The Hate U Give in The Challenge Factory

Mar 29, 2019 Book Concierge rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: coming-of-age, audio, movie, debut, racism, young-adult, concierge, library, social-commentary

Book on CD performed by Bahni Turpin

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is the narrator of this contemporary novel that deals with some major social issues facing America. Starr and her friend Khalil are driving home from a party when they are stopped by a policeman, presumably for a broken taillight. Things go badly and Starr is left reeling from the trauma of the event, as well as her guilt and fear.

I love the way that Thomas writes these characters. Starr is, in many respects, a typical teenager. Book on CD performed by Bahni Turpin

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is the narrator of this contemporary novel that deals with some major social issues facing America. Starr and her friend Khalil are driving home from a party when they are stopped by a policeman, presumably for a broken taillight. Things go badly and Starr is left reeling from the trauma of the event, as well as her guilt and fear.

I love the way that Thomas writes these characters. Starr is, in many respects, a typical teenager. She has a boyfriend (who she’s kept hidden from her parents), she works part time in her father’s store, she fights with her brothers, and hangs out with her girlfriends. But she also struggles with leading a dual life: Starr from the hood, whose father is an ex-con and former gang member, vs Starr the good pupil at a predominantly white private school.

Thomas gives Starr a relatively stable home environment: a family-owned house (including a fenced yard and vegetable garden), neighbors who look out for one another, and, most importantly, two parents who love one another, work hard, set a good example and try to give their children the education they’ll need to succeed. She also gives Starr a couple of very good friends, both at her high school and in the neighborhood.

The realities of living in an urban neighborhood that is stressed by unemployment, gangs, poverty, drug use and broken families are all present, however. Her parents give her “the talk” when she’s about twelve – No, not the birds and the bees talk (though they do that as well), but the “here’s how to behave when the police stop you” talk. Something that most parents never even consider a necessity. Starr is keenly aware of the differences in her own situation as opposed to that of her neighborhood acquaintances; and of the even larger differences between her home and that of her fellow students at her privileged high school.

I thought Thomas did a good job showing Starr’s emotional swings; she’s scared, angry, anxious, and numb. But she also experiences love, joy and humor. There are no easy answers here, and in fact the novel raises more questions than it gives solutions. But these are issues than need examining, and this is a great way to start the conversation.

Bahni Turpin does a superb job narrating the audio. She really shows the range of Starr’s emotions as the events unfold. I also liked the way she interpreted Maverick and Lisa (Starr’s parents), as well as her boyfriend, Chris. It’s an emotionally charged story, but Turpin never over-acted the story. Brava.
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Jun 23, 2017 Kristin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2021, favorites, stand-alones, contemporary, read-in-2018

Breathtaking! I loved everything about it. This has become one of my favorite novels ever and will probably be my favorite book of 2018. I can't wait for more Angie Thomas novels.

Re-Read (January 2021): 5 stars
This book still hits! So many complex topics and issues discussed and I’m simply amazed. ...more

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Feb 13, 2019 Shawnda M. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

16 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. What 16 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. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

I think this is a must read for people of all races and all ages! You've probably heard a lot about this book and if not at least the movie adaptation. The topic is heavy. It's all about the BLM movement, why it exists, and shows a scenario of a policeman crossing the line and taking an unarmed black teenager's life. However that is not all the story is about it is also the story of family, love, loss, while showing how that injustice goes on to affect everyone in its path. Reading about this young girl’s situation and the after-effects of watching her childhood friends die in her arms in front of her brought me through so many emotions.

I would like to say I never felt once that this book paints all cops in a bad light but discusses what really happens when a situation like this occurs and the officer is acquitted of all wrongdoing. I really did like that about this book. I love that it spoke about how standing up for yourself, and your community can be done without violence. Use your voice and speak up! Be the light that educates, be the change!

This was a quick read. The story and conversations were realistic and compelling. At the end of this novel I had cried, I had laughed, and above all, I had learned something about an experience I have never even thought twice about being involved in. I am so thankful I read this book, it gave me a lot of insight and food for thought as I strive to be a better member of society and gave me a whole new appreciation for all those who have to live through this sort of thing every day. ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Such a powerful and amazing book. I loved Starr and her family. The sad thing is this isn't fiction at all but happening to African America men and women all the time. We see it on the news to often then should be allowed. This book makes you feel everything, the fear Starr felt and the anguish at losing her best friend. She is so torn between the world she lives and the the neighborhood she is from. I LOVED Angie Thomas and this book and HIGHLY recommend this to everyone. This is a real problem ...more

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May 19, 2019 Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Somewhat to my surprise, the book deserves its five star rating. It was hard to put down and about so many, many things. Full review to come.

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Dec 16, 2018 Shan ~A~ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: doctor-or-nurse, favorites, young-adult, crime, back-to-school

I really enjoyed this book. It's sad but true how relevant it is to the times that we live in. There were parts in the book that reminded me of my childhood; the candy lady, playing hopscotch, etc... Of course I live in a small town, so the neighborhood violence wasn't something I am used to, not to say things didn't happen, but not to the extent that I had to be afraid for my life.

One of the things that I think is universal for all people of color is the lessons that Maverick was teaching the ...more

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Aug 21, 2019 Tania rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Starr is a young girl growing up in a neighborhood known for having trouble with gangs and drugs. Her parents send her and her brothers to a school outside of their own neighborhood, hoping to get them a better education in a safer environment. The result is that Starr grows apart from her childhood friends, and finds herself unable to be authentic with the friends she makes at school. It's not only race that separates them, but socioeconomic conditions as well. When one of Starr's best and olde Starr is a young girl growing up in a neighborhood known for having trouble with gangs and drugs. Her parents send her and her brothers to a school outside of their own neighborhood, hoping to get them a better education in a safer environment. The result is that Starr grows apart from her childhood friends, and finds herself unable to be authentic with the friends she makes at school. It's not only race that separates them, but socioeconomic conditions as well. When one of Starr's best and oldest friends, Khalil, is shot down, unarmed, by a police officer, Starr's life begins to unravel, as does her neighborhood. As the only witness to the shooting, Starr will have to decide whether it's worth risking everything to speak the truth.

The Hate U Give is embarrassingly relevant to our country today. It's also incredibly honest. I never felt this was a one sided conversation, the author examines the issues from many sides, and shows the numerous problems that both stem from and exacerbate these situations. People within the different neighborhoods weren't grouped into one. Instead there were successful people who chose to remain in the troubled neighborhood they called home, but also gangbangers and drug dealers who perpetuate the stereotypes and put the lives of everyone else in danger, and people who didn't feel they could leave, and people who left as soon as they were able. There were ignorant people living in rich communities, but there were also kind people who had their own issues to deal with, and those who had fled their roots in the face of success and built a new life for themselves far from where they started, and even people born to privilege who seemed to have no issues and yet were willing to question the status quo. The struggle that Starr had understanding how to exist in these two very different worlds, and the lessons she learned when she was less than authentic in either, felt very real. Everything about this book felt real, and raw, and important.

The Hate U Give doesn't allow you to conveniently ignore that things are not as they should be, and that youth of a different color do have to be more careful and live by different rules. But it doesn't automatically condemn everyone for the actions of some, instead the book examines the facts. It explores where ignorance is caused by a simple lack of exposure versus true ill will. It follows characters who make bad choices because they feel they have NO choices, and characters who disagree with those choices, and characters who embrace those choices... because everyone is different, and capable of good, and capable of bad, and not everyone has all of the choices, or feels they have all the same choices, that others have. At times the story may feel hopeless, and yet just when the reader might wonder what is the point, it will pass out a nugget of hope. We can't stay silent, and yet we have a choice in how, and when, we use our words, and we have a choice as to whether or not we resort to violence, and we have a choice in exactly how we fight back. What I loved most about this book, and what kept me up all night reading because I simply couldn't walk away from the story, is the core message: "Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right." ...more

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Oct 28, 2018 Bunnita (Worth Reading It?) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I can't go into depth with this review because it would probably turn into an essay. I enjoyed the book. I didn't care for Starr in the beginning but I liked that it was also a self discovery for her. She came to realize that she was the person people said she was without knowing it.

The subject strikes very close to home for me as I have people in my life that has had family members in headlines. It makes you angry. It makes you feel as though there's no hope for this nonsense to end especially ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 Jen K rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Despite such a difficult and sensitive topic, the book was really well written studying various perspectives thoughtfully. It is so sad that this has happened so many times in the US and with no real change happening. I hope no one gives up on better for everyone.

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Dec 12, 2019 Marie (UK) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reading-challenge

I am not a lover of young adult books and i really didn't care for the start of this one. However the whole was much more than the sum of its parts. The characters and the narrative will stay with me for a long time ...more

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