The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

 The main lead of this story is Starr, a sixteen-year-old. Being one of the only two black students who attend Williamson Prep, a prestigious school predominantly white, and living in Garden Heights, a suburban black neighbourhood, Starr switches between two worlds, playing the role of either a “hood” girl or a “whitewashed” preppy one. However, after having seen the murder of her childhood friend one night, Starr’s life is turned upside down.

In the story, we see Starr trying her utmost best to deal with the mess that her life has spiralled into after the tragic incident, and, at the same time, fight for justice for her dead friend. She struggles to get her voice heard at first, but as the story progresses, we watch as Starr’s constructed identities crumble and she matures into her own person.

Dealing with heavy and sensitive issues of our world today, not only does The Hate U Give expertly handle themes such as racism and police brutality, it also brings to light the plight of young black girls like Starr who fight for their stories to be heard and believed. 

I recommend this book as Starr’s story is an inspiration to me. Dealing with the death of her friend would be hard, yet Starr has shown tremendous strength and growth towards the end of the story, and, to some readers, this could serve as a reminder that anybody’s voices and stories can and will be heard. After having read the story, I am also left feeling motivated to, like Starr, persevere through hard and challenging times that I am bound to encounter in my life.

References: 

https://medium.com/amateur-book-reviews/the-hate-u-give-a-book-review-52357a5fb0e8

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/03/the-hate-u-give-angie-thomas-review/521079/

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