The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

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Q&A

Physical or Ebook?
Audio for 50%, Ebook for the other 50%

Have you ever read a book by this author before?
No. But this is her debut

Genre?
YA Contemporary

Star Rating?

Rereadable?
It’s definitely good enough to be reread, but I don’t think my heart could take it.

If it’s a series, would you continue reading it?
Absolutely.

Is this a part of a challenge?
No.

Who would you recommend this for?
I think absolutely everyone should read this book.

Conclusion:

This book… Fuck. It fucked with my heart.

Let’s first talk about the audio book. I never listen to audio books. My brain can’t shut up long enough for me to concentrate on one thing. It’s a bullshit part of my anxiety which just has my brain going off in different directions for no reason at all. Reading a physical book or an ebook requires more concentration. I have to read every word, so my brain doesn’t have the chance to wander.

I listened to the audiobook of this novel for the first 50% before I had to swap to Ebook. I was lying on the couch, not really doing anything but listening to THUG and I got to that state where you’re so relaxed that you have no idea if you fell asleep or not? Yeah, I missed the entire last chapter. In my defense it was past three in the morning and should of been in bed way before that (plus I already took melatonin, don’t know wtf I thought I was doing with that.)

Anyways, besides the fact that I have a hard time listening to audiobooks, this narrator fucking rocked it. Like seriously, she had me crying during the second chapter. She brought in so much raw emotion and so much more to the novel itself, it was… intense. Bahni Turpin, absolutely fantastic narrator! I think that if someone loved audiobooks, they would definitely love this one.

I ended up switching to the Ebook today and I’m really glad I did. Saying I loved this novel definitely feels weird because I hated so many parts of it. I hated the brutality and how unnecessary the cops actions were. But mostly, I hated how accurate all of this was and how often shit like this actually happens. I hate every single part of that.

But the parts I loved about this novel, I loved them so much. Starr’s parents are, perhaps not perfect, but they love their daughter more that anything and you can tell. Every character in this novel had their own story to tell and every character told it well. Starr grew so much throughout this novel and although it had sprung off the back of tragedy, she is such an amazing character.

I’m just babbling at this point guys. My brain hurts. My heart hurts.

If you’re interested:
Goodreads
Amazon CA
Amazon

Until next time,

Bree