The Hate U Give

Title: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Image:

Genre: Fiction

Justification:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas has won seven major awards including the Printz Honor, National Book Award, William C. Morris award, Coretta Scott King, Boston Globe-Horn book, and New York Times bestseller (Thomas, 2019). This book was originally chosen because it was a Printz Honor Book. The book was so popular it also became a movie. This book tackles controversial issues such as police killing, gangs, and drugs. This book will pertain to multiple students in the world as each child comes with their own drama and baggage.

Evaluation of the book:

          All books must be rooted in some fact to give them accountability and allow the reader to connect. The Hate U Give does a great job of including similar incidents that have been all over the news. The book takes a societal problem and makes it understandable. The riots in the book match the Black Lives matter riots and marches. The unfair treatment and view point of African American males is what makes this book stand out. On a page called pantsuit nation there was a parent who discussed having the talk with their child. This is not the birds and bees talk instead it is the talk of what you are supposed to do when you are black. This is the same talk Starr got from her parents at twelve years old (Thomas A. , 2017, p. 12). It is tragic that students must have this talk. In 1968 a Terry Stop came apart (Legal Information Insititute, 2019). This law targeted African American Males. It resulted in males being stocked and frisked more then once. In The Hate U Give Starr watches Khalil and her dad targets and stopped and frisked more then once.

The plot of the book moved at a quick pace. The reader becomes invested in the characters. This plot is also applicable to a lot of our students. Starr deals with coming of age, gangs, murder, boyfriend drama, and racism. As the problems accumulate Starr finds a way to handle them and come up with a solution. This clear plot moves the story along quickly. This makes the book hard to put down. Even when rereading for quotes and information it was easy to get sucked right back into the text. Thomas spends a lot of time on character growth. She also does not rush into details so that the reader can ease into the book. At the beginning of the book Starr is upset with her boyfriend. Thomas does not give us the reason for her upset until page 80 (Thomas A. , 2017). This allows the reader to digest of issue at a time. The plot is so applicable to everyone. Everyone deals with bias’s and unfair treatment. From the shifting of friendship and the battle for right and wrong this coming of age story has a wonderful plot.

The tone of this book was somber. Starr is dealing with post traumatic stress, as well as being a teenager. Her family is trying to decide what is the best decision for them and their community, and Starr is also deciding what is worth fighting for. Even with this somber tone the author puts in light hearted elements to lift the reader up. The book is full of strength. Starr’s mom, Dad, and Uncle Carlos lift Starr up. They help her work through her grief and make a difference. The neighborhood supports Starr. At the end when her dad’s store burns down the neighbors offer up their stores to support her family. The book can handle serious issues without weighing the reader down. The book also can give practical solutions to problems. For instance, making a list and deciding if the work is worth it or if you should move on. The tone helped with address the serious of the issues and all the side issues that occur with them.

Response:

          (b) This book does a great job of mirroring the current political climate. The news discusses how African Americans are killed by cops at an alarming rate. The book also, discusses the helplessness of the victim and the bias of society. The book discusses how people are judged based on the colors of their skin. It also talks about how the drug problem is prevalent and how hard it is to avoid the gang life and make wise choices. The book talks about how Starr’s father was a King. How he only got out of being a King because of a family connection and his time in jail. Khalil was never in a gang but was treated like he was to save the gang’s reputation. He was forced to sell drugs to protect his family. These are a lot of heavy topics that needed to be shared and addressed.

          © I was lucky I grew up in a middle-class household. We had food on our table and a roof over our head. My parents were involved and supported us. We never had to sell drugs, or join a gang to fit in. This book really opened my eyes to the struggle of African Americans and how the system is unjust. When reading this book the voices of my minority friends kept replaying in my head. “When I am walking people cross the street, I hate being followed in stores”. This has made me more aware and I try to fix the problems in ways that I can. I do not cross the street if I see a black male walking. I always stop to show my receipt at stores exits especially because I notice minorities get stopped but I do not. “The key is to never stop doing right.” (Thomas A. , 2017, p. 154). This line is so important and made me aware of how I need to never stop doing right to fix the system.

          (g) This book deserved all the awards it has received. Its an amazing story and has a lot of power to do good. This book needs to be in libraries, and bookstores. It needs to be shared. The book does a great job of handling sensitive issues at the same time as bringing the characters up and making them better. The reader learns that you do not have to suffer to make the world better, and that is it ok to let go of things that bring you down. Starr shows a lot of strength and perseverance while still dealing with normal teen issues like a boyfriend, overprotective parents, and school work. She learns to live with grief and bring joy to others and the safe correct way to battle. Her bravery in this book will be an inspiration to others.

Conclusion:

          The Hate U Give was made into a movie. After reading the book I can see why. This well-crafted book was a page turner. It became impossible to put down.  Angie Thomas uses tone, plot, and accountability to bring Starr to life. This book will trigger flash backs of media reports, Black lives Matter, and the unfair struggle of being a teenager. The book also inspires hope. The reader wants to root for Starr and her family and the ending shows that even in times of turmoil peace can be found. “If the good outweighs the bad” it’s worth fighting for (Thomas A. , 2017, p. 433). This book shows it is always worth fighting for.

Citation:

Legal Information Insititute. (2019). Stop and Frist . Retrieved from Cornell Law School : https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/stop_and_frisk

The University of Texas at El Paso. (n.d.). How to Write a Reaction Paper or Reader Response. Retrieved from Reader Response: http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl0310link/readerresponse.htm

Thomas, A. (2017). The Hate U Give. Germany: Balzer + Bray.

Thomas, A. (2019, November 25). The Hate U Give. Retrieved from Angie Thomas Author: https://angiethomas.com/the-hate-u-give