The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas was easily one of the most exhilarating and liberating novels I have ever read. The novel is about the trials and tribulations that Starr Carter goes through as she leads her “double life” in Garden Heights and at the private school 45 minutes away from her house, Williamson. She often refers to herself throughout the novel as Williamson Starr and Garden Heights Starr. She feels she has to put on a front for her friends she has met at Williamson, this problem follows her throughout the entire book up until the end where her worlds collide and her white boyfriend Chris, ends up coming out to riot with her in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods. The novel centers around the shooting of Khalil, Starr’s childhood best friend who she was essentially raised with. After meeting up at a party one night after being separated for some time Starr finally sees Khalil again. After a fight breaks out that ends in gunshots by two rivaling gangs Starr gets into the car with Khalil. A few minutes into their drive they are stopped by a white police officer referred to as one-fifteen by Starr throughout the entire novel. Khalil is asked to step out of the car by One-Fifteen and as he stars to ask Starr if she is ok and grab his hairbrush he is shot and killed by One-Fifteen. Starr has just witnessed her second best friend die as she watched Natasha her childhood best friend be shot in a drive by as they were playing in a broken fire hydrant. After Khalil’s death Starr struggles to find her voice, but she knows that no matter how hard it may be she must speak up for Khalil and do whatever she can for justice. She must tell the world his story, and prove to the world that he was more than a “thug” or a “drug dealer” who came from a troubled home. After speaking to detectives and testifying in court, the case is taken to the grand jury to indict One-Fifteen and Starr is the prime benefactor. She knows she must tell the story, and use her voice. The grand jury does not rule in the favor of Khalil which in turned caused a major riot in Garden Heights where Starr throws a can of tear gas at the police, and finds her passion for public speaking and using her voice. It ends in the burning of Starr’s father’s store in Garden Heights which was set on fire by a drug lord who has done nothing but wreak havoc on everyone that Starr loves. At the end of the novel the witnesses band together and tell the cops. This caused DeVante who was being hidden from the drug lord by Starr’s uncle who is a member of the police force, to testify against the neighborhoods biggest drug dealer and his drug dealing and beating of Seven’s(Starr’s half brother) mother Kenya. All in all, this novel was one of my favorites I have ever read. If you are looking for your voice, this novel can show you how hard it can be but how powerful you can be once you find and use your voice to spark positive change in the community around you.
The novel centers around the shooting of Khalil, Starr’s childhood best friend who she was essentially raised with. After meeting up at a party one night after being separated for some time Starr finally sees Khalil again. After a fight breaks out that ends in gunshots by two rivaling gangs Starr gets into the car with Khalil. A few minutes into their drive they are stopped by a white police officer referred to as one-fifteen by Starr throughout the entire novel. Khalil is asked to step out of the car by One-Fifteen and as he stars to ask Starr if she is ok and grab his hairbrush he is shot and killed by One-Fifteen. Starr has just witnessed her second best friend die as she watched Natasha her childhood best friend be shot in a drive by as they were playing in a broken fire hydrant.
After Khalil’s death Starr struggles to find her voice, but she knows that no matter how hard it may be she must speak up for Khalil and do whatever she can for justice. She must tell the world his story, and prove to the world that he was more than a “thug” or a “drug dealer” who came from a troubled home. After speaking to detectives and testifying in court, the case is taken to the grand jury to indict One-Fifteen and Starr is the prime benefactor. She knows she must tell the story, and use her voice. The grand jury does not rule in the favor of Khalil which in turned caused a major riot in Garden Heights where Starr throws a can of tear gas at the police, and finds her passion for public speaking and using her voice. It ends in the burning of Starr’s father’s store in Garden Heights which was set on fire by a drug lord who has done nothing but wreak havoc on everyone that Starr loves. At the end of the novel the witnesses band together and tell the cops. This caused DeVante who was being hidden from the drug lord by Starr’s uncle who is a member of the police force, to testify against the neighborhoods biggest drug dealer and his drug dealing and beating of Seven’s(Starr’s half brother) mother Kenya.
All in all, this novel was one of my favorites I have ever read. If you are looking for your voice, this novel can show you how hard it can be but how powerful you can be once you find and use your voice to spark positive change in the community around you.