The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Pages: 432
Publish date: April 6th, 2017
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
ISBN: 1406372153
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

The Hate U Give:

I received a review copy of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas from Walker Books Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I don’t know how this review is going to go, I don’t know if I’ll be able to express my thoughts right. If what I am feeling is going to come across. I loved this book and I don’t even know how to start expressing how powerful, poignant and brilliant The Hate U Give is.

The Hate U Give follows sixteen-year-old protagonist Starr who lives in two worlds. The poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and the posh school that she attends. And she likes to keep them very apart. But, that balance is thrown when she is the only witness to a fatal shooting that kills her best friend, by a white police officer.  When what she can say can cause chaos not only to her community but to her family Starr has to come to some decisions on what is wrong and what is right.

I loved Starr as the protagonist. She is raw and real and captured me from the get-go. I was thrown into her world and I was intrigued. Starr lives these two lives. The one with her family, in the place she has lived most of her life. But, then she goes to school in a totally different place. I don’t think Starr put on a persona in any of those lives, however, she did let certain traits come out in different ways. Throughout The Hate U Give, my heart broke for Starr, I just wanted to give her a massive hug. Being a teenager is already hell, but having such a burden, such an experience, just.

I loved this novel for many reasons, but something that stood out well and true was how real it was. How raw. I had to read The Hate U Give ­slowly. At first, I was flying through it, but when I reach the 80-page mark – I was a mess. The tears were flowing and they weren’t going to stop. So I read a couple chapters each day. But, it didn’t matter how many I read – I still cried.

The Hate U Give is so important not just for Americans, but everyone else in the world. It explores how injustice legal systems are. How people are prejudice, how they see someone just by the colour of the skin. By how they look. It’s not only heartbreaking in the book, but because it’s real. Because it’s happening, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

And even though I hated seeing Starr struggling with the decisions that she had to make, I also loved seeing it. Because like the whole book – it was real.

I’d ask him if he wished he shot me too

I loved the sense of family in The Hate U Give. While conventional at times, Starr’s family warmed my heart. They shared so much love between them, even if they didn’t always show it at times. They were there for each other when they need them most.

I also loved the romance, even though most of the foundation of the relationship has been built before the book, I adored seeing it grow. The Hate U Give explores the notion of interracial couples and how they are perceived. It was hard and heartbreaking, but gosh did it put a smile on my face.

Overall, if I could give this more stars I would. The Hate U Give is a brilliant and powerful story. It’s heartbreaking, poignant and so so true. It’s a book that everyone should read, and understand. The Hate U Give explores family, friendship and what is right. I wanted to cry, scream and hurt. So I beg you please pick up this book, read it, take it in and understand.

Have you read The Hate U Give? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Are there any other books that explore that matter that you have read or want to read? Let’s Chat!