Rating: 5/5, excellent
I don’t know why I slept on this book so long. It came out February 8th, 2017 and it was a huge hit, with a movie adaptation that came out in 2018. I’ve heard so many great things about it, and it 100% lives up to the hype!
The title, The Hate U Give, comes from Tupac:
“’Pac said Thug Life stood for ‘The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody… Meaning what society gives us as youth, it bites them in the ass when we wild out.” – Khalil
The Hate U Give is about a black high school girl named Starr whose best friend Khalil gets killed by a policeman when they’re stopped for a broken taillight.
The book comes on the heels of the Black Lives Matter movement, which started in 2013 after George Zimmerman got acquitted for killing Trayvon Martin. I think this book could be taught in schools in the future when learning about this period in history. It captures the moment so well, especially the role of technologies like cell phone cameras and Twitter in exposing police brutality.
Besides police brutality, The Hate U Give explains a lot of issues relevant to poor black communities, like the role of gangs, drugs, and activism. Thomas has a nuanced take on all of these issues. Starr’s uncle is a cop and her close relationship with him complicates any anti-cop sentiment she feels due to Khalil’s death. Drugs destroy people, but selling drugs helps Khalil pay the bills. Gangs are violent, but being in a gang gives young men a sense of family and protection. Speaking out and protesting can bring needed change, but protests can turn into riots and damage local businesses the community depends on.
Starr goes to a private school named Williamson forty-five minutes away because the one in her neighborhood, the Garden, is a bad environment with a lot of drugs, gangs, and teenage pregnancy. Her friend Hailey is white fragility personified but her boyfriend Chris is sweet and open to learning about where Starr comes from. Starr feels like she has to hide herself at school so she “doesn’t give anyone a reason to call her ghetto”. She’s always code switching between Garden Starr and Williamson Starr and she has different friend groups from her neighborhood and the private school that she tends to keep separate.
The plot of the book gets going right away and doesn’t stop until the book ends. There’s hardly a dull moment and it’s hard to put it down. The dialogue is sparkling and funny and everything flows really well.
I was worried this was going to be dark and sad due to the subject matter, but it has a hopeful, youthful, casual tone that keeps it upbeat. Starr’s warm relationships with her family and friends keep her grounded when things get rough.
I’d recommend this book to anyone, both to better understand issues facing the black community and because it’s a fun and easy read!
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