REVIEW- The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

Rate: 4/5

THE NEED TO READ BOOK OF 2017!

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.

Keep your hands visible.

No sudden moves.

Only speak when spoken to.

I was immediately draw to this story. I have read many books that involved racism but never one such as profound as Thomas captured this young girls life sink at the palm of her hands. Through a different lens, racism is grasping at a huge part of Starr's life through relationships and injustice.

Shared through a diverse perspective, an honest, first-hand account of what goes unseen and but not unheard: racism.

Starr's character is an inspiration to woman of every ethnicity and race as she stands for a purpose and resilient. As you follow the growth of Starr, you see the selflessness within her as she possess the means to be fearless, regardless of what challenges she may face.

The Hate You Give tackles many topics responsibly such as racism, police brutality and discrimination in a non-judgmental, hateful way.

This book NEEDS to be read and taught in High Schools, no doubt about that, but also read in youth groups and communities as this novel demonstrates the dynamic lifestyle many of the world live every day. This is reality, no matter how hard the world tries to look away, there is always a voice and a side that needs to be heard.

Starr's voice is refreshing, realistic and captivating.