THE HATE U GIVE BY ANGIE THOMAS – Reviewed by Ashley Gray

Ashley Gray has been working with Girls Inc. of Bay County for the past eight years. She was originally a summer volunteer with STARS Workforce and was then hired as a full-time staff member when she turned 18. She enjoys singing, writing, dancing, and laughing. Ashley does a podcast once a week called Girl Code 101, where she tackles daily issues that affect the everyday girl and woman and provides tips to help them become their better selves. Ashley is currently attending Florida State University in Panama City, Florida, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communications.

Angie Thomas’s debut novel, The Hate U Give (2017), is a young adult novel centered around 16-year-old Starr Carter, who faces the challenge of balancing two different lifestyles and neighborhoods: the poor area where she lives, and the rich area where she attends school. It seems like living a double life. Then, tragedy strikes. She becomes the only witness to the murder of her childhood friend, Hakeem, at the hands of police. Starr now has to find the strength and the courage to testify in a court of law, while battling post-traumatic stress and the fear of retaliation from people in her neighborhood who think she will be snitching.
The title of the book comes from a song by legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, called “T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E,” which is an acronym that means the hate that we give to the children creates a world of hate and division because they grow and pass it on. Thomas has written two other novels, and a pre-sequel to The Hate U Give will be released in 2021. The Hate U Give was made into a motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg playing the main character, Starr.
This book is timely and relevant to today’s current events, particularly to the younger generation, police, and the Black Lives Matter movement. The book offers insight into it all through the perspective of a young person’s firsthand experience.
The most compelling part of this book is its authentic language. It allows the reader to see the contrast between where Starr lives and where she goes to school. When Starr is in her neighborhood, the book captures the neighborhood’s vernacular and ethics, which contrast with her time in school in an affluent neighborhood where the people and kids are more “put together.”
I especially enjoy reading fiction and autobiographies. Sometimes I like to read teen chapter books because they help me understand the perspective of some of the teenagers that I work with every day. The book’s message also reinforces something that I was already aware of—young people are a driving force in our world. They possess an untapped voice and power. And, if we as adults help them develop that voice and power, we could see an amazing change within our neighborhoods, our communities, and the world.