The Hate U Give (book) by Angie Thomas
Bibliographic Information
Title: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins
Copyright Date: February 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-249853-3
Page Count: 464
Genre/Format
Fiction - Book
Awards or Honors
New York Times, #1 Bestseller
Coretta Scoot King, Honor (Author)
William C. Morris, Award
Michael L. Printz, Honor Book
National Book Award, Longlist
Boston Globe, Horn Book Award
Edgar Allan Poe Award (Mystery Writers of America), Best Young Adult Nominee
(and more)
Reading Level/Interest Level
14-adult (Kirkus Reviews), Grade 8+ (School Library Journal)
Plot Summary
Starr Carter lives in Garden Heights, which is predominantly a Black community and goes to school in a suburban neighborhood that is mostly White. Her family sends her there due to a fear about the sphere of influence in their neighborhood high school. Starr is already caught between these two worlds when she witnesses police shoot and murder her unarmed childhood friend. After this traumatic event, she works to find her voice and explore her identity as a Black person. She must assess her current friendships and romantic relationship to understand how they serve her as she grapples with the complex social systems that she was born into.
Author Background
Angie Thomas is an author, speaker, producer, and activist. She was born and raised in Mississippi, but currently lives in Atlanta, GA. The Hate U Give was her debut novel and was turned into a film in 2018. She has written many New York Times bestsellers now, with multiple books turned into films. She has a degree in creative writing and an “unofficial degree” in hip-hop. She can also rap. She has a dog named Kobe (Thomas, n.d.).
“I look at books as being a form of activism. Sometimes they’ll show us a side of the world that we might not have known about.” - Angie Thomas
Critical Evaluation
I loved this book, and I am thankful that Thomas wrote it, while being cognizant of the Black young adult, Oscar Grant, who was murdered by police, and who’s story inspired Thomas to write it (Hibler, 2024). The characters were well developed, and their dialogue felt real without being predictable. This glimpse into Starr’s world as a coming-of-age story fraught with racism reminds the reader that Black children and teens are often forced to grow up before they are ready. Thomas writes with details that place the reader in the scene. I felt pieces of what Starr felt. I cried for her and I rooted for her. I look forward to reading more of Thomas’ work.
Creative Use for a Library Program
The library can host a round table for teens to discuss the book and watch the movie. It should be a safe space where teens feel comfortable talking about microaggressions they may have witnessed or experienced in the past. A helpful guide about microaggressions can be found here. A discussion guide for the book can be found here.
Speed-Round Talk
Starr Carter, a sixteen-year-old girl, is caught between two worlds - her Black community where she grew up and still lives and her suburban high school that is mostly White. She witnesses her unarmed Black childhood friend being murdered by police after being pulled over and is unsure if she was born to be an activist. Can she find her bravery and sense of self in this story that shares an important themes surrounding racism and police brutality?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
This book has been removed from curriculum lists and is banned in some school districts. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom shares a list of top ten most challenged books annually, and The Hate U Give was on the list in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. Issues listed include violence, anti-police sentiment, indoctrination of a social agenda, profanity, drug-use, sexual references, vulgarity, and offensive language (Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association, n.d.).
Starr, the protagonist, is against drug use, and Thomas shows how in the fictional Black community of Garden Heights, selling drugs is a norm for many reasons and shows how these reasons underpin the structural social systems designed to prevent upward mobility in some Black communities. The book is not anti-police, it is anti-police-brutality. The offensive language is used in a way where Thomas shows White readers why they shouldn’t use the language. A Black woman has done the emotional labor of creating this language lesson for non-Black folks, and non-Black folks should listen.
Reason for Inclusion
This book is older than most others in the list (2017), however it is an incredibly important read for all young adults and remains relevant today and unfortunately beyond as Black teens and young adults continue to deal with racial microaggressions and police brutality.
Bonus Information
The book was turned into a movie in 2018.
Angie Thomas wrote a prequel, Concrete Rose, that came out in 2021.
References
Clark, S. P. (n.d.). Discussion guide for the hate u give by Angie Thomas. Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. https://mville.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=48141177
Hibler, J. (2024, May 10). Angie Thomas. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Angie-Thomas
Khayyam, I. (n.d.). Angie Thomas [Photograph]. Angie Thomas. https://angiethomas.com/press-kit/
Kirkus Reviews (2016, December 5). The hate u give: The story is necessary. The story is important. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/angie-thomas/hate-u-give/
Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association. (n.d.). Top 10 most challenged books and frequently challenged books archive. https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10/archive
Thomas, Angie. (n.d.). About Angie. https://angiethomas.com/about/
Thomas, Angie. (2017, February 28). The hate u give. Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins.
Unite Against Book Bans. (2024, July 15). The hate u give book resume. https://bookresumes.uniteagainstbookbans.org/the-hate-u-give/
*Book Cover Image is property of publisher, Brazier + Bray/HarperCollins; taken from Amazon