The Hate U Give

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

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. (Goodreads)

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl's struggle for justice. The Hate U Give is wrenching, soul stirring, funny, endearing, painful, and frustratingly familiar. Every white person on this planet needs to read this book. For that matter, every single person- white, brown, or black needs to read this book. This was such a heartbreakingly honest account of what was and is happening in America right now. It depicts how privilege is invisible to those who have it.

I love Starr Carter so much. She's honestly such an inspiration to girls looking to find their voice. She is resilient, authentic, and everything we need in adolescents today. Although she is not completely fearless, she embraces the adversity in her way and stands against it. This book has many of the markers of a typical YA 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.

The strongest aspect of this book is its social commentary and political criticism. This is the kind of book that should be in the hands of teens, making them aware of current issues, educating them on pressing matters, and encouraging them to get involved to create change. I absolutely left this read with an entirely new perspective I will carry with me in the future. It poses so many important questions about racism, police brutality, discrimination, and prejudice while also answering them in a comprehensive and inviting way. It was fascinating to see the integration of such a powerful movement implemented into an accessible form of media for teens.

The Hate U Give is important and timely, worthy of reading because of the social and political message that it sends. It is so well-written, emotionally charged, and unputdownable.

Banned Book Project:

Why was the Hate U Give banned?

According to WQAD, in one of the school districts in Illinois, the board found out that ‘The Hate U Give’ was being read in a freshman English class and they banned the novel citing inappropriate language. The book is not being taught currently in this school year. Several parents supported this idea but many were also against the idea of banning books in general.

The parents who supported the idea of banning this book were worried about the inappropriate language in this book, the racially sensitive topics addressed, and the potential threat of this book opening doors to further censoring.

Should The Hate U Give be banned?

I read The Hate U Give last year as a 14-year-old, and this book had a really big impact on me. Especially as the Black Lives Matter movement has gained momentum in the past few years, I think that this book is essential and extremely important for all teens to read - because this book not only educates and informs you on pressing issues but also so clearly shows you how privilege is often invisible to those who have it. Reading is supposed to offer a new perspective, and as a student, I can definitely attest to that statement. All students, regardless of their race or background need to be able to read stories of people of color by people of color because representation matters and shapes the kind of people we become in the future.

As a teenager, I know that all of us are already exposed to the use of inappropriate language through social media platforms, and reading a book like The Hate U Give is only exposing us to the realities of the modern world that we will have to face after high school. Diversity is all around us - in the United States itself, 35.7% of the people are non-white individuals. It is about time that students across the country are educated about diversity and are given the opportunity and resources to think outside of their comfort zone and explore the harsh realities of the world around them. We NEED to have conversations about such essential topics, and books like The Hate U Give strike these conversations.