Scan barcode
A review by nothingforpomegranted
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
5.0
"T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E.: The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody" - Tupac
I learned a tremendous amount from this book without feeling at all like it was didactic or preachy. Angie Thomas has written something significant, and Bahni Turpin brought the characters and the story to life in the most wonderful way.
None of the characters in this book were perfect, but I was drawn to each of them, rooting for them to learn from their experiences and continue to grow and succeed. Despite Starr's first person narration, Thomas managed to introduce several incredible characters with powerful backstories and interesting perspectives. Thurpin gave each of those characters a voice and effectively explored their relationships with Starr and with each other.
The dialogue and thought processes felt honest, teenagers with genuine opinions and well-developed arguments who are also prone to overreaction and drama. Starr and her siblings respected their parents but also disagreed with them. There was a lot of love throughout this book, and I felt all of it.
The THUGLIFE refrain that ran through the book was powerful. Relevant to Tupac in the 90's, relevant to Angie Thomas in 2017, relevant to readers in 2020. Our world feels increasingly hateful, increasingly divided, and everybody is getting fucked. All sides put up barriers, defining their group and refusing to let others in. Progress is hard to come by with walls so tall and thick.
Overall, this book should be widely read. The messages that it imparts are important, but it is also ripe for dialogue and open to discussion and disagreement, which is especially significant in our silo-ed social media world.
I learned a tremendous amount from this book without feeling at all like it was didactic or preachy. Angie Thomas has written something significant, and Bahni Turpin brought the characters and the story to life in the most wonderful way.
None of the characters in this book were perfect, but I was drawn to each of them, rooting for them to learn from their experiences and continue to grow and succeed. Despite Starr's first person narration, Thomas managed to introduce several incredible characters with powerful backstories and interesting perspectives. Thurpin gave each of those characters a voice and effectively explored their relationships with Starr and with each other.
The dialogue and thought processes felt honest, teenagers with genuine opinions and well-developed arguments who are also prone to overreaction and drama. Starr and her siblings respected their parents but also disagreed with them. There was a lot of love throughout this book, and I felt all of it.
The THUGLIFE refrain that ran through the book was powerful. Relevant to Tupac in the 90's, relevant to Angie Thomas in 2017, relevant to readers in 2020. Our world feels increasingly hateful, increasingly divided, and everybody is getting fucked. All sides put up barriers, defining their group and refusing to let others in. Progress is hard to come by with walls so tall and thick.
Overall, this book should be widely read. The messages that it imparts are important, but it is also ripe for dialogue and open to discussion and disagreement, which is especially significant in our silo-ed social media world.