullet.

Finally, Starr decides to be the voice of Khalil but also, more importantly, to find her own. As she tells Chris in one of the great scenes that reflect the real-life fights of many that if he doesn’t see her blackness, then he doesn’t see her. This book is a coming-of-age story that fits in nicely with a great slate of other significant films with similar themes this year. In its own way, ‘ The Hate U Give’ carry more weight because it deals with kids in their formative years.

Right from when Starr was a child, Maverick taught her what to do when pulled over by police but reminded his kids that “just because we have to deal with this mess, don’t you ever forget that being black is an honor, because we come from greatness.” that was a good foundation that Starr used to work out how best to live her own life and fight systemic prejudice.

Angie Thomas’s first novel, ‘ The Hate U Give’, debuted at No. 1 after its release and, after 18 weeks on the list, is back in the top position. Thomas’s book made news (including a front-page New York Times profile) partly for its topical storyline and partly because Thomas herself, a 29-year-old from Jackson, Mississippi, is so cheerfully a symbol of change in the publishing industry. 

As a kid, she wondered if anything could happen to her, ‘the little black girl from the hood?’ This book is a beautiful read about a strong female protagonist who finds the courage to speak out against injustice. A page-turner that I devoured and would be suitable for any reader who is interested in the world and the events that shape it (which should be every reader). This incredible book offers a total understanding of inequality and also highlights the importance of taking a decision and meaningful action within our communities.

It’s amazing to see the ways Angie Thomas so accurately depicts the microaggressions directed toward black people and the accuracy of how the community treats one another. Taking into account the events of the last year, this sought book is essential as a tool to educate and convey marginalized voices. One of the main things to learn from this book is that ‘sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong.  

A Great Book with a Fantastic plot

This is an excellent book to read with a strong plot and storyline, especially in the light of the Black Lives Matter movement. It is a book filled with good characters who portray a credible representation of the many challenges felt within a typical community of black American New York. Yet, you see the humanity, unity, and compassion they exhibited in their community. This togetherness brought a bit of hope to the tragedy.

‘ The Hate U Give ‘ is an important book to read touching on so many themes , although the main themes in the story are police brutality, racism, and Black Lives Matter. Starr, the main character, makes you empathize with what happens in the story and feel her day-to-day struggles while she also tries to fight for justice on behalf of her friend. This is a great book for group discussion. The publisher’s age recommendation is 14 plus, but I think given the content, I would suggest ages ten years and above.

This is an interesting book that was challenged for its portrayal of the police and its profanities – so a good book to introduce to students in any school. This novel was timely and important, which took a challenging topic and tackled the BLM movement head-on.

I love this book. It is interesting to see how many girls of African and Caribbean descent are drawn to this novel. ‘ The Hate U Give ‘ is an incredibly controversial book. Although I can’t fully relate to the issues the main characters dealt with, the author has written the novel in such a great way that anyone who reads it can understand and have an insight into the pain the black communities go through when one of their own is killed by police. It’s a topic that has been spoken about for years worldwide and is still as relevant today. It is important to keep these conversations going, and this book enables the younger generation to join the discussions and form their own compassionate opinions.

It was an amazing and meaningful book. I was overwhelmed yet pleased by the variety of emotions captured in the novel. Once in a while, someone tells a story that makes so much sense and is more vivid than the news, biographies, journal articles, and history books that try to explain it. Every young person should read this book and see why we shouldn’t be complacent about divisions, injustices, and inequalities related to race.

The Hate U Give Review: An Engaging and Strong Plotline

Book Title: The Hate U Give

Book Description: 'The Hate U Give' captivates with Starr Carter's journey, tackling police brutality, racism, and racial profiling in contemporary America.

Book Author: Angie Thomas

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher - Organization: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)

Date published: February 28, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-06-242018-4

Number Of Pages: 472

• Writing Style
• Lasting Effect on Reader

The Hate U Give Review

‘ The Hate U Give ‘ is a book that you’re going to love. From its opening lines to the struggles Starr Carter had in the book, a reader is met with constant twists and turns. The issue of police brutality and racism is widely addressed. Other contemporary issues like racial profiles were widely discussed in the book. It’s a great book that touches on most of the relevant issues African Americans face in the US.

• A plot that is incredibly engaging to the reader
• It has original, yet relatable characters
• Very relevant
• Some current trends in the novel may not be relevant in a few years
• Use of bad language and violence

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Juliet Ugo is an experienced content writer and a literature expert with a passion for the written word with over a decade of experience. She is particularly interested in analyzing books, and her insightful interpretations of various genres have made her a well-known authority in the field.

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‘The Hate U Give’ Paperback Coming This Spring

BY Mark Athitakis • March 15, 2022

After five years in hardcover, Angie Thomas’ bestseller The Hate U Give will finally arrive in paperback this spring, according to a release from publisher HarperCollins.

The novel was also a Kirkus Prize finalist; the Kirkus reviewer concluded, “This story is necessary. This story is important.”

Paperback editions typically appear about a year after a book’s publication in hardcover, so a multiyear wait is evidence of a book’s robust hardcover sales. Dan Brown’s 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code , didn’t appear in paperback for three years. Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing appeared in paperback two and a half years after the hardcover.

This spring will also mark the arrival in paperback of Concrete Rose , Thomas’ 2021 prequel to Hate .

In a statement, Thomas expressed thanks to her readers for how the novels’ message has been received and amplified. “To say that the past five years since  The Hate U Give  was first published have been amazing would be an understatement.…I’m grateful for the conversations these books have created and the voices that are no longer silent because of them,” she said. “The love they have received is far greater than the hate anyone can give.”  

The paperback editions of The Hate U Give and Concrete Rose go on sale May 3.

Mark Athitakis is a journalist in Phoenix who writes about books for Kirkus, the  Washington Post ,   the  Los Angeles Times , and elsewhere.

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The Real Reason The Hate U Give Became A Banned Book

The "Harry Potter" series. "To Kill a Mockingbird." "The Color Purple."   "The Catcher in the Rye." What do all of these classic books have in common?

These novels are all on the popular banned books list in the United States, according to CBS News .

Over recent years, the movement to ban books has become more and more widespread across America, with groups in chapters across the country amassing members to tackle literature that they feel should not be exposed to children. In fact, PEN America reported that as of 2022, there were nearly 1,600 books that were on this disavowed list. People adamant about these changes consisted mostly of community parents and residents who advocated for at least 50% of the nation's books that were banned during the 2021 to 2022 school year. 

This data is staggering, but what might be even more so is the time in which this controversial topic is occurring. Data shows that children's literacy levels have gotten dramatically worse since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (via The New York Times ). That's why it's vital that children learn to develop a love for (or at least a fundamental knowledge of) reading. One young adult favorite, "The Hate U Give"   by Angie Thomas, is one of those books that is doing just that. Unfortunately, the data and expert interviews reveal why it's one of the most likely books to be banned.

The Hate U Give has a Black protagonist, explores themes like racism and police violence

When Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give" was published in February 2017, it debuted as No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list (via The Guardian ). The young-adult novel tackles two relevant American topics: being Black in America and being traumatically impacted by police brutality. In 2018, a film adaptation  of the book starring Amandla Stenberg came out.

The book revolves around Starr, a teenager who attends an elite private school miles outside of her predominantly Black neighborhood. Much of the book deals with the death of one of her friends who is murdered by a police officer after the two of them get pulled over after a high school party.

According to the data by PEN America , of the accounted-for titles on the banned books list, 40% have protagonists or characters who are BIPOC. And in the case of "The Hate U Give," mostly all of the characters, even secondary ones, are Black.

PEN America data also reveals that 21% of banned titles tackle subject matter such as racism, which is one of the main themes of Thomas' debut novel.

While parents and others who advocate for certain literature to not be in the hands of children say the novel is on the list for other reasons, but Thomas doesn't buy it.

Author Angie Thomas denies curse words are the reason The Hate U Give has been banned

"The Hate U Give" explores themes of police violence, being Black in America, code-switching, and more, but in schools where the young adult novel is banned, those who had a hand in the decision cite that it's because of swear words.

Earlier this year, board members of an Illinois school district banned the novel due to "inappropriate" language (via ABC News affiliate  WQAD ). However, author Angie Thomas, who weaves Black Lives Matter rhetoric in the book, had other thoughts on why her novel is seen as controversial. 

In February, Thomas appeared on "The Daily Show" where host Trevor Noah asked about how she was handling the backlash despite the critical acclaim the book has received. 

"I knew that was a cop-out," Thomas said. "There are exactly 89 instances of the F-word in 'The Hate U Give' ... But last year alone, over 800 people lost their lives at the hands of police brutality. That number is far scarier. So when you're telling me it's the language, no, that's not what it is. You don't want to talk about the topic."

So far, "The Hate U Give" has been taken out of English curriculums in states such as Texas , South Carolina , and  Pennsylvania , among others.

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The Precedent

Book Review: The Hate U Give

Ryann Jorgensen , Staff Reporter | September 21, 2020

Ryann Jorgensen

“The Hate U Give” book cover. Starr Carter is holding a sign that reads “The Hate U Give”.

After reading The Hate U Give , it is clear how the book became a number one New York Times best-seller one week after its release and then a critically acclaimed film less than two years later. The Hate U Give is a novel by Angie Thomas centered around the experience of a black teen girl named Starr Carter and her inner conflict after witnessing her friend, Khalil, get shot and killed by a police officer. Throughout the book, she develops the confidence to testify before a grand jury in hopes of indicting the officer responsible, while also navigating her personal relationship with race.

The book is set in a mostly black inner-city neighborhood named Garden Heights, which is located in the southern United States. After a party there, Khalil drives Starr home, but on the way they get pulled over by police and the officer shoots Khalil three times. It is this event that triggers Starr to reevaluate.

Starr grew up in Garden Heights, but she attends a mostly white high school called Williamson Prep. It becomes evident that she changes herself depending on which of these two environments she is in. These two contrasting worlds create a conflict in Starr, and she must navigate the divide between them and the relationship between her race and identity. 

Starr was raised to be cautious and was taught from an early age the do’s and do not’s of interacting with police to minimize the risk of police brutality against her. As the story progresses, she gains confidence and goes from an uncertain, reluctant, and passive witness to the racism around her to an outspoken activist for her community. 

The story is from Starr’s point of view and the writing style is casual, almost as if she were telling this story to a friend as it was happening.  This creates a deep emotional feeling throughout the book, and it makes the reader feel an empathetic connection to Starr and her struggles. While the book is from her perspective and therefore all events are viewed through her eyes, she manages to have a somewhat objective view of the events in the story while maintaining the emotional depth. It is likely this, coupled with the heavy topics being discussed, that made this book so popular.

The Hate U Give is a truly incredible and greatly treasured novel about struggle, speaking up, and overcoming adversity. Angie Thomas is an incredible author who knows how to captivate an audience and how to make her readers feel Starr’s struggles. The Hate U Give is powerful and would be a great addition to the bookshelf of adolescents and adults alike.

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8 starred reviews · Goodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best   ·  William C. Morris Award Winner · National Book Award Longlist · Printz Honor Book · Coretta Scott King Honor Book · #1 New York Times Bestseller!

"Absolutely riveting!" —Jason Reynolds

"Stunning." —John Green

"This story is necessary. This story is important." — Kirkus (starred review)

"Heartbreakingly topical." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A marvel of verisimilitude." — Booklist (starred review)

"A powerful, in-your-face novel." — Horn Book (starred review)

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.

Want more of Garden Heights? Catch Maverick and Seven’s story in   Concrete Rose , Angie Thomas's powerful prequel to  The Hate U Give.

• Kindle $9.90
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The YA love letter to hip-hop—streaming on Paramount+ September 23, 2022! Starring Sanaa Lathan (in her directorial debut), Jamila C. Gray, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Method Man, Mike Epps, GaTa (Davionte Ganter), Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr., and Michael Anthony Cooper Jr.

#1 New York Times bestseller · Seven starred reviews · Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book

This digital edition contains a letter from the author, deleted scenes, a picture of the author as a teen rapper, an annotated playlist, Angie’s top 5 MCs, an annotated rap, illustrated quotes from the book, and an excerpt from  Concrete Rose, Angie's return to Garden Heights.

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. But it’s hard to get your come up when you’re labeled a hoodlum at school, and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral . . . for all the wrong reasons.

Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn’t just want to make it—she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.

Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up  is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free.

“For all the struggle in this book, Thomas rarely misses a step as a writer. Thomas continues to hold up that mirror with grace and confidence. We are lucky to have her, and lucky to know a girl like Bri.”— The New York Times Book Review

Plus don't miss Concrete Rose , Angie Thomas's powerful prequel to her phenomenal bestseller, The Hate U Give !

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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 Myers 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. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star.

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Review: ‘The Hate U Give’ powerfully uses the Young Adult genre to explore issues of race and social justice

“The Hate U Give” director George Tillman Jr. and star Amandla Stenberg discuss what separates their film from others inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement that are hitting theaters this year.

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Young Adult novels are the hottest thing in publishing, and not necessarily because teens love to read. Fully grown adults are drawn in as well because the genre at its best can make difficult issues accessible without sacrificing honesty, emotion and truth.

Which is why, its high school setting notwithstanding, the film version of “The Hate U Give” is a moving, emotionally convincing experience.

Adapted from the phenomenon that is Angie Thomas’ first novel, which has spent a whopping 80 weeks and counting on the New York Times best-seller list, “Hate” powerfully details the ways an African American girl’s delicate high school balancing act is disrupted and her persona radicalized when she’s the only witness to the shooting death of a close friend by a white police officer.

Though Thomas was a debuting novelist, the key creative personnel behind “Hate” — director George Tillman Jr. and screenwriter Audrey Wells — are experienced filmmakers who know how to involve an audience, and they’ve benefited from an exceptional performance by Amandla Stenberg in the leading role.

Wells has carefully pruned the novel, keeping the essence while making some changes. Tillman, whose films include “Soul Food” and “Notorious” and TV credits span from “This Is Us” to “Power,” is not a flashy director but someone who focuses on character and performance.

Though moments of “Hate” feel earnest and conventional, the film compensates by being grounded in the powerful and disturbing reality that launched the Black Lives Matter movement .

That would be the wave of shootings of unarmed black males by white officers that led Thomas (initially moved by the same Oakland incident that was the basis of Ryan Coogler’s debut “Fruitvale Station”) to end her novel with a list of real world victims of violence.

More than that, the film and novel both take their title from the meaning behind Tupac Shakur’s celebrated “Thug Life” tattoo, which the rapper said was an apocalyptic acronym for “The Hate U Give Little Infants F… Everybody.”

But what makes “Hate” such an involving experience is that it is not about slogans but people, about the wrenching ways that ordinary folks trying to live positive, productive lives have their worlds upended by the virulence of racism.

Key to that is the entire cast, but especially Stenberg (a veteran of “The Hunger Games”), who has a killer smile and an unerring instinct for finding and conveying the emotional heart of a situation. What director Tillman has said about his star in interviews — “She has this ability to make you feel like you’re seeing the real deal” — is nothing but the truth.

Sixteen year old Starr Carter (Stenberg) lives in Garden Heights, a poor, mostly black neighborhood in an unnamed, fictional city. Her hard-working parents Maverick (Russell Hornsby) and Lisa (Regina Hall), together since they were 17, have dedicated themselves to making sure their kids have a better life.

Stars Algee Smith, Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby discuss “The Hate U Give,” their film adaptation of a Black Lives Matter-inspired young adult novel.

In order to make that happen, they’ve sent Starr, half-brother Seven (Lamar Johnson) and younger brother Sekani (TJ Wright) to posh Williamson Prep across town. But having to code switch — to act one way in the neighborhood and another at school — is a constant stress in Starr’s life.

While the at-home Starr fears being viewed as acting white, the Williamson version has the opposite dilemma. While using hip-hop slang makes white friends such as Hailey (Sabrina Carpenter) appear cool, “slang makes [Starr] ‘hood,’ ” she says in voiceover, adding, “Williamson Starr doesn’t give anyone a reason to call her ghetto.” Even her understanding white boyfriend Chris (K.J. Apa) doesn’t know the whole truth.

“Hate” tellingly begins not with any dramatic incident but with Maverick giving a then-9-year-old Starr and her brother The Talk, telling them how to act in the likely case that they are in a car that’s pulled over by the police.

“It can get real dangerous,” Maverick warns, but — a believer in the Black Panther Party philosophy — he also tells his daughter to “know your rights, know your worth. Don’t you ever forget that being black is an honor, because we come from greatness.”

The plot kicks in when Starr and her friend Kenya (Dominique Fishback, terrific in “Night Comes On” ) attend a Garden Heights party.

There, she reconnects with Khalil (“Detroit’s” Algee Smith), a childhood friend she’s lost touch with. It turns out that, having to deal with family economic hardship, the only job Khalil can find is selling drugs for local gang leader King (the always powerful Anthony Mackie).

Before they can even properly catch up, Khalil is pulled over by a local white policeman and, as we and Starr watch with genuine horror, shot and killed for no reason. Though audiences will know this is coming, the awful inevitability of seeing it play out on screen is devastating.

Starr is all but destroyed by what she’s witnessed, worried that her carefully constructed world will collapse. Told by her uncle Carlos (Common), a police detective, that she will have to testify before the grand jury, she worries the kids at school will find out more about her world than she ever wanted them to know.

But, influenced by meeting activist April Ofrah (Issa Rae), who heads a group called Just Us For Justice (a stand-in for Black Lives Matter), Starr finds other thoughts taking hold. She wants to be a better friend to Khalil, wants to testify for him in a metaphorical sense, wants to feel that his death has not been in vain.

This process of finding out who you are and what matters in your life could have been pro forma, but in the hands of Tillman, Stenberg and the rest of the “Hate U Give” team, it does not play that way. More disturbing than you expect, its story of innocence lost and perspective gained holds us and will not let go.

------------

‘The Hate U Give’

Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements, some violent content, drug material and language

Running time: 2 hours, 12 minutes

Playing: In general release

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The Hate U Give

By Angie Thomas

Eight Starred Reviews! #1 New York Times Bestseller!

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 Reviews (14)

The Hate U Give is a young adult novel that portrays the life of a black teen named Starr who witnesses the shooting of her best friend by a police officer, and has to tell the world his story. This book really shows you firsthand the constant fear and oppression that is faced by black people everywhere, and the hole that the constant deaths of family and friends in those neighborhoods makes in the lives of people like Starr. It also shows how sometimes you have to be brave and do what's right even when it can be dangerous. This book really opened my eyes, and the writing was amazing.

This is an amazing book!!! Now it is one of my favorites. It is about a girl named Starr Carter, whose world is shattered when her best friend Khalil was shot unarmed by a white police officer. It really brings awareness to how relevant racism is, and how wrong it is. I also love how all the people she loves are so supportive of her! Everyone needs to read this. 12 or 13 is a good age for this book.

Josiah McGhee Laura Cook Writing 1-5 11, May 2022 The praise I give The hate u give is a book written by Angie Thomas. The genre of this book is realistic fiction. The main characters are Starr and Khalil. During this book Starr has to face the grand jury against a police officer, and the decision of the jury shocks everyone. Some topics here are racial discrimination and racism and general. A quote from this book is “ what’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent when you shouldn’t have” This shows how Starr was really broken by this case and had no words. I would give this book a 5/5 because I loved every second I was reading it.

Overall this was a great book. It was easy and fun to read at the same time. There was a lot of cussing though, so if you're not ok with that, this probably won't be your favorite book. It has some heavy themes and plots, I would say it's probably more meant for older kids. But I had a good time reading it, I hope you do too.

I love this book and I hope u do to xx

This book is amazing. It gave me a whole new point of view of the world. It had a lot of different genres which came together nicely. It was a great read, thoroughly riveting. I recommend to anyone.

amazing book, really touching. it shows what life is like for others that are discriminated against. wish I could have seen the movie, it seemed very interesting.

amazing book, really touching. it shows what life is like for others that are discriminated against. wish I could have seen the movie.

one of the best books I've read

Wrenching, soul stirring, funny, endearing, painful, and frustratingly familiar, this novel offers a powerful look at a few weeks in a fairly typical teen girl's life -- with one horrific exception

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By Martha Tesema

• Feb. 18, 2021

CONCRETE ROSE By Angie Thomas

The inheritance we carry from those who came before us is a knot of roots that can be complicated to unravel. It can take a lifetime of work to distinguish the threads that shape the people we grow to be.

Angie Thomas’s latest young adult novel, “Concrete Rose,” takes on this challenge — sorting through a person’s becoming — with the author’s characteristic mastery. In her best-selling debut, “The Hate U Give,” all eyes were on Starr Carter, a 16-year-old girl who finds her voice after witnessing a police officer kill her best friend. But Starr didn’t develop into that young leader on her own; she was molded by those around her. One of those formative figures was her father, Maverick Carter. Now, Maverick is front and center in “Concrete Rose.”

We meet Maverick on a pivotal day, years before the events of “The Hate U Give,” in the vibrant world of Garden Heights. At 17 years old, he’s just discovered he’s the father of a 3-month-old son. The sudden weight of his newfound responsibility forces him to make a choice: continue running with the King Lords, the gang he’s come into by way of his now-imprisoned father; or face the cost of leaving the gang and try to build a life for himself and his family outside of selling drugs.

Prequels grant the reader a unique security: We already know where the characters end up. That’s a welcome relief with “Concrete Rose,” which shows the high stakes of Maverick’s early life. Unlike Starr’s journey, Maverick’s fight is a subtle one. Maverick is struggling with navigating his daily life, all the while wrestling with the performative trap of masculinity and questioning how his actions will affect the legacy he hopes to build.

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