The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - January 2018

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

Our theme chosen by our members for our group read for January is Debut and the group chose The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Please discuss here and remember to use spoiler tags as needed, as everyone may start at different times and reads at different speeds.



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.

[Terri]

I just bought this book through a special Amazon had and I am excited to read it!

[Debra Diggs]

I have it hold at the library. Should have it the second week in January.

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I probably won't get to this one until the end of the month. I'm looking forward to the discussion though.

[Melanie]

I just started this book and am in chapter 9. I cant put it down. One quote from the book that stood out.."People like us in situations like this become hastags, but they rarely get justuce. I think we all wait for that one time, though, that one time when it ends right."

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

Great quote, Melanie.

[Erin :)]

Just put it on hold at my library through Overdrive. Physical or ebook, both have a ton of holds so *fingers crossed* I get a chance at it this month.

[Cathy]

I bought this book recently. Cannot wait to read it!

[Rachael]

This is a recent purchase! Hoping to be able to read it and discuss with you all this month!

[Madison]

I just finished this book last month and it is one of the best books I have read in a while! I can’t wait to here others opinions on it!

[Lexi]

I read this book on the 1st of January (It was a christmas gift) and I could not put it down! I finished it at 6am the same morning and immediately gave it 5 stars. It's excellently written and truly gives the reader something to think about. I'm sure you guys will love it

[Opeyemi]

I started the book about nine months ago but found myself struggling to get past chapter 1. Now that it's the BOTM, I'd pick it up and give it another try

[Pilar]

I have been on a black culture reading run in 2017 and this was the last book I read from that genre. I am fascinated with the institutionalized racism rampant in this country - and everywhere for that matter. This book was another excellent representation of the miro-aggression and political inequities African-Americans must navigate everyday.

[Summer]

Pilar wrote: "I have been on a black culture reading run in 2017 ..."

Pilar, what else have you read that you’ve enjoyed?

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

Opeyemi wrote: "I started the book about nine months ago but found myself struggling to get past chapter 1. Now that it's the BOTM, I'd pick it up and give it another try"

Hope you have better luck this time!

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

Pilar, I'd also be interested to know what else have you read that you’ve enjoyed in the genre?

[Silvia]

I have just started, reading chapter three and I am in shock already :(

[Shamsa]

I am really enjoying this book, i'm almost done reading it. I find the content to be heavy (as it does reflect some current events) yet the writing style is done in a way that its an easy read.

[Anupama]

I read it last year. It was a great book ☺️. Hoping everyone enjoys it

[R.K.]

I flew through this book in two days. Every character is so thoroughly fleshed out

[Nancy]

This book took me well out of my standard book reading genre and I loved it. It’s such a heavy topic that I almost found it more shocking when told from the perspective of this innocent 16 year old girl caught between two worlds.

[Jennifer]

Just finished this book and found it to fly by. Good character development and well written.

[Sofia]

Finished the book yesterday and I loved it. Not only was it well written, it had very powerful characters and dynamics. I enjoyed it very much, and would greatly recommend it to anyone.

[Michelle]

Read this book some time ago but it has stayed with me. Loved it!

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

I'm not going to be able to get to this one in January, but I plan to read it in February and come beck her to comment. I'm glad to see that the majority of members seem to really like this one.

[Debra Diggs]

Finished. I liked this book. At times it was a little bit to young adult for this older woman. But it is an important book. And should be read by everyone.

[Emily]

Not only does this book cover a very important topic, but it’s told in a voice that is hardly heard or represented. Angie Thomas does a wonderful job with her character development and their complexities. I found this book refreshing and poignant. Angie’s style reminded me a bit of Zadie Smith, especially her novel White Teeth.

[Silvia]

So, I finished it. I really liked it, but I didn't love it, however I gave it 5 stars, because I think is a must-read book. A very important theme, with many important messages ... And I can't stop thinking about this book!!!

[♛primadonna♛]

I read this book last summer. I gave it 5 stars and I see it as a Must-Read.!! My favorite quote was "Brave doesn't mean you're not scared. It means you go on even though you're scared"

[Christine]

This was such a wonderful book! Once I stared reading I couldn’t put it down! Not only was it wonderfully written but the message it contained was strong and powerful and is something that needs to be heard. By reading it I learned so much more about the struggles people go through, and as a minority myself I can relate to the Carter family. Maybe not as much as some people can, but I do hope that this message gets shared with everyone.

[Peri]

Really loved it. Engaging and heartbreaking. Starr and her family were amazing characters to follow. My favorite line is when Starr was told that her voice is a weapon so she should use it.

[Tina]

Awesome book

[Ashley]

Loved the audiobook version of this! I half read it half listened to it. Fast read, and well written. Definitely a book everyone should read.

[Samantha]

I really enjoyed this book and the meaning / lesson it gives. Brings forward some very relevant issues in not only the US but the world over.

[Tina]

I enjoyed reading this book. Really got me thinking of the issues of racism. Very well written and hard to put down

[Veronica]

I just purchased this book. I plan on starting this in February...

[Olivia]

I just finished this one today, and rated it 4 stars,
It would have received 5 but I really dislike YA and the writing style was very YA. I love good prose and descriptive beautiful paragraphs in my books. So aside from the technicalities, I think this should be required reading in middle school/high school Lit. classes.
The polarization in our society today makes it hard for people to identify with or feel empathy towards those they view as "others"
books like these (and Picoult's Small Great Things) really help provide a prospective most people lack in their daily lives. If these realities are shown to the youth while they are still young, maybe we can help make future generations wiser and more empathetic.

And lastly, I just want to add, what I really find infuriating every time something along the lines of this happens (extreme police brutality or killing unarmed POC) I scream inside, because it is such a gross violation of our constitutional rights. The 4th and 5th amendments guarantee every citizen a right to due process in the court of law. Everyone is *innocent* until proven guilty. A jury of peers and a judge are supposed to decide guilt and innocence based on evidence but in some parts of this country policemen decide the guilt of someone with a sideways glance and deep rooted bias and stereotypes. Our officers are supposed to protect us not mentally convict us. Their job is to be completely unbiased and arrest someone only once a law has been broken. But they take the law in to their own hands here. They decide you are guilty because of the color of your skin, the car you drive, or a number of other factors they find to be worthy of scrutiny. The killing and the beating are extreme cases, but there are thousands outside of those that involve officers targeting minorities out of racial profiling and bias. Take Ferguson, which accounts for 67% black population yet they make up 85% of all traffic stops. Why? Or how about the fact that in Ferguson every single instance of them releasing dogs to attack a suspect, the suspects were ALL black. They have never released dogs on white citizens.
I encourage everyone to read the justice report on Ferguson to see how bad the problem really is, it goes so much deeper than shooting unarmed POC and police brutality. The oppression and bias is systematic.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/p...

Anyways, I have gone on this rant much too long. I am so sorry.
I am very glad this book exists and gladder still, that it's so popular and widely read. The only way to change these things to to become aware and demand change. The first step is recognizing the problem.

[Olivia]

Kristie wrote: "Pilar, I'd also be interested to know what else have you read that you’ve enjoyed in the genre?"

Kristie & Summer

These are really excellent ones:

Homegoing
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood (please do this on audible, you will love the narration)
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain

Also John Lewis' March series is good. Book 2 is especially powerful
March: Book Two

[Summer]

Thanks, Olivia! Trevor Noah’s book has been on my list for a while. When I’m done with my current audiobook, it’ll be next in line!

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

Excellent, Olivia! I own Homegoing and Born a Crime.

[Jas]

Finished this book over the weekend. Gave it 3 stars because I started to struggle with it in the middle. Felt it could have been several chapters shorter. As a Sikh Punjabi, born and raised in the UK I can confirm that racism goes both ways and it's not just white people who can be racist, I'm glad that the author illustrated this in her portrayal of Starr's 'Garden Heights family and friends.' Liked this book, did not love it though.

[Olivia]

I heard today that this is being adapted to film. Production has wrapped so the movie should come out this year or next year.
I think it'll be a great movie! They casted some really good actors.

[Debra Diggs]

I look forward to seeing the movie! Thanks Olivia.

[Susan]

Taught this book with my ninth graders this year. Such good discussion.

[Summer]

Susan, what did your students think? What bits did they connect with?

[Susan]

The students loved it & felt it mirrored so much of what is happening in our community & in their lives. We took the opportunity to bring in community speakers (school resource officers, a local professor of African American Studies) & they really embraced the dialogue.

[Kristie, Moderator (Retired)]

Susan, I love that you used this book with your students. I remember one of my complaints (way back when) in high school was that every book was old. They were all classics, but it's easier to relate to something with more current writing. We were constantly reading into what the author meant, while needing the language explained. I'm so glad there are books like this one that the kids can relate to and learn from at the same time.