Christie Dunne-Murphy answers “Does this book teach something new or is...”

A Goodreads user asked this question about The Hate U Give (The Hate U Give, #1):

Does this book teach something new or is it worth reading? I'm hoping it doesn't capitalize on social/political/racial issues just for attention. I want something outside of the expected canon without being preachy.

Christie Dunne-Murphy The vast majority of people answering this question seem to be suffering from some kind of brainwashing or bias so great as to severely impair their j…moreThe vast majority of people answering this question seem to be suffering from some kind of brainwashing or bias so great as to severely impair their judgement.

The book begins with a party, drug use, sex and violence are immediately introduced in graph and explicit language.

It then goes on to show a young black man being non-compliant with a cop in a dangerous area after they just left a party where a teenager was shot. The aforementioned young man is involved in drugs and is repeatedly rude and non-compliant with the cop. It's only then that the cop escalates the situation.

The young man, after being ordered out of the car, and told not to move, and to keep his hands on his head, then ignores the cop and moves to reach into the car. A common way cops get killed is by people reaching into their cars for a concealed weapon. In response, the cop shoots him.

The rest of the book is then a treatise on how unjust this shooting was, and how all white people and the society of America is racist, finger to the bone. Somewhat difficult to comprehend when they have many of the highest black athletes and individuals in the world, three UFC champions of African birth and a former President who was born in Kenya and is a black man.

If you want to teach kids about drugs, gang crime and foul language, the book is appropriate content. (less)

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