I know I’m late to the show, but I finally listened to the audiobook of The Hate U Give and I was BLOWN away!!! This book deserved ALL THE STARS and should be on the mandatory reading list of every middle school and high school. The story is on point, current, chilling, heartbreaking and eye opening for a white European girl like me.

The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas’s searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. Soon to be a major motion picture from Fox 2000/Temple Hill Productions.

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.

My thoughts

IT’S A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!!!

This review will be mostly gushing and rambling – I’m still incredibly touched by the book and the importance of the message. And the striking difference of their life to mine was SHOCKING.

Raw and authentic, The Hate U Give frightened me to my bones. I never encountered anything like the author depicts, and can’t even imagine how it must have been growing up in such neighborhoods or feeling such horrifying fear towards police.

I understand this is a work of fiction, but according to the news especially in recent years, this story is on point and depicts exactly what’s happening on streets all over the US.

THUG could have easily turned into a bleak and dreary account of violence, racism, and police brutality. But instead the author took the opportunity to tell a story that captivated, gave hope, and lifted the spirit in an otherwise chilling world with news that shock and scare me every day.

The author did a marvelous job of balancing the chillingly reality with a dose of sass and wit thanks to the main character and her family.

I CAN NOT EMPHASIS THIS ENOUGH – THE HATE U GIVE SHOULD BE A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE.

I’ll be recommending it to all of my friends and booklovers. It’s one of those books that stay with you because it covers such a current and important topic, and brings awareness to a situation that is going on all around the country. It’s so easy to forget about it if it doesn’t touch you personally, and seeing it on the news makes no difference either, we are becoming almost desensitized to the news. But somehow reading this book brought it closer than ever before. It was like living it, being a part of it, and I was truly feeling PETRIFIED at times.

THE HATE U GIVE IS A MASTERPIECE AND NEEDS TO BE READ!!!

Now let’s get to the audiobook performance – it was SPECTACULAR!!!!

Bahni Turpin, the narrator did such a fantastic job. Even though the topic is no laughing matter, there were more than enough scenes that lifted the spirit and made me laugh out loud. Bahni Turpin gave a masterful performance!!!!

5/5 Stars
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The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas