The Hate you Give

Author: 

Angie Thomas

Themes: 

  • Courage 
  • Prejudice
  • Power and Corruption

Genres: 

Realistic Fiction

Recommended Age for Reading: 

This is a bit tricky...the language is very strong.  The F word is used multiple times, but one of my middle school students recommended this book to me.  Coming from a mostly white school out in the middle of nowhere, I was so proud of her for reading and being inspired by this story.  Due to the language and sexually implied content, I would suggest parents and teachers read this story before having middle school age kids read it.  It could be a story that parents and teachers read with their kids.  There are several opportunities for teachable moments and much-needed discussions.  


Plot:

Starr Carter is a teenage girl who is caught between two worlds.  She attends a mostly white private school, but she also lives in what would be known to others as a rough part of town.  Her father used to be a leader in a powerful gang.  When Starr watches her friend from childhood get shot and killed at the hands of a police officer, her life changes.  She is torn between protecting herself and her family and standing up for what's right.  She has to make a choice to remain quiet or use her voice to bring about change.  


Review: 

One of my students recommended this book to me shortly after our class discussions over Martin Luther King Jr, and the Civil Rights Movement.  In the school district where I teach, most of the students are white, and so are the teachers.  We are in the middle of nowhere, in the country, so there's not a lot of opportunities for diversity, unfortunately.  I want my students to be aware of what's going on in our world as well as some of the major problems that people face daily.  By living where we do, it's very easy for us to put our heads in the sand, and pretend like some of these problems don't exist.  By reading a story, such as, The Hate you Give, people who live in communities such as mine will be able to have some kind of understanding of the issues addressed in this book.  To be honest, I had a hard time understanding the Black Lives Matter movement before reading this book, now I want to do my part to bring about awareness when it comes to police brutality and take a stand for people of color as well as anyone else who faces oppression of any kind.  I believe this is a book that everyone needs to read. 

5/5

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