Synopses & Reviews
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas' searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. Soon to be a major motion picture from Fox 2000/Temple Hill Productions.
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.
Review
"Angie Thomas has written a stunning, brilliant, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time." John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars
Review
"As we continue to fight the battle against police brutality and systemic racism in America, The Hate U Give serves as a much needed literary ramrod. Absolutely riveting!" Jason Reynolds, bestselling coauthor of All American Boys
Review
"This story is necessary. This story is important." Kirkus (Starred Review)
Review
"A powerful, in-your-face novel." Horn Book (Starred Review)
Review
"Starr's voice commands attention from page one....Thomas’s story is heartbreakingly topical." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"Beautifully written in Starr’s authentic first-person voice, this is a marvel of verisimilitude as it insightfully examines two worlds in collision. An inarguably important book that demands the widest possible readership." Booklist (Starred Review)
About the Author
Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was having an article about her in Right On! magazine. She holds a BFA in creative writing. The Hate U Give is her first novel.