The Hate U Give

Citation

Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. New York, NY: Balzer + Bray.

Description

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.

Comtemporary Realistic Fiction

Harper Collins Publishers. (n.d.). The hate u give details. Retrieved from https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062498533/the-hate-u-give

Scholarly Review

African American sixteen-year-old Starr Carter lives a life caught between her rough, predominantly black neighborhood and the "proper," predominantly white prep school she attends. This precarious balance is broken when Starr witnesses the shooting of her (unarmed) childhood friend Khalil by a police officer. Debut author Thomas is adept at capturing the voices of multiple characters in her powerful, in-your-face novel.

Njoku, E. (2017, Fall). Thomas, Angie: The hate u give. The Horn Book Guide, 28(2), 148.  Retrieved March 22, 2018 from Book Review Index.

My Analysis

I was speechless at the end of this book. It has become one of my new favorites. I really enjoyed the glimpse into a culture other than my own, and Angie Thomas did an amazing job of making me feel some of the emotions that the Starr, Seven, DeVante, and Kenya felt on a daily basis. This book is so relevant because unarmed black men are shot for no reason on a regular basis, and it is getting worse. Thomas showed readers the pain that loved ones and members of the community go through when this occurs as well as not all police are “bad” like Brian (One-fifteen),  as shown by Uncle Carlos. I would recommend this book for middle school or above. I taught at a high poverty, black majority school, and my students went through this every day. I think that this novel would be something they can relate to and find comfort in as well as get them excited about reading.

Hashtags

#THUGLIFE

#BlackLivesMatter

#EndHate

Usage

I would use this as part of a book study for current issues, either in a public or school library. Because this book focuses on prejudice against African Americans, this would provide a relevant discussion about how we can raise awareness and how we can take steps to end prejudice. It would be interesting to have participants from different age ranges and ethnicities to provide their perspectives and input.

Awards

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
Coretta Scott King Honor Book
Michael L. Printz Honor Book
William C. Morris Award

Censorship

The Hate U Give was removed from schools in the Katy Independent School District in Texas. The book was removed because a parent complained, and the school board approved the removal due to “pervasive vulgarity.” The decision was ultimately decided by the superintendent, who has the authority to override all decisions by the school board. The book has been temporarily returned on the condition that parental consent must be given for students to read the book. A final decision is still pending as of January 2018.

Volunteers in the community went to social media and asked for donations of the book so that they could be put in Little Free Libraries around the area. The volunteers received 100 books in less than a week. The volunteers stand behind the book because, according to volunteer Breonna Brownlee, “I think it is a really important book for what’s going on in our world, as well as a great message about finding your voice.”

Yorio, K. (2018). The hate u give returns to h.s. shelves in Katy, TX. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/2018/01/books-media/hate-u-give-returns-h-s-shelves-katy-tx/#_

References

Harper Collins Publishers. (n.d.). The hate u give details. Retrieved from https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062498533/the-hate-u-give

Njoku, E. (2017, Fall). Thomas, Angie: The hate u give. The Horn Book Guide, 28(2), 148.  Retrieved March 22, 2018 from Book Review Index.

Yorio, K. (2018). The hate u give returns to h.s. shelves in Katy, TX. Retrieved from https://www.slj.com/2018/01/books-media/hate-u-give-returns-h-s-shelves-katy-tx/#_