the hate u give book review new york times

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission

This Teen Book About Black Lives Matter Is the No. 1 YA Book in the Country Right Now

In these uncertain times, it’s helpful to take solace in knowing teens have great taste in books. Angie Thomas’s debut novel, The Hate U Give , which was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and only came out last week, has already hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list for young-adult hardcover books.

On Twitter, Angie Thomas herself shared her excitement about the news.

It looks like the book’s success isn’t about to stop there, either: It’s already been optioned for a film starring Amandla Stenberg . The kids are gonna be all right.

• the hate u give
• angie thomas

The Cut Shop

Most viewed stories.

• All of the Allegations Against Diddy
• The Most Disturbing Details From Ruby Franke’s Diaries
• What We Know About the Mommy Vlogger Accused of Child Abuse
• Madame Clairevoyant: Horoscopes for the Week of March 24–30
• A Handy Guide to the Lunar Eclipse in Libra
• I Want More: A Finance Guide For Your Fantasies
• ‘My Partner Has a Wife in Another Country. Should I Leave Him?’

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

• Why Is Prince Harry Mentioned in the Latest Diddy Lawsuit?
• Homeland Security Raids Diddy’s Los Angeles and Miami Homes

What is your email?

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

The Hate U Give Enters the Ranks of Great YA Novels

The bestselling young-adult book by Angie Thomas looks at police violence through the eyes of a teen girl.

“They finally put a sheet over Khalil. He can’t breathe under it. I can’t breathe.”

The last words of Eric Garner, adopted and amplified by the Black Lives Matter movement, echo again in the early pages of Angie Thomas’s young-adult novel The Hate U Give. By the time she’s 16, Starr Carter, the protagonist of the book, has lost two of her childhood friends to gun violence: one by a gang drive-by, and one by a cop.

As the sole witness to her friend Khalil’s fatal shooting by a police officer, Starr is overwhelmed by the pressure of testifying before a grand jury and the responsibility of speaking out in Khalil’s memory. The incident also means that the carefully built-up boundary between Starr’s two worlds begins to crumble. For years, she has spent her weekdays at a private, majority-white school, where she explains, “I’m cool by default because I’m one of the only black kids there.” Back at home, she lives with her father “Big Mav,” a former gang-member who wants to make their crime-ridden neighborhood a better place, and her mother Lisa, who wants to move away in order to keep her family safe.

Recommended Reading

Black-ish and How to Talk to Kids About Police Brutality

Why Toddlers Deserve More Respect

Why Your To-Do List Never Ends

Now in its third consecutive week at number one on The New York Times bestseller list for young-adult novels, Thomas’s debut novel offers an incisive and engrossing perspective of the life of a black teenage girl as Starr’s two worlds converge over questions of police brutality, justice, and activism.

Thomas’s book derives its title from the rapper Tupac Shakur’s philosophy of THUG LIFE—which purportedly stands for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody”—and it’s a motif the novel returns to a few times. The acronym tattooed across Tupac’s abdomen could be read as an embrace of a dangerous lifestyle. But, as Khalil explains to Starr, just minutes before the cop pulls them over, it’s really an indictment of systemic inequality and hostility: “What society gives us as youth, it bites them in the ass when we wild out.”

This question of appearance versus reality recurs throughout The Hate U Give . Starr, familiar with perceptions of her neighborhood, community, and herself, code-switches to adapt to her environment and others’ expectations. After the shooting, a new narrative—one that paints Khalil as a drug dealer threatening a cop—surfaces, but an emboldened Starr challenges this simplistic framing of her friend. The novel goes on to raise cogent and credible counter-arguments to the flattening narratives often presented by authorities and echoed by many media outlets in shooting cases involving young black males.

As a book written for teens, The Hate U Give reminds readers of just how often racialized violence is carried out against that age group (Michael Brown was 18 when he was killed; Trayvon Martin was 17; and not-yet teen Tamir Rice was 12). And it illustrates how young people of color who might speak out to defend their late friends are unfairly criticized, as happened to Rachel Jeantel when she testified against her friend Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman. Thomas’s novel keenly understands the dangers of defaulting to the cop/vigilante versus “thug” framing device: The deceased get put on trial, rather than their killers.

The Hate U Give has many of the markers of a typical young-adult novel, too: At times, Starr feels judged and out of place in school, she’s navigating a friendship with a “mean girl,” and is a year into her first real romantic relationship. But each of these plotlines is inevitably complicated by race. For example, Starr hides her white boyfriend from her father. “I mean, anytime he finds out a black person is with a white person, suddenly something’s wrong with them,” Starr explains. “I don’t want him looking at me like that.” She’s wary, too, of sharing her role in the investigation at school because she doesn’t trust one of her closest friends to be sympathetic to her situation, and she feels self-conscious about the easy stereotyping of her neighborhood as “the ghetto.”

Thomas’s intimate writing style and the novel’s first-person perspective taps fully into Starr’s shock, pain, and outrage during the shooting and its aftermath. As a result, The Hate U Give allows some readers to see the complexity of their lives mirrored in literature; for others who may be removed from Starr’s experience or haven’t lived through similar tragedies, it can help generate deeper understanding.

In addition to being an engagingly written story, Thomas’s novel is a vital new contribution to the white-dominated publishing industry. Lee and Low Books’s 2015 Diversity survey found that about 80 percent of industry respondents were Caucasian. And while the number of black characters in children’s books has grown over the past decade, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center found that the number of books written by black authors has held relatively steady. In 2016, out of 3,400 new children’s books counted, 278 were about African Americans—a record for 12 years of surveying. But, out of the thousands of books the center receives, the number of African American writers has hovered between 70 and 100 for the same time period.

Appealing to readers across age, not just race, is a goal for Thomas as well. In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan , she explained , “‘Young adult’ is a critical age, and I knew that if I showed Starr going through these types of things, I could provide a mirror for some young adults and a window for adults—a lot of [whom] read young adult books—who might bring open hearts to a story that I told from her perspective, when they might normally look at a topic like this and say, ‘No.’” But thanks to Thomas’s absorbing storytelling, those who read The Hate U Give will be right beside Starr, grappling with understanding entrenched prejudice, where it comes from, and what role she—and those at home—have in exposing and combatting it.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

The hate u give, common sense media reviewers.

Powerful story of police shooting of unarmed Black teen.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Explains police brutality from the victims' perspe

Strong messages throughout The Hate U Give about c

Unlike many books aimed at young adults, this nove

We see several instances of violence and hear abou

There's talk of an affair between two adults. Teen

Conversational swearing by both adults and teens t

Name brands including Jordans, luxury automobiles,

Teens drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at a party

Parents need to know that Angie Thomas' New York Times best-selling book The Hate U Give won a 2018 Coretta Scott King Author Honor, a Michael L. Printz Honor, and the Odyssey Award for best audiobook for kids and teens. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, it involves the police shooting of…

Educational Value

Explains police brutality from the victims' perspective and shows a broad view of protest strategies, justice, inequality, and the systemic failures that often accompany police shootings.

Positive Messages

Strong messages throughout The Hate U Give about community activism and togetherness, family strength, courage, bravery, and redemption.

Positive Role Models

Unlike many books aimed at young adults, this novel is full of positive kid and adult role models. The adults who reach out to mentor and advise the students not only provide guidance but also show vulnerability, which allows the teens in the story to feel comfortable with their own vulnerability. The teens navigate tough situations but show a willingness to learn from mistakes and make amends.

Violence & Scariness

We see several instances of violence and hear about others. A unarmed teen boy is shot and killed; we see the blood, and we see him die. There are other reports of shootings and deaths as a result. Another boy is badly beaten. A woman is described as being beaten. An older gentleman is attacked by a group of young men; we don't see the attack but we see the injuries. Many threats are made on the lives of various people. A young girl dies in a drive-by shooting and her blood is described as mingling with the fire hydrant water. There are school fights between girls and boys. Buildings are set on fire during riots.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

There's talk of an affair between two adults. Teens engage in heavy petting, talk about having sex and condoms. A teen girl is described as being on birth control, and there's discussion of teen pregnancy and the assumption that a married couple is having sex when they go to their bedroom and turn the television up loud. A woman is revealed to be a sex worker.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Conversational swearing by both adults and teens throughout the novel, including "s--t," "f--k," "ass," "bitch," "damn" (and variants), and "nigga."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Name brands including Jordans, luxury automobiles, junk food brands, and restaurants such as Taco Bell are mentioned for scene setting or to show the disparity between lifestyles.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Teens drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at a party. Two adult characters are alcoholics. Adults are described as being addicted to drugs, addiction to crack cocaine is discussed, and both teens and adults are described as selling drugs. We don't actually see drugs being sold, but drug dealing is discussed throughout the novel.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Angie Thomas' New York Times best-selling book The Hate U Give won a 2018 Coretta Scott King Author Honor, a Michael L. Printz Honor, and the Odyssey Award for best audiobook for kids and teens. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, it involves the police shooting of an unarmed black teen. The book covers topics of race, interracial dating, political activism, grief, friendship, wealth disparity, police brutality, addiction, and the media's depiction of African Americans. Parents should be prepared to discuss recent and past instances of police shootings, how they were covered in the media, dealing with grief, and possible reactions to the trauma revealed in the book. There is some conversational swearing by both adults and teens throughout the novel, including "s--t," "f--k," "ass," "bitch," "damn" (and variants), and "nigga." Violence includes an unarmed teen boy shot and killed -- we see the blood and see him die. There are other reports of shootings and deaths as a result. A boy is badly beaten. A woman is described as being beaten. An older gentleman is attacked by a group of young men; we don't see the attack but we see the injuries. A young girl dies in a drive-by shooting and her blood is described as mingling with the fire hydrant water. There are school fights between girls and boys. Buildings are set on fire during riots. Sexual situations include teens engaging in heavy petting, talk about having sex and condoms. There's discussion of teen pregnancy and the assumption that a married couple is having sex when they go to their bedroom and turn the television up loud. A woman is revealed to be a sex worker. Teens drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at a party. Two adult characters are alcoholics. Adults are described as being addicted to drugs, addiction to crack cocaine is discussed, and both teens and adults are described as selling drugs.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (53)
• Kids say (184)

Based on 53 parent reviews

R Rated Book

What's the story.

In THE HATE U GIVE, Starr Carter is a teen between two worlds: her school, which is rich, fancy, and white; and her neighborhood, which is poor and black. She navigates this differing terrain every day of her life until her worlds collide when she witnesses the fatal police shooting of her best friend, Khalil, an unarmed black teen. Khalil's death goes viral, and Starr is caught in the middle between the protesters in the street and her friends at school. With the eyes of the world on her, Starr has to decide: Will she say what happened that night? Will it matter?

Is It Any Good?

Wrenching, soul stirring, funny, endearing, painful, and frustratingly familiar, this novel offers a powerful look at a few weeks in a fairly typical teen girl's life -- with one horrific exception. Sure she worries about school, issues with friends, and her secret boyfriend, but she's also the sole witness to the fatal shooting of her best friend by a police officer. In The Hate U Give , author Angie Thomas manages to bring humanity -- deep, emotionally binding, full-bodied humanity -- to the victims of police brutality and the families and friends they leave behind. The scenarios that revolve around the shooting are achingly routine -- unarmed African American, the media's push to blame the victim, a lax investigation, and a lack of charges or convictions. However, set against the backdrop of typical teen life, of community and family life, the consequences of the officer's actions and the actions others take after the tragedy take on a life and power beyond what any think piece or talking points on the subject could achieve.

The characters in the book are rich, complex, and fully developed. They feel like family, friends, and neighbors, and they give those unfamiliar with life in urban centers an understanding that the setting may be specific but the human condition is the universal. The tragedy and triumph of Thomas' stellar work is that it's very real and heartbreakingly familiar. Teens will enjoy the book for its unfiltered look at life, death, grief, and social and political commentary, while parents and teachers will enjoy the book's well-written and thorough approach to a complex social issue.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how The Hate U Give discusses the media's reaction to police shootings of unarmed African Americans vs. how it reports violence against or perpetrated by white Americans. What's the difference in the language used? Whom and what does the media focus on when it reports the story? Is it fair?

How do you talk about race and other social issues with friends and family? How do you deal with friends who tell racist, homophobic, and otherwise offensive jokes? What about family members who say inappropriate things? Is it better to ignore or confront the person? What are the repercussions of each approach? What strategies could you use to make the discussion less awkward?

Discuss "the talk" -- the conversation that parents of African American and other minority kids have with their children, particularly their sons, about what to do when confronted by the police. Did your parents give you the talk? How does the conversation differ between what minority children are told and white children are told? (Do white children even have this conversation?) Do you think it's fair that there's a difference in the conversation?

Book Details

• Author : Angie Thomas
• Genre : Contemporary Fiction
• Topics : Activism , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date : February 28, 2017
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
• Number of pages : 464
• Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors
• Last updated : January 15, 2019

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

All American Boys

How It Went Down

Books about friendship, books about racism and social justice, related topics.

• Brothers and Sisters
• Great Girl Role Models

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

Kirkus Reviews' Best Books Of 2017

Kirkus Prize finalist

New York Times Bestseller

IndieBound Bestseller

THE HATE U GIVE

by Angie Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 28, 2017

This story is necessary. This story is important.

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is a black girl and an expert at navigating the two worlds she exists in: one at Garden Heights, her black neighborhood, and the other at Williamson Prep, her suburban, mostly white high school.

Walking the line between the two becomes immensely harder when Starr is present at the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, by a white police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Khalil’s death becomes national news, where he’s called a thug and possible drug dealer and gangbanger. His death becomes justified in the eyes of many, including one of Starr’s best friends at school. The police’s lackadaisical attitude sparks anger and then protests in the community, turning it into a war zone. Questions remain about what happened in the moments leading to Khalil’s death, and the only witness is Starr, who must now decide what to say or do, if anything. Thomas cuts to the heart of the matter for Starr and for so many like her, laying bare the systemic racism that undergirds her world, and she does so honestly and inescapably, balancing heartbreak and humor. With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr’s natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family.

Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-06-249853-3

Page Count: 464

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Share your opinion of this book

More by Angie Thomas

BOOK REVIEW

by Angie Thomas ; illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey

by Dhonielle Clayton , Tiffany D. Jackson , Nic Stone , Angie Thomas , Ashley Woodfolk & Nicola Yoon

by Dhonielle Clayton & Tiffany D. Jackson & Nic Stone & Angie Thomas & Ashley Woodfolk & Nicola Yoon

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

IF ONLY I HAD TOLD HER

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024

A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.

In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me , three characters tell their sides of the story.

Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.

Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024

ISBN: 9781728276229

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

More by Laura Nowlin

by Laura Nowlin

IF HE HAD BEEN WITH ME

by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013

There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.

The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.

Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5

Page Count: 336

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

• Search Search Please fill out this field.
• Sweepstakes

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: EW Review

Thomas delivers with supreme style and self-assurance, cannily balancing pointed examinations of gun violence, racial profiling, and political activism with the everyday concerns of ordinary teendom.

Leah Greenblatt is the critic at large at Entertainment Weekly , covering movies, music, books, and theater. She is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle, and has been writing for EW since 2004.

“When I was 12, my parents had two talks with me,” narrator Starr Carter recalls early on in Angie Thomas’ smart, unflinching, and fiercely topical coming-of-age novel. “One was the usual birds and bees.” The second? What to do if she is pulled over by a police officer: “‘Keep your hands visible. Don’t make any sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you.'”

By 16, Starr is used to that kind of dissonance; it’s something she confronts every day, toggling between the bleak realities of black life in Garden Heights and the leafy privilege of Williamson, a private prep school located approximately 45 minutes and a thousand light-years away. At home, she’s the wry, tough-talking girl who teases her brothers, obsesses over Air Jordans, and fills in shifts at the convenience store her dad, once a gangland legend, has turned into a neighborhood anchor. At school, she speaks fluent Hogwarts and claims a favorite Jonas brother, carefully editing herself for any stray trace of slang or back talk that might give someone a reason to call her “ghetto.”

But when her childhood best friend is fatally shot during a routine traffic stop, his life bleeding out on the pavement as she looks on helplessly from the passenger seat, the chasm between her two worlds only grows. Sitting in the school cafeteria with her classmates just days after Khalil’s death, she thinks numbly, “I hope none of them asks me about my spring break. They went to Taipei, the Bahamas, Harry Potter World. I stayed in the hood and saw a cop kill my friend.” And when the case becomes a national flash point, the breach only grows, forcing hard choices on both sides: If she testifies will it actually bring justice for Khalil, or only reopen a still-raw wound and send her further into herself?

The Hate U Give arrives with the kind of frenzied hype—more than a dozen publishing houses battled for the manuscript; the film rights have already been sold—that can easily sink a first-time novelist. But Thomas delivers with supreme style and self-assurance, cannily balancing pointed examinations of gun violence, racial profiling, and political activism with the everyday concerns of ordinary teendom (boys, clothes, the profound embarrassment of watching your parents make out). And she takes care to give the reader real people, not merely props in a modern morality play: Skin color doesn’t dictate character any more than a badge does, and choices aren’t strictly good or bad, they’re just a consequence of living. Hate engages in a crucial and strenuously current conversation, but it also touches a more universal pulse—digging beneath hashtags and headlines to craft a portrait of culture and community and young womanhood that feels as fresh and necessary as Starr’s indelible voice.

• Newsletters

Site search

• Israel-Hamas war
• 2024 election
• Kate Middleton
• TikTok’s fate
• Supreme Court
• All explainers
• Future Perfect

Filed under:

• The Hate U Give is equal parts coming-of-age drama and Black Lives Matter primer. It’s terrific.

The best-selling novel makes for a riveting, funny, incisive big-screen drama anchored by outstanding performances.

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: The Hate U Give is equal parts coming-of-age drama and Black Lives Matter primer. It’s terrific.

Angie Thomas’s novel The Hate U Give , about a teenage girl named Starr who sees her childhood friend shot and killed by police in front of her, was an instant hit when it came out in February 2017, debuting at the top of the New York Times young adult best-seller list and staying there for 50 weeks.

Thomas’s novel is based on a short story she wrote following the 2009 police shooting of Oscar Grant . Narrated by Starr, it captures a whole range of concerns and events that have animated the Black Lives Matter movement as well as broader American conversations about race: police shootings of young, unarmed black men, double consciousness and code-switching, “colorblind” white people, an asymmetrical justice system, gang violence, and a lot more.

But while art that ably functions as a primer to important social matters can often fall flat in its storytelling, The Hate U Give is as moving, funny, and riveting as its narrator, Starr — and the new movie based on the novel succeeds at least as much as, if not better than, its source material.

Directed by George Tillman Jr. from a screenplay by Audrey Wells and with a truly outstanding cast, The Hate U Give has a great deal to say and no apologies to make about that, even as the film presents itself as a straightforward Hollywood drama. But it strikes a perfect balance between being a coming-of-age story nestled in a family narrative on the one hand, and a social drama on the other. And in never sacrificing either of those two interests, it becomes a strong example of both.

The Hate U Give is about a black teenage girl finding her voice after tragedy

What makes The Hate U Give sing is that it’s told from the perspective of Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg, in an absolutely riveting performance), a black teenager who’s well aware of the specific complications of her life. She lives in Garden Heights, a predominantly black neighborhood that’s home to more than its fair share of violence, but attends a mostly white private high school in another neighborhood called Williamson Prep.

Starr candidly explains that she’s one version of herself in Garden Heights and another one entirely at Williamson. As the only black girl in her class, she doesn’t want to be perceived as loud, aggressive, or difficult — even around her white best friend (Sabrina Carpenter) and her boyfriend, Chris (K.J. Apa), who is certain that he is “colorblind.”

But at home, she can relax. She lives with her father, Maverick (Russell Hornsby), and mother, Lisa (Regina Hall), who had her when they were 17 and have stayed together against the odds. Her half-brother Seven (Lamar Johnson) and little brother Sekani (T.J. Wright) live with them too.

Seven’s mother Iesha (Karan Kendrick) is the girlfriend of King (Anthony Mackie), who is also the head of a local gang, the King Lords. Maverick used to be King’s right-hand man, but got out of the gang after taking the rap for one of King’s crimes and spending three years in prison. Now he owns the local grocery store in Garden Heights.

One night Starr goes to a party in Garden Heights, where she sees her childhood friend Khalil (Algee Smith). Years earlier, before she started going to school at Williamson, Khalil was her first crush and her first kiss. But they grew apart after Lisa enrolled Starr at Williamson, which happened following the death of Khalil and Starr’s other friend, Natasha.

When a fight breaks out at the party, Khalil offers to take Starr home in his car. On the way, they’re pulled over by a cop who shoots Khalil, mistaking his hairbrush for a gun. Khalil dies, sparking a national outrage. And Starr is not only traumatized but conflicted: Does she speak up but risk attracting attention to herself and her family from the cops? Or — to make matters worse — when it turns out that Khalil was working with King in order to earn money for his family after his mother was diagnosed with cancer, should she worry about possibly snitching on King and bringing down the wrath of the King Lords on her family?

The message of The Hate U Give works because its characters are richly drawn

The Hate U Give is a sobering story, but it’s shot through with romance and lightness too. Maverick and Lisa love one another, and their kids learn what love looks like from their openly affectionate parents. Starr knows what to look for in a boyfriend, and her relationship with Chris is complicated more by her efforts to navigate their differences than by anything he does.

And the movie skillfully weaves a number of genuinely laugh-out-loud scenes into its deadly serious story — like Chris trying to discern whether mac and cheese is a side dish or an entrée — in a way that gives the whole thing humanity. After all, tragedy never exists purely in a vacuum, and laughter lets the audience relax into a happy domestic life for a moment before the movie reminds them that, in fact, these characters are fighting for their lives.

The key to pulling off a movie like this is to ground it with strong narrative rhythm and outstanding performances, rounding out the characters so the story seems less like an after-school special and more like a story about real people you might sit next to at a neighborhood restaurant or run into at the supermarket. In this, The Hate U Give succeeds spectacularly. It’s anchored by Stenberg’s dynamic performance, but the rest of the cast is uniformly terrific, especially Hall and Hornsby as Starr’s loving, worried, angry, caring parents. Even the movie’s white characters — who are clearly stand-ins for ways affluent white people often tend to think about race — feel less like the cardboard cutouts they could have been and more like real people, by dint of good writing.

With these sorts of characters in play, the many issues The Hate U Give touches on come vibrantly to life. A protest late in the film (led by an activist and attorney played by Issa Rae) is the film’s fiery culmination, but its beating heart is a pair of scenes in which Starr confronts her cop uncle, Carlos (Common), about the complicated internalized racism he experiences as a police officer, and then later as she finally finds her voice and a way to turn her personal tragedies into words of that could actually effect change.

Ultimately, that’s The Hate U Give ’s main theme: that a girl like Starr, should she find her voice, could use it in powerful, lifesaving ways. It’s a recurring theme in young adult literature, but it feels like it translates even more forcefully to the screen, where we can watch and hear Starr scream the truth about her murdered friend, but also laugh with her family. In turning the novel into a family drama with vibrant urgency, Tillman and his cast have given Starr her own voice — while also giving a voice to the urgent matter of racial justice in America, which deserves full attention and rich, dynamic stories like this one.

The Hate U Give premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and opens in theaters on October 19.

Will you help keep Vox free for all?

At Vox, we believe that clarity is power, and that power shouldn’t only be available to those who can afford to pay. That’s why we keep our work free. Millions rely on Vox’s clear, high-quality journalism to understand the forces shaping today’s world. Support our mission and help keep Vox free for all by making a financial contribution to Vox today.

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via

In This Stream

Tiff 2018: toronto international film festival news and movie reviews.

• American Dharma paints a damning, delusional portrait of Steve Bannon
• First Man stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, a man struggling to deal with his grief

Next Up In Culture

Sign up for the newsletter today, explained.

Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day.

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

Should we care about RFK Jr. and his new running mate?

The sexual assault and trafficking allegations against Diddy, explained

Even the Supreme Court seems sick of its abortion pills case

Connections, the most fun (and sometimes frustrating) game on the internet

Beyoncé’s country roots

Why IVF looks different in the US than in the rest of the world

You have exceeded your limit for simultaneous device logins.

Your current subscription allows you to be actively logged in on up to three (3) devices simultaneously. click on continue below to log out of other sessions and log in on this device., the hate u give by angie thomas | slj review.

This review was published in the   School Library Journal   January 2017  issue.

Get Print. Get Digital. Get Both!

Libraries are always evolving. Stay ahead. Log In.

Add Comment :-

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:

• Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
• Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
• Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
• Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
• If you see something objectionable, please let us know . Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

First Name should not be empty !!!

Last Name should not be empty !!!

email should not be empty !!!

Comment should not be empty !!!

You should check the checkbox.

Please check the reCaptcha

Ethan Smith

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

Posted 6 hours ago REPLY

Jane Fitgzgerald

Posted 6 hours ago

Michael Woodward

Continue reading.

Added To Cart

Related , gauging service to spanish speakers: libraries see critical demand for books, information en español | from the editor, 12 books to celebrate transgender day of visibility, waiting for the crescent moon: 5 books about eid al-fitr, publishing makes progress: lee & low releases results of 2023 diversity baseline survey, fasting and feasting: 6 picture books about ramadan, how to choose high-quality women’s history titles, "what is this" design thinking from an lis student.

The job outlook in 2030: Librarians will be in demand

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, --> Log In

You did not sign in correctly or your account is temporarily disabled

REGISTER FREE to keep reading

If you are already a member, please log in.

Passwords must include at least 8 characters.

Your password must include at least three of these elements: lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, or special characters.

The email you entered already exists. Please reset your password to gain access to your account.

Create an account password and save time in the future. Get immediate access to:

News, opinion, features, and breaking stories

Exclusive video library and multimedia content

Full, searchable archives of more than 300,000 reviews and thousands of articles

Research reports, data analysis, white papers, and expert opinion

Passwords must include at least 8 characters. Please try your entry again.

Your password must include at least three of these elements: lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, or special characters. Please try your entry again.

Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.

No thanks. return to article, already a subscriber log in.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

Thank you for visiting.

We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.

CREATE AN ACCOUNT

SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS

Already a subscriber log in.

Most SLJ reviews are exclusive to subscribers.

As a subscriber, you'll receive unlimited access to all reviews dating back to 2010.

To access other site content, visit our homepage .

Review: ‘The Hate U Give’ powerfully uses the Young Adult genre to explore issues of race and social justice

“The Hate U Give” director George Tillman Jr. and star Amandla Stenberg discuss what separates their film from others inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement that are hitting theaters this year.

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

Young Adult novels are the hottest thing in publishing, and not necessarily because teens love to read. Fully grown adults are drawn in as well because the genre at its best can make difficult issues accessible without sacrificing honesty, emotion and truth.

Which is why, its high school setting notwithstanding, the film version of “The Hate U Give” is a moving, emotionally convincing experience.

Adapted from the phenomenon that is Angie Thomas’ first novel, which has spent a whopping 80 weeks and counting on the New York Times best-seller list, “Hate” powerfully details the ways an African American girl’s delicate high school balancing act is disrupted and her persona radicalized when she’s the only witness to the shooting death of a close friend by a white police officer.

Though Thomas was a debuting novelist, the key creative personnel behind “Hate” — director George Tillman Jr. and screenwriter Audrey Wells — are experienced filmmakers who know how to involve an audience, and they’ve benefited from an exceptional performance by Amandla Stenberg in the leading role.

Wells has carefully pruned the novel, keeping the essence while making some changes. Tillman, whose films include “Soul Food” and “Notorious” and TV credits span from “This Is Us” to “Power,” is not a flashy director but someone who focuses on character and performance.

Though moments of “Hate” feel earnest and conventional, the film compensates by being grounded in the powerful and disturbing reality that launched the Black Lives Matter movement .

That would be the wave of shootings of unarmed black males by white officers that led Thomas (initially moved by the same Oakland incident that was the basis of Ryan Coogler’s debut “Fruitvale Station”) to end her novel with a list of real world victims of violence.

More than that, the film and novel both take their title from the meaning behind Tupac Shakur’s celebrated “Thug Life” tattoo, which the rapper said was an apocalyptic acronym for “The Hate U Give Little Infants F… Everybody.”

But what makes “Hate” such an involving experience is that it is not about slogans but people, about the wrenching ways that ordinary folks trying to live positive, productive lives have their worlds upended by the virulence of racism.

Key to that is the entire cast, but especially Stenberg (a veteran of “The Hunger Games”), who has a killer smile and an unerring instinct for finding and conveying the emotional heart of a situation. What director Tillman has said about his star in interviews — “She has this ability to make you feel like you’re seeing the real deal” — is nothing but the truth.

Sixteen year old Starr Carter (Stenberg) lives in Garden Heights, a poor, mostly black neighborhood in an unnamed, fictional city. Her hard-working parents Maverick (Russell Hornsby) and Lisa (Regina Hall), together since they were 17, have dedicated themselves to making sure their kids have a better life.

Stars Algee Smith, Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby discuss “The Hate U Give,” their film adaptation of a Black Lives Matter-inspired young adult novel.

In order to make that happen, they’ve sent Starr, half-brother Seven (Lamar Johnson) and younger brother Sekani (TJ Wright) to posh Williamson Prep across town. But having to code switch — to act one way in the neighborhood and another at school — is a constant stress in Starr’s life.

While the at-home Starr fears being viewed as acting white, the Williamson version has the opposite dilemma. While using hip-hop slang makes white friends such as Hailey (Sabrina Carpenter) appear cool, “slang makes [Starr] ‘hood,’ ” she says in voiceover, adding, “Williamson Starr doesn’t give anyone a reason to call her ghetto.” Even her understanding white boyfriend Chris (K.J. Apa) doesn’t know the whole truth.

“Hate” tellingly begins not with any dramatic incident but with Maverick giving a then-9-year-old Starr and her brother The Talk, telling them how to act in the likely case that they are in a car that’s pulled over by the police.

“It can get real dangerous,” Maverick warns, but — a believer in the Black Panther Party philosophy — he also tells his daughter to “know your rights, know your worth. Don’t you ever forget that being black is an honor, because we come from greatness.”

The plot kicks in when Starr and her friend Kenya (Dominique Fishback, terrific in “Night Comes On” ) attend a Garden Heights party.

There, she reconnects with Khalil (“Detroit’s” Algee Smith), a childhood friend she’s lost touch with. It turns out that, having to deal with family economic hardship, the only job Khalil can find is selling drugs for local gang leader King (the always powerful Anthony Mackie).

Before they can even properly catch up, Khalil is pulled over by a local white policeman and, as we and Starr watch with genuine horror, shot and killed for no reason. Though audiences will know this is coming, the awful inevitability of seeing it play out on screen is devastating.

Starr is all but destroyed by what she’s witnessed, worried that her carefully constructed world will collapse. Told by her uncle Carlos (Common), a police detective, that she will have to testify before the grand jury, she worries the kids at school will find out more about her world than she ever wanted them to know.

But, influenced by meeting activist April Ofrah (Issa Rae), who heads a group called Just Us For Justice (a stand-in for Black Lives Matter), Starr finds other thoughts taking hold. She wants to be a better friend to Khalil, wants to testify for him in a metaphorical sense, wants to feel that his death has not been in vain.

This process of finding out who you are and what matters in your life could have been pro forma, but in the hands of Tillman, Stenberg and the rest of the “Hate U Give” team, it does not play that way. More disturbing than you expect, its story of innocence lost and perspective gained holds us and will not let go.

------------

‘The Hate U Give’

Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic elements, some violent content, drug material and language

Running time: 2 hours, 12 minutes

Playing: In general release

[email protected]

@KennethTuran

More to Read

Commentary: ‘American Fiction’s’ Oscar shows not all movies by Black directors need to be about violence and poverty

March 11, 2024

Review: Abstract expressionism, espionage and Cold War history converge in John Ross Bowie’s ‘Brushstroke’

Feb. 3, 2024

Commentary: For all of its joy, ‘The Color Purple’ is also a chance to talk about Black women and intimate partner violence

Dec. 26, 2023

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Kenneth Turan is the former film critic for the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Cuba Gooding Jr. added as co-defendant in Lil Rod’s lawsuit against Diddy

Golden Globes, back in Hollywood’s good graces, ink five-year deal with CBS

March 25, 2024

Entertainment & Arts

Sacha Baron Cohen counters Rebel Wilson after she claims reps ‘bullied’ her over book

‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ collects a cool $45.2 million at weekend box office

March 24, 2024

Forgotten password

Please enter the email address that you use to login to TeenInk.com, and we'll email you instructions to reset your password.

• Poetry All Poetry Free Verse Song Lyrics Sonnet Haiku Limerick Ballad
• Fiction All Fiction Action-Adventure Fan Fiction Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Sci-fi/Fantasy Scripts & Plays Thriller/Mystery All Novels Action-Adventure Fan Fiction Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Sci-fi/Fantasy Thriller/Mystery Other
• Nonfiction All Nonfiction Bullying Books Academic Author Interviews Celebrity interviews College Articles College Essays Educator of the Year Heroes Interviews Memoir Personal Experience Sports Travel & Culture All Opinions Bullying Current Events / Politics Discrimination Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking Entertainment / Celebrities Environment Love / Relationships Movies / Music / TV Pop Culture / Trends School / College Social Issues / Civics Spirituality / Religion Sports / Hobbies All Hot Topics Bullying Community Service Environment Health Letters to the Editor Pride & Prejudice What Matters
• Reviews All Reviews Hot New Books Book Reviews Music Reviews Movie Reviews TV Show Reviews Video Game Reviews Summer Program Reviews College Reviews
• Art/Photo Art Photo Videos
• Summer Guide Program Links Program Reviews
• College Guide College Links College Reviews College Essays College Articles

Summer Guide

College guide.

• Song Lyrics

All Fiction

• Action-Adventure
• Fan Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• Realistic Fiction
• Sci-fi/Fantasy
• Scripts & Plays
• Thriller/Mystery

All Nonfiction

• Author Interviews
• Celebrity interviews
• College Articles
• College Essays
• Educator of the Year
• Personal Experience
• Travel & Culture

All Opinions

• Current Events / Politics
• Discrimination
• Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
• Entertainment / Celebrities
• Environment
• Love / Relationships
• Movies / Music / TV
• Pop Culture / Trends
• School / College
• Social Issues / Civics
• Spirituality / Religion
• Sports / Hobbies

All Hot Topics

• Community Service
• Letters to the Editor
• Pride & Prejudice
• What Matters

All Reviews

• Hot New Books
• Book Reviews
• Music Reviews
• Movie Reviews
• TV Show Reviews
• Video Game Reviews

Summer Program Reviews

• College Reviews
• Writers Workshop
• Regular Forums
• Program Links
• Program Reviews
• College Links

Book Review: The Hate U Give

Favorite Quote: My greatest wish? It has always been to roam free and experience the whole world. Now I would add that wherever I go, it simply must be with you! Each day with you is an adventure, and where adventurers go, storytellers must follow!

“Once upon a time, there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug. He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life, I’ll remember how he died. Fairy tale? No. But I’m not giving up on a better ending.” Narrated by sixteen-year-old Starr Carter, The Hate U Give is Angie Thomas’s debut novel. For more than eighty weeks, the book topped The New York Times young adult bestseller list, selling more than 850,000 copies as of June 2018. 

Thomas expanded this book from a short story that she wrote in college in reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant. In an interview with The Cut, she explained, “In so many cases where unarmed black people lost their lives [to the police], the victims were young...when young people see that, they’re affected by it. I wanted to write this for them. I also knew that YA fiction goes beyond young adults. I wrote this from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl, so I felt like I had a better chance of reaching people who may take issue with the phrase ‘black lives matter.’ ” The Hate U Give is without question, universal because it focuses on an African American teenage girl torn between her two worlds as she witnesses racism and police brutality in modern America.

Throughout the book, Thomas’s intimate writing style and the novel’s first-person perspective taps fully into Starr’s shock, pain, and outrage during the shooting and its aftermath. “Brave doesn't mean you're not scared. It means you go on even though you're scared,” Thomas writes. The novel allows readers to see the complexity of their lives mirrored in literature which helps generate a deeper understanding. As soon as I read the first few pages I felt like I was part of the book as well. I could sympathize with Starr, and how she gets insulted because of her race and skin color. Thomas does a wonderful job letting the audience see the world from a victim’s perspective. Readers can feel the trauma and confusion that Starr endures in the book.

What I like most about this book was the fact that the author did a fantastic job making the characters realistic. In The Hate U Give, the characters are well developed, and many readers can relate to them. There isn’t a “good guy” or “bad guy” in the novel because they all have good and bad in them. For example, many characters ended up getting involved with gangs and selling drugs. Instead of assuming immediately that they are “bad,” Thomas dives into their backstory, showing readers that the characters don’t really have an easy way out.  It paints a much more complex, nuanced picture of many teens’ lives today and how their decisions can sometimes lead to trouble. 

In addition to the well-developed characters, the dialogue flows really well. When the characters are talking to each other it feels as if you are eavesdropping on their conversation. Throughout the story, Starr code-switches between her Garden Heights self and Williamson self. When Starr is in her own ghetto neighborhood, Garden Heights, she doesn’t need to watch her mouth like she needs to when she is in Williamson, a primarily white private school; It’s hard to maintain her two different personas. Starr mentions, “My voice is changing already. It always happens around “other” people, whether I'm at Williamson or not. I don't talk like me or sound like me. I choose every word carefully and make sure I pronounce them well. I can never, ever let anyone think I'm ghetto.” The conversations between characters are so well thought out by Thomas. The way Starr talks to her family is very different from the way she talks to others,such as her friends and the authorities.

All in all,  The Hate U Give appeals to readers of all ages and races. When you're reading books like The Hate U Give, you're reading someone's decision against silence. “What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?” Thomas writes. While reading The Hate U Give, you will be right beside Starr, grappling with understanding entrenched prejudice, where it comes from, and what role she—and those at home—has in exposing and combating it.

Similar Articles

Join the discussion.

This article has 0 comments.

• Subscribe to Teen Ink magazine
• Submit to Teen Ink
• Find A College
• Find a Summer Program

Share this on

Send to a friend.

Thank you for sharing this page with a friend!

Tell my friends

Choose what to email.

Which of your works would you like to tell your friends about? (These links will automatically appear in your email.)

Send your email

Delete my account, we hate to see you go please note as per our terms and conditions, you agreed that all materials submitted become the property of teen ink. going forward, your work will remain on teenink.com submitted “by anonymous.”, delete this, change anonymous status, send us site feedback.

If you have a suggestion about this website or are experiencing a problem with it, or if you need to report abuse on the site, please let us know. We try to make TeenInk.com the best site it can be, and we take your feedback very seriously. Please note that while we value your input, we cannot respond to every message. Also, if you have a comment about a particular piece of work on this website, please go to the page where that work is displayed and post a comment on it. Thank you!

Pardon Our Dust

Teen Ink is currently undergoing repairs to our image server. In addition to being unable to display images, we cannot currently accept image submissions. All other parts of the website are functioning normally. Please check back to submit your art and photography and to enjoy work from teen artists around the world!

About the Book

The Hate U Give

By angie thomas.

Angie Thomas's first novel, 'The Hate U Give,' is a riveting, interesting, and very entertaining piece of work. You will be glued to every page as you read.

Written by Juliet Ugo

Former Lecturer. Author of multiple books. Degree from University Of Nigeria, Nsukka.

‘ The Hate U Give ’ is one book that offers a lot of education, information, and enjoyment to the reader. From the youthful infatuation of characters Starr and Khalil to the budding romance between Starr and her white boyfriend to the unexpected turn of events when Khalil was shot and killed in the presence of Starr, the book has a lot of action to keep a reader glued to the pages.

This is one book that never gets old as the pages and stories therein are always fresh and exciting. It is a beautiful story of Starr Carter, who is a 16-year-old girl from the poor, black community of Garden Heights. In their mostly black community, her protective dad Maverick owns the local grocery store. Starr and her siblings go to private Williamson Prep school about 40 minutes away in a rich white neighborhood because mom Lisa wants her kids to have a good education.

Dual personalities

Starr never felt totally okay with her existence in code-switching. She feels the disapproving glance mean girls give her at Williamson when she spends time with her white boyfriend, Chris. Yet she doesn’t feel like she belongs at the parties with her neighborhood friends. Starr and Khalil are old friends who reconnect at a party in ‘ The Hate U Give ’.

One day while riding home with her friend Khalil, they’re pulled over, and in a series of unfortunate events, Starr watches in horror as her friend is killed. Khalil reaches inside the car for his hairbrush but is gunned down by a white cop who thinks it was a gun. Seeing cable news reports or reading articles about young African-Americans being shot and killed is one thing, but for Starr, it hurts even more since it’s her second close friend to die via a bullet.

Finally, Starr decides to be the voice of Khalil but also, more importantly, to find her own. As she tells Chris in one of the great scenes that reflect the real-life fights of many that if he doesn’t see her blackness, then he doesn’t see her. This book is a coming-of-age story that fits in nicely with a great slate of other significant films with similar themes this year. In its own way, ‘ The Hate U Give’ carry more weight because it deals with kids in their formative years.

Right from when Starr was a child, Maverick taught her what to do when pulled over by police but reminded his kids that “just because we have to deal with this mess, don’t you ever forget that being black is an honor, because we come from greatness.” that was a good foundation that Starr used to work out how best to live her own life and fight systemic prejudice.

Angie Thomas’s first novel, ‘ The Hate U Give’, debuted at No. 1 after its release and, after 18 weeks on the list, is back in the top position. Thomas’s book made news (including a front-page New York Times profile) partly for its topical storyline and partly because Thomas herself, a 29-year-old from Jackson, Mississippi, is so cheerfully a symbol of change in the publishing industry. 

As a kid, she wondered if anything could happen to her, ‘the little black girl from the hood?’ This book is a beautiful read about a strong female protagonist who finds the courage to speak out against injustice. A page-turner that I devoured and would be suitable for any reader who is interested in the world and the events that shape it (which should be every reader). This incredible book offers a total understanding of inequality and also highlights the importance of taking a decision and meaningful action within our communities.

It’s amazing to see the ways Angie Thomas so accurately depicts the microaggressions directed toward black people and the accuracy of how the community treats one another. Taking into account the events of the last year, this sought book is essential as a tool to educate and convey marginalized voices. One of the main things to learn from this book is that ‘sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong.  

A Great Book with a Fantastic plot

This is an excellent book to read with a strong plot and storyline, especially in the light of the Black Lives Matter movement. It is a book filled with good characters who portray a credible representation of the many challenges felt within a typical community of black American New York. Yet, you see the humanity, unity, and compassion they exhibited in their community. This togetherness brought a bit of hope to the tragedy.

‘ The Hate U Give ‘ is an important book to read touching on so many themes , although the main themes in the story are police brutality, racism, and Black Lives Matter. Starr, the main character, makes you empathize with what happens in the story and feel her day-to-day struggles while she also tries to fight for justice on behalf of her friend. This is a great book for group discussion. The publisher’s age recommendation is 14 plus, but I think given the content, I would suggest ages ten years and above.

This is an interesting book that was challenged for its portrayal of the police and its profanities – so a good book to introduce to students in any school. This novel was timely and important, which took a challenging topic and tackled the BLM movement head-on.

I love this book. It is interesting to see how many girls of African and Caribbean descent are drawn to this novel. ‘ The Hate U Give ‘ is an incredibly controversial book. Although I can’t fully relate to the issues the main characters dealt with, the author has written the novel in such a great way that anyone who reads it can understand and have an insight into the pain the black communities go through when one of their own is killed by police. It’s a topic that has been spoken about for years worldwide and is still as relevant today. It is important to keep these conversations going, and this book enables the younger generation to join the discussions and form their own compassionate opinions.

It was an amazing and meaningful book. I was overwhelmed yet pleased by the variety of emotions captured in the novel. Once in a while, someone tells a story that makes so much sense and is more vivid than the news, biographies, journal articles, and history books that try to explain it. Every young person should read this book and see why we shouldn’t be complacent about divisions, injustices, and inequalities related to race.

The Hate U Give Review: An Engaging and Strong Plotline

Book Title: The Hate U Give

Book Description: 'The Hate U Give' captivates with Starr Carter's journey, tackling police brutality, racism, and racial profiling in contemporary America.

Book Author: Angie Thomas

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher - Organization: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)

Date published: February 28, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-06-242018-4

Number Of Pages: 472

• Writing Style
• Lasting Effect on Reader

The Hate U Give Review

‘ The Hate U Give ‘ is a book that you’re going to love. From its opening lines to the struggles Starr Carter had in the book, a reader is met with constant twists and turns. The issue of police brutality and racism is widely addressed. Other contemporary issues like racial profiles were widely discussed in the book. It’s a great book that touches on most of the relevant issues African Americans face in the US.

• A plot that is incredibly engaging to the reader
• It has original, yet relatable characters
• Very relevant
• Some current trends in the novel may not be relevant in a few years
• Use of bad language and violence

About Juliet Ugo

Juliet Ugo is an experienced content writer and a literature expert with a passion for the written word with over a decade of experience. She is particularly interested in analyzing books, and her insightful interpretations of various genres have made her a well-known authority in the field.

Cite This Page

Ugo, Juliet " The Hate U Give Review ⭐ " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/angie-thomas/the-hate-u-give/review/ . Accessed 26 March 2024.

It'll change your perspective on books forever.

Discover 5 Secrets to the Greatest Literature

There was a problem reporting this post.

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

• See blocked member's posts
• Mention this member in posts
• Invite this member to groups

Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

• Biggest New Books
• Non-Fiction
• All Categories
• First Readers Club Daily Giveaway
• How It Works

The Hate U Give

Embed our reviews widget for this book

Get the Book Marks Bulletin

Email address:

• Categories Fiction Fantasy Graphic Novels Historical Horror Literary Literature in Translation Mystery, Crime, & Thriller Poetry Romance Speculative Story Collections Non-Fiction Art Biography Criticism Culture Essays Film & TV Graphic Nonfiction Health History Investigative Journalism Memoir Music Nature Politics Religion Science Social Sciences Sports Technology Travel True Crime

March 26, 2024

• Remembering Babar author Laurent de Brunhoff
• Mari Uyehara profiles Viet Thanh Nguyen
• Sterling HolyWhiteMountain interviews Louise Erdrich

• Close Menu Search
• Double Truck
• Entertainment
• Digital Issue

The Precedent

Book Review: The Hate U Give

Ryann Jorgensen , Staff Reporter | September 21, 2020

Ryann Jorgensen

“The Hate U Give” book cover. Starr Carter is holding a sign that reads “The Hate U Give”.

After reading The Hate U Give , it is clear how the book became a number one New York Times best-seller one week after its release and then a critically acclaimed film less than two years later. The Hate U Give is a novel by Angie Thomas centered around the experience of a black teen girl named Starr Carter and her inner conflict after witnessing her friend, Khalil, get shot and killed by a police officer. Throughout the book, she develops the confidence to testify before a grand jury in hopes of indicting the officer responsible, while also navigating her personal relationship with race.

The book is set in a mostly black inner-city neighborhood named Garden Heights, which is located in the southern United States. After a party there, Khalil drives Starr home, but on the way they get pulled over by police and the officer shoots Khalil three times. It is this event that triggers Starr to reevaluate.

Starr grew up in Garden Heights, but she attends a mostly white high school called Williamson Prep. It becomes evident that she changes herself depending on which of these two environments she is in. These two contrasting worlds create a conflict in Starr, and she must navigate the divide between them and the relationship between her race and identity. 

Starr was raised to be cautious and was taught from an early age the do’s and do not’s of interacting with police to minimize the risk of police brutality against her. As the story progresses, she gains confidence and goes from an uncertain, reluctant, and passive witness to the racism around her to an outspoken activist for her community. 

The story is from Starr’s point of view and the writing style is casual, almost as if she were telling this story to a friend as it was happening.  This creates a deep emotional feeling throughout the book, and it makes the reader feel an empathetic connection to Starr and her struggles. While the book is from her perspective and therefore all events are viewed through her eyes, she manages to have a somewhat objective view of the events in the story while maintaining the emotional depth. It is likely this, coupled with the heavy topics being discussed, that made this book so popular.

The Hate U Give is a truly incredible and greatly treasured novel about struggle, speaking up, and overcoming adversity. Angie Thomas is an incredible author who knows how to captivate an audience and how to make her readers feel Starr’s struggles. The Hate U Give is powerful and would be a great addition to the bookshelf of adolescents and adults alike.

• Book Review

Ryann Jorgensen is a Junior at Perry High and this is their first year writing for The Precedent. They are a book reviewer, administration reporter, and...

Standardized tests online

Classics then, classics now: students define classic films

Classic movies are defined as a film that will leave a lasting impression for years to come. However as the new age of technology and diversity have g...

Eight seconds to make it count: life as bull rider

Eight seconds determine whether you are scored in your match. Eight seconds of being whipped back and forth on a bucking bull before that effort to no...

Science behind sleep: why teenagers can wake up feeling restless after 8 hours

Birdie or ball: differences between badminton and tennis

C112 left empty, now occupied

Hot Take: Open House; useful or useless?

Course secret menu.

When signing up for classes, students are given the set list of required credits they need by the end of the year. In that list there are a variety of...

Picture day preparation

Getaway Driver strives for first album

AP Art drafts portfolio theme

Another shark movie hits the screen

Drama club kicks off auditions for “Mean Girls”

The student voice of Perry High School

Comments (0)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Advertisement

Supported by

The Carpetbagger

Russell Hornsby on ‘The Hate U Give’ and Complex Black Masculinity

• Share full article

By Candice Frederick

• Jan. 11, 2019

For two decades, Russell Hornsby has been doing what he describes as “exchanging energies” with the quiet yet impactful characters he’s played onscreen — men like Lyons, the money-strapped musician in “Fences,” and Isaiah Butler , the forlorn dad mourning his son in “Seven Seconds.” It’s something that has enabled him to embody the many complexities of Maverick, the Black Panther-reciting patriarch in last year’s electrifying drama “The Hate U Give,” a role that has galvanized audiences.

That’s because Hornsby’s heartfelt portrayal of a man who is strict yet loving, flawed yet sincere, forces viewers to confront cinema’s deep-seated stereotypes of black masculinity. In this era of #BlackLivesMatter, Maverick has even greater significance when he encourages his teenage daughter, Starr (Amandla Stenberg), to speak out after she witnesses the police murder her friend.

[ Read our review of “The Hate U Give” ]

Being an ally for black girls and women is one of many things Hornsby shares with Maverick.

Speaking by phone, Hornsby, 44, opened up about the black men who’ve inspired him and why Maverick resonates with audiences. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation:

‘The Hate U Give’ | Anatomy of a Scene

George tillman jr. narrates a sequence from his film where maverick, played by russell hornsby, teaches his children how to behave around the police..

“My name is George Tillman Jr., and I am the director of “The Hate U Give.” We always called this scene “the talk.” The scene was actually in the middle of the book, but we decided very early on to move it at the top of the film. What I love about this scene is, outside, you see a normal neighborhood, with a lot of playing. It feels like a Saturday afternoon. But I cinematically wanted to move slowly towards this house, to really show that, while everyone is having a good time playing, there’s important business being done with the Carter family. The first guy we see is Mav Carter. You see a guy who got braids, and he got a tattoo, so your assumption is that this guy is a gang member and he’s up to no good. But as the scene sort of progressed, I love turning the scene on its head and seeing that he’s not who you think he is.” “Now, one day, you’re all going to be with me, and you best bet we gonna get pulled over.” He’s a guy who’s a father, a husband, and he’s talking about something that’s a very serious issue, that he’s telling them to put their hands on the table. “You’re going to see me with my hands like this.” What I love about this scene is that this feels like a normal conversation like somebody would have about the birds and the bees with their children. But this is a scene that’s very normal in a lot of African-American families across the country, which is, how you keep your kids safe. How do you get them to understand how to act around police officers? It’s all about a father protecting his family. “It can get real dangerous, so don’t argue with them. But keep — “ The rehearsal for the scene was very important. It started off by rehearsing a scene with Lamar Johnson, who plays Seven, and Amandla Stenberg, who plays Starr. They rehearsed the scene, but they are not actually in the scene, but I only rehearsed it with them so they could have it as a backstory for them, moving forward, for the rest of the film. “Now, just because we got to deal with this mess, don’t you ever forget that being black is an honor, because you come from greatness.” But the young kids who played the scene in the film, I didn’t rehearse with them. I wanted them to be on camera for the first time experiencing that. So what we do — we’re seeing three different kinds of dynamics in this scene, is understanding the subtext of what an African-American family go through in the inner city. We’re seeing a father figure who is very present in the household. And we’re seeing a relationship that shows a loving relationship between a husband and wife. Even though they have disagreements, we still see a love. “You understand?”

Maverick is so unlike many of the other characters you’ve played. What attracted you to the role?

He was unapologetically black. Angie Thomas [author of the best-selling book upon which the film is based] wrote such a man in the real sense of the word — in terms of how I was raised, the black men I was raised by and how I’ve [been] stimulated in my life. This was an opportunity for me to honor those that raised me and allowed me to be the man that I am today, a husband and a father of two boys. [Maverick] loves his wife. He loves his children. He loves his community. We don’t see enough of those men and they do exist.

Maverick is, among other things, a champion for young black women and girls speaking up for themselves and others. As a father yourself, what is your relationship with that same principle?

You have to understand, I was raised by a single black mother. I love my mother, my aunts and the women who helped raise me. I’ve had black women teachers. My wife is a black woman. I champion women; their causes, their independence, their femininity. Maverick is the kind of man that says both sons and daughters deserve to be loved and be raised with that sense of love. Wisdom needs to be imparted equally to your boys and your girls.

We know that Maverick has been to jail in the past. He’s been in a gang. He’s cheated on his wife. But we’re compelled to look beyond his flaws through your complex portrayal of black masculinity that we rarely get to see onscreen. Was that important for you as an actor and a black man?

My belief is that your performances as an actor don’t stray very far from who you are. There are very few true chameleons in this business who can transform [and pull] a total 180 from who they are. So when I look at Maverick, he is a reflection of me as I am a reflection of him. It’s important for me, for other brothers to see, for sisters to see it. It’s important for our society to see that this man exists. I want the audience to see my brothers, the men who are my friends that I hang around with, who are married and have children and who are responsible and [have] beautiful [relationships with] their wives.

We also see glimpses of black male vulnerability, like when Starr brings home Chris, who’s white, which makes him question whether he’s set a good enough example for her to want to bring home a black man.

We’re three-dimensional. Maverick has the capacity to be vulnerable. He has the capacity to listen. That’s the daughter he raised with all that love and she’s saying, Dad, I’ve got some of this love for you, too. That choked me up when I saw it again. Because a daughter can say to her father, No, you did right. You did what you were supposed to do. It’s all good.

I love the conversations between Maverick and his wife, Lisa, about whether to leave their neighborhood, which he thinks would be turning his back on the culture.

And to what end? He’s saying to himself, my people need me. But we have to know who we’re fighting for and why, and how we’re going to fight. As black people, we lose sight of that sometimes. We talk about revolution and quick change. We have to understand that that’s not realistic. It’s really evolution, change over time. It’s really about putting a plan in place, understanding what your goals are and applying them every day. So, as much as Maverick preaches about the Black Panther Party and the revolution, what Lisa helps him understand is that, Baby, it’s going to have to be an evolutionary process.

There’s been Oscar talk surrounding your performance. How do you feel about all the buzz?

It’s an honor for people to deem the work worthy of such talk. But because I am at the age I am with a wife and two children, it doesn’t consume me. At the end of the day, I am in the business of telling stories, and that’s what I want to continue to do. I don’t want this to be it. I want Maverick to be the jumping-off point. I feel like after 20 years working as a professional, let’s hit the reset button and build it up from here. What are the next 20 years going to look like as far as roles and opportunities? I’m excited about that.

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

“X-Men ’97,” a revival on Disney+ that picks up where the ’90s animated series left off, has faced questions after the firing of its showrunner  ahead of the premiere.

“3 Body Problem,” a science fiction epic from the creators of “Game of Thrones,” has arrived on Netflix. We spoke with them about their latest project .

For the past two decades, female presidential candidates on TV have been made in Hillary Clinton’s image. With “The Girls on the Bus,” that’s beginning to change .

“Freaknik,” a new Hulu documentary, delves into the rowdy ’80s and ’90s-era spring festival  that drew hundreds of thousands of Black college students to Atlanta.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.