Module 7 (part 1): The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Citation:

Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. New York, NY: HaperCollins

Summary: 

Starr lives in the "poor" neighborhood, but goes to a school in the suburbs. She attends a party with her half sister and runs into an old friend, Kahlil. When gunshots are fired at the party, Starr and Kahlil run out of the party and Kahlil drives home. On their way home, a police officer pulls them over and kills Kahlil, despite him being unarmed and following his directions. The story follows Starr in the aftermath of her friend becoming a hashtag, of her choosing to keep her secret, and of the decision of the courts.

My thoughts:

I haven't cried because of a book in a long time, but this one got me several times. A gut wrenching tale that puts you in the shoes of someone dealing directly with police violence, why you might stay silent, speak up, or even get violent in these occasions. The book also deals a lot with racism obviously and how to navigate being an ally, through Starr and her white boyfriend, Chris. This eye opening and wonderfully written novel should be read by all high school and up.

Professional review:

"Gr 8 Up-After Starr and her childhood friend Khalil, both black, leave a party together, they are pulled over by a white police officer, who kills Khalil. The sole witness to the homicide, Starr must testify before a grand jury that will decide whether to indict the cop, and she's terrified, especially as emotions run high. By turns frightened, discouraged, enraged, and impassioned, Starr is authentically adolescent in her reactions. Inhabiting two vastly different spheres-her poor, predominantly black neighborhood, Garden Heights, where gangs are a fact of life, and her rich, mostly white private school-causes strain, and Thomas perceptively illustrates how the personal is political: Starr is disturbed by the racism of her white friend Hailey, who writes Khalil off as a drug dealer, and Starr's father is torn between his desire to support Garden Heights and his need to move his family to a safer environment. The first-person, present-tense narrative is immediate and intense, and the pacing is strong, with Thomas balancing dramatic scenes of violence and protest with moments of reflection. The characterization is slightly uneven; at times, Starr's friends at school feel thinly fleshed out. However, Starr, her family, and the individuals in their neighborhood are achingly real and lovingly crafted. VERDICT 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"

Mahnaz, D. (2017). Young adult. School Library Journal, 63(01), 92. Retrieved from https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=https://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2165/docview/1853751343?accountid=7113  

Library Use:

This would be a great book for a display for Black History Month.