The Hate U Give

by Angie Thomas
Hennepin County Library hardcover 444 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

I was on the waiting list for this for three months! First-time novelist Thomas has definitely hit a nerve with this powerful book. It didn't resonate as strongly as All American Boys (Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely) but it is a worthwhile read.

I was a little uncomfortable with some of the language - lots of F-bombs and other swearing (though I loved that Maverick put a dollar in the swear jar every time his youngest son commented on it). But the language was definitely realistic for teenagers, especially ones living in a "ghetto" beset with poverty, drugs, gangs, etc.

Main character Starr Carter is a fantastic protagonist - smart, conflicted, hopeful, . . . She goes to school at Williamson, a mostly white private school. "Williamson Starr is approachable. No stank-eyes, side-eyes, none of that. Williamson Starr is nonconfrontational. Basically, Williamson Starr doesn't give anyone a reason to call her ghetto. I can't stand myself for doing it, but I do it anyway." This is so sad! But it completely makes sense. This reminds me of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and the challenges of living in two worlds, culturally.

Pages 167-171 are worth re-reading. Starr and her dad are talking about THUG LIFE (The Hate U Give Little Infants F*** Everybody), racism, society, drugs, . . . I learned a lot! I've never listened to Tupac Shakur's music. I don't like rap music. I always thought "thug life" was glorifying drugs and violence. I had no idea it was about systemic poverty and racism. This was a big eye-opener for me.

Page 226 made me laugh when Maverick made a crack about his mother-in-law . . . "'I'll be waking up in Jesus's face, trying to figure out what happened!' 'Like you going to heaven,' Daddy mumbles." This is one of those things that won't be funny at all on my blog, but worked well in the book! Because it deals with such incredibly serious issues and emotions, this levity was appreciated!

Page 252 - "That's the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments when you shouldn't be?" I love the way Maya and Starr work through some of their frustrations with racism, friends, and silence together.

Page 320 - "He kneels in front of me and sits the Glock beside my feet. He lifts my chin. 'Point one of the Ten-Point Program. Say it.' My brothers and I learned to recite the Black Panthers' Ten-Point Program the same way other kids learn the Pledge of Allegiance." This (and the earlier part about what black parents tell their children about responding to the police - do what they tell you to do, keep your hands visible, don't make any sudden moves, only speak when they speak to you . . . ) makes me incredibly sad. Louie and I *never* had these conversations with our children. White people who deny white privilege simply have not had to deal with the issues that come with racism in our country. I know too many black people who have had these types of conversations with their children out of necessity. This saddens me.

The author's acknowledgements at the end of the book were so sweet and worth reading! I love that she starts with "I first have to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm not worthy of all that you have done for me." I also love the notes about her parents, and especially her mother. "To my biggest champion, Mom/Ma/Momma/Julia Thomas: You are the ultimate light in the darkness; a true "Starr." I'm blessed that you're my mom and hope to be half the woman you are."

The main character, Starr, has parents who are her anchors; Ms. Thomas has brought them vividly to life. This is a powerful and worthwhile book. The ending brought me to tears. "Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug. He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life I'll remember how he died." She goes on to list other characters in the book, then a list of real people who have been killed by the police. The list ends with Philando (shot in Minnesota) and then "It's even about that little boy in 1955 who nobody recognized at first - Emmett. The messed-up part? There are so many more." She offers hope, too, in this intense closing of the novel. "They're not forgetting. I think that's the most important part. Khalil, I'll never forget. I'll never give up. I'll never be quiet. I promise."