The Hate U Give

 

A. Bibliographic Data

Thomas, Angie. 2017. The Hate U Give. Balzer + Bray. ISBN: 1406377287

B. Summary

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 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.

C. Critical Analysis

I enjoyed this book especially since the last few years we have had a lot of similar occurrences happen throughout the world. I can’t image what it would be like for Starr to be going to a prep school, yet living in a poor neighborhood and above all feeling like you need to fit into both worlds. To fit in with your race and culture even.

The Hat You Give was eye-opening for me as it helped me see racism from other perspectives. I think Thomas did an amazing job with her characters- a lot of stereotypical ideas of different races, people, ideas of people from different lives, etc. Starr is portrayed as a true adolescent, and she struggles to find what her truth should be and where she belongs. Other characters such as her father is also characterized well, you can see the struggles of being a black man, struggles of living in a poor neighborhood, yet being a father who wants better for his child. There are many aspects of this book I think young adults can relate to also pieces of the book that they can learn from. I highly recommend this book to young adults and adults, especially with the occurrences we are having in our world. I feel for some it would be a life-altering or “how you think” life-changing mentality.

D.  Book Reviews

Goodreads Choice Awards Best of the Best · William C. Morris Award Winner · National Book Award Longlist · Printz Honor Book · Coretta Scott King Honor Book · #1 New York Times Bestseller!

"Riveting!" —Jason Reynolds

"Stunning." —John Green

"This story is necessary. This story is important." —Kirkus (starred review)

"Heartbreakingly topical." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A marvel of verisimilitude." —Booklist (starred review)

"A powerful, in-your-face novel." —Horn Book (starred review)

“A chilling, fast-paced, horror-inducing story that will have you quickly flipping through the pages to find out what happens.” –BuzzFeed 

E. Connections

·         Use this book to segway into other themed books or using it to compare how racism is explained in a variety of books. Does it seem like most people think of racism in the same way? Compare/contrast

·         Discussion Questions:

o    1. How does the main character, Starr, navigate between the two worlds of her predominantly black neighborhood and her mostly white prep school?

o    2. How does the shooting of Khalil, a unarmed black teenager, affect Starr and her community?

o    3. How does the relationship between Starr and her parents evolve throughout the novel?

o    4. How does the concept of “the hate U give” relate to the themes of the novel?

o    5. How do the actions of the police and the justice system play a role in the novel?

o    6. How do the various characters’ identities, such as race, class, and gender, shape their experiences and perspectives in the novel?

o    7. What is the significance of the Black Lives Matter movement in the novel?

o    8. How does the novel explore themes of family, friendship, and loyalty?

o    9. How does the novel address the issues of police brutality and racial inequality?

o    10. How does the ending of the novel leave the reader feeling, and what impact do you think it will have on future discussions of these issues?

Great idea for a Theme Collage

News articles that could be used to discuss along with the book