The Hate U Give

Written by Angie Thomas

A book for readers in grades 9 and up reviewed by Shayne

The Hate U Give is about a girl named Starr Carter, who watches her friend Khalil die when he is shot by a cop. The cop thought he had a gun, but he was just holding a hairbrush. After Khalil’s funeral, a protest takes place that starts to get violent. Starr and her family go back home with gunshots and fighting taking place in their neighborhood.

At school, Starr’s friend Hailey gives her a really hard time about what happened with Khalil and the cop who killed him. Starr becomes angry and realizes she wants to protest. She appears on the news and talks about her experience. This angers King, a gang leader, because Khalil was a part of his gang.

I really like The Hate U Give because it shows how some people are shaped by their environment. It also shows the conditions that people have to live with in The Projects. Gang violence and racism are all a product of living in a certain environment, especially in lower and middle income communities.