- The Hate U Give Written by Angie Thomas
‘The Hate U GIve’ is about a girl named Starr, who feels out of place. She goes to a
posh majority-white school, but lives in a neighbourhood where people are poor and
primarily black. Throughout the novel, she is put in shocking situations, and goes through
life-changing events, including a potentially racially motivated shooting, where her
childhood best friend is killed. These incidents force Starr to make a decision. She could
either use her voice, and stand up to discrimination and predjudice, or stay quiet, and
not get the justice she deserves.
This book plays with your emotions, and the fact that it is in the present tense
keeps you very on edge and close to the characters’ feelings. It explores many
different themes, such as racial discrimination, the pressure of being a teenager and
growing up. The book explains the difficulties of being black in such a racist world and
shows us that all children have their own opinions. These kids are forced to take on
adult responsibilities at a very young age, and expected to come to terms with the
fact that coloured people are seen as inferior. Some of these pressured kids who
aren’t strong or confident enough to fight for what they believe, end up falling in with
bad crowds and suppress their anger, leading to them living bad, dangerous lives. The
‘Hate U Give’ makes us see the consequences of going down this path.
‘The Hate U Give’ relates to ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry’, as both books are about
poor black people and the prejudice against them. They both convey similar messages,
telling us that racism is wrong and unfair, and although it may seem impossible, if you
are given the chance to stand up to it, you should use your voice, as it might just
make a difference.
Overall, I thought this book was empowering, dealing with strong issues, and explaining
them well. It is quite different to books I normally read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it,
although it shocked me to know that such extreme things have actually occurred in
real life. It opened my eyes and I am glad I read it