The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give is about a young teen girl navigating her life in between two worlds. The world she "lives" in (a poor neighborhood) and the suburban prep school she attends. She is one of two black students and she changes her personality and the way she talks to acclimate in the environment she is in.

Starr is no novice when it comes to institutional injustice or witnessing the murder of someone she loves but when her best friend Khalil is murdered in front of her by the very people who are suppose to protect us she struggles to accept the world around her until she finds her voice.


This novel examines racism and our broken down criminal justice system in which some police offices can and do violate the civil rights of others in particular those of color. This book is well written, character driven and emotional. I did have issues with the way the dog breed is portrayed in this novel and a few stereotypes that popped up on occasion which gave me moments of pause and made me dislike portions/passage of the book. I don't necessarily think this would effect everyone's reading experience but if you are like me you will find it distracting and disappointing.