The Hate U Give - The Spoken Generation

Review by Emma Bowles

When sixteen-year-old Starr Carter and her friend Khalil are pulled over by a police car, Khalil is shot by the police officer who thought a hairbrush in Khalil’s hand was a gun. The story then follows Starr as she decides if she should speak up, being the sole witness of the shooting, or stay quiet.

The book tackles many of the issues that the global society is currently facing such as policebrutality and racism. However, it covers these topics in a way that makes them easier to understand for younger readers. As this book is a story, written in first person, it allows readers to connect with the characters and relate to the emotions of these issues rather than just the facts. Because ofthe relationships between the characters in the book, there are often moments of humour and joy in between the more serious elements. This makes the book a pleasant read as the reader is not overwhelmed by these incredibly important, but sometimes very distressing, topics.

The Hate U Give is a book that I would recommend to any young adult, not only because ofhow Angie Thomas deals with racism and police brutality, but because the book is also about growing up in today’s society. Being true to who you are and being resilient in the face ofadversity are qualities which many of the characters struggle with towards the start of the book. Watching these characters grow through their actions gives readers a deeper understanding of why these qualities are so tough to gain.

Below I have put my two favourite quotes from this book as I feel they truly summarise the essence of The Hate U Give.

“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”

“What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?”