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 … 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.
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At first, I didn’t know if I would relate to this book or like reading it–but I did! I loved the main character and being able to see her world through her eyes. As a high school teacher, I could also relate to what was going on. This was a thoughtful read and helped me to see the life of black teenagers through their eyes. Well written.
Portrays an unfortunate and very sad story we hear all too often.
This YA novel about a young boy who was shot by the police and the gal pal who witnesses the incident was a page-turner from the first chapter! Angie Thomas has created some down-to-earth characters who are very memorable. Starr is the main character who witnesses friend Khalil’s death at the hands of a local police officer. Find out what happens in the aftermath of this tragic event. Soon to be a movie, directed by George Tillman Jr, due out in October 2018. So hurry and read the book first!
It’s been weeks since I finished The Hate U Give and I’m still struggling to put into words just how amazing this book is and just what it did to me. No words I can string together can possibly do it justice. But, I’m going to try.
So, confession time: I actually had no idea what The Hate U Give was about when I began reading. Meaning, specifically, I didn’t realize Starr’s friend Khalil would be shot and killed by police a couple chapters in. (That’s what I get for not reading blurbs before jumping headfirst into a book, huh?) I was an absolute wreck. Despite all the attention this book has received — deservedly, might I add — I never really found out anything about the plot. I bought the book, shelved it and decided I would read it … sometime. When the time came, I just started reading and then BAM, Khalil was shot and killed. I was utterly wrecked. Truth be told, I can’t tell you the last time I cried like this while reading a book. But man, as gut-wrenching and heartbreaking and WRONG as it was, it was also so very right. So honest.
I’m not going to get too far into the plot here, but we all know the story. We’ve seen it far too often. But what has been missing every time we see it on the news was the “after”. How the families and friends are affected. What they go through to try to cope. The real story about the person who was murdered — yes, I said murdered. Through Starr’s eyes, The Hate U Give gives us exactly that. The strength this girl shows moved me. The pain she was dealing with basically ripped my heart from my chest. But this story, it left a mark on me. I’ll never forget it. I’ll think about it every time a new police shooting occurs.
The Hate U Give is on a whole other level. It’s important, timely and flat-out amazing. I was totally engrossed in it, emotionally invested to a level I can’t even describe. It consumed me for the time it took me to read – and the moments I was away from it. It should be required reading for everyone regardless of age, race or anything else.
FAVORITE QUOTES
I’ve seen it happen over and over again: a black person gets killed just for being black, and all hell breaks loose. I’ve tweeted RIP hashtags, reblogged pictures on Tumblr, and signed every petition out there. I always said that if I saw it happen to somebody, I would have the loudest voice, making sure the world knew what went down. Now I am that person, and I’m too afraid to speak.
Williamson Starr doesn’t use slang—if a rapper would say it, she doesn’t say it, even if her white friends do. Slang makes them cool. Slang makes her “hood.”
“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”
This is bigger than me and Khalil though. This is about Us, with a capital U; everybody who looks like us, feels like us, and is experiencing this pain with us despite not knowing me or Khalil. My silence isn’t helping us.
But damn, what about his life? He was once a walking, talking human being. He had family. He had friends. He had dreams. None of it fucking mattered. He was just a thug who deserved to die.
Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug. He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life I’ll remember how he died.
Khalil, I’ll never forget.
I’ll never give up.
I’ll never be quiet.
I promise.
Recommended for anyone and everyone. Such an important book that will most likely become a classic.
A good way to build empathy is to picture life as one of the characters. This is entirely relevant to our society today.
I had a hard time with this book in the beginning. I was reading it for a book club, so I kept reading. I was so glad I did. After I finished it, I had to examine my feelings on the race issue in our country. I think this is a book everyone should.
A look into a world very different from mine. Opened my eyes to issues that some of my students face.
I like the way the author writes. You feel like the charactors are in your life not in a book. Easy to read and get absorbed.
This book is literally amazing. I can’t even find the words to describe it. Amazing isn’t enough. This book had me being bipolar, I was laughing on some parts, crying the next. This book is so inspiration to, it tells you not to give up. Stay brave, don’t be scared to stand up for someone you love. I highly recommend this boo to anyone who loves genres like these.
This book was AMAZING! The characters were fantastic and the plot dives into a topic that needs to be addressed wonderfully. Thought-provoking, insightful, witty and a rollercoater ride of emotions. I wouldnt want it any other way! One of my favorite books this year!
This book had likeable characters and used YA realistic fiction to explore challenges that give rise to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Very thought peovoking
11/10