The Hate U Give

Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. New York: Harper Collins.

This intense and extraordinary story begins with a shooting; it sets the mood for the reader, and he  immediately finds out this book will be filled with action from beginning to end.

Starr, the main character,  is a young African American girl that lives in an area filled with crime and uncertainty. She doesn’t attend the school she is zoned to because her parents feel it does not offer opportunities for success, so she assists a school in which the majority of the population is White.

Starr, unfortunately, loses two of her best friends to gang violence and racism. One of these friends, is killed by a White officer and the entire story revolves around the battle of seeking justice for Khalil. This brings Star internal conflicts as she fights her own battles, for she is being pulled by her roots and her desire to be somebody in life. After testifying and sharing what really happened the day Khalil was murdered to the cops, media, D.A., and a jury, the officer is found not guilty. This angered the Black community and brought protests and riots. Starr is irate too, and decides to be part of the protests and is televised speaking up and throwing tear gas back to the officers.  During this time, her father’s grocery store is set on fire by a leader of a gang who had been terrorizing the community for years. Fortunately, the other business owners gather and courageously accuse him with law enforcement.

At the end of the story, unity, hope,  and solidarity prevails and gives everyone hope and a new beginning. The Hate U Give is inspired by Tupac and his definition of THUG LIFE. Starr makes a decision to stop giving hate and making a difference. Starr and her family move out of Garden Heights but promise to never abandon the people and speak up against police brutality. Starr’s father also has an opportunity to start fresh and rebuild his store.

The Hate U Give reminds me of Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because both Starr and Arnold are faced with the challenge of having to move to Anglo dominant campuses in search for better opportunities. They both were forced to lose loved ones to unnatural causes.

The Hate U Give helps readers understand that not all cops are bad, but there have been some that have taken lives of many young Black men unjustly. Another book that touches this topic, is Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles. This book is about a young Black boy who is killed by the police at a party. His twin brother, Marvin, must go on living his life struggling to understand the meaning of freedom and justice.  

There are several important topics mentioned in the book: Black Lives Matter, police brutality, life in a gang, poverty, and drugs. There are other movements such as Blue Lives Matter that talk about how police officers are also victims. It would be wonderful for students in a reading class to be exposed to another point of view. Students are able to read books that discuss this topic such as Blue Lives Matter in the Line of Duty, by Steve Cooley and can expose them to another perspective which can help them see that all lives matter. Students can create a podcast that can discuss both topics and invite community members to participate.