The Hate U Give

"This book is important because it bears witness. It holds within its pages some of the urgency and anger of the Black Lives Matter movement and could even be an act of resistance in and of itself. The book is such a relevant read in the aftermath of the recent tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and many others. People who died at the hands of police. We know the names and the statistics when it comes to police brutality in the USA but this story makes readers actually feel it. “Daddy once told me there’s a rage passed down to every black man from his ancestors, born the moment they couldn’t stop the slave masters from hurting their families. Daddy also said there’s nothing more dangerous than when that rage is activated.” This story is about the broken American criminal justice system, but it is also an important text about interracial relationships. Through Starr’s relationship with Chris, her white boyfriend, the reader sees the divide in their community. When Starr confronts Chris and tells him about her concerns about what people assume about interracial couples, Chris responds, “Who [cares]?” This exposes his white privilege as he clearly acknowledges racial biases, but dismisses how this could influence their relationship. Chris adds to the challenge Starr faces, which is to reconcile her Black world (Garden Heights) with her White world (Williamson Prep) and find a way to truly be her authentic self. Starr’s story is also inspirational because the reader sees her grow increasingly confident with encouragement from Ms. Ofrah. Starr learns how to use her voice as a device or even a weapon in the fight for racial equality and decency. By portraying him as a dangerous drug dealer, the police and media paint Khalil’s death as a foregone conclusion but Starr uses her voice to break this down: “Everybody wants to talk about how Khalil died,” I say. “But this isn’t about how Khalil died. It’s about the fact that he lived. His life mattered. Khalil lived!” I look at the cops again. “You hear me? Khalil lived!”"

"Starr Carter lives in the heart of a black neighborhood but goes to a private school across town, where she is one of just a few black students. When her best friend, Khalil, is killed by a policeman during an arbitrary stop, Starr is the only witness, and she is called to testify to a grand jury about what she saw. The 16-year-old is determined to stand up for her slain friend, and it’s riveting to see how she navigates the civic unrest that follows the shooting, as well as the media maelstrom around it. The Hate U Give may be a young adult novel, but older adults would do well to read it."