The Hate U Give. (Mindscape Reviews!)
Posted On July 26, 2019
Hi Readers! I have missed you all! July has surely been uneventful. I feel like I was sick for the entire month. But, since I was sick, I had nothing much to do than lie in bed all day & read! I finished this novel ‘The Hate U Give’ by Angie Thomas in the last few days. Ever since I read the snippet of what it’s about, I knew I would love it. Here goes the review!
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~~INTRODUCTION~~
‘The Hate U Give’ is what I would call modern revolutionary novel that will be termed as a ‘classic’ few decades down the line. Its focus is on why Black Lives Matter. It is all about how, even in the 21st century, there is still discrimination against people of colour, how they are treated by the police & how there is still so much prejudice involved. It really shows how much needs to change & after reading the novel, it feels like it will still take decades for things to change.
This novel will leave you with something to think about. As I am neither a black or a white person, I can never fully understand how people of colour actually feel about the discrimination, but this book got it real close. What’s wrong is wrong & it doesn’t take race to understand that.
This is the first novel of Angie Thomas that I have read. I had heard a lot about it, obviously. Her writing is really good. You can easily imagine everything from her writing; from character to scenes. At first, I thought the story was a bit stretched, but then I realized that it was only practical. In reality, it takes time for the whole police inspection, legal proceedings etc to carry on. The writing completely justifies the story.
~~CHARACTERS~~
The main character here is Starr Carter, a 16-year-old black girl who has 2 personalities. The community she lives in (Garden Heights) is where she is mostly her most amazing true self. The school she goes to (Williamson) which is almost 97% full of white kids, is where she is her quiet sophisticated self. She never mixes these two personalities until all hell breaks loose. Also, she has a thing for Jordan shoes.
Starr’s family includes her mom, dad, half-brother Seven & younger brother Sekani. They are a tight knit family. The kids in this family are taught right & brought up well. She is also close to her maternal uncle Carlos, who is a cop.
Chris, as I quote her dad say it, is a plain-ass white boyfriend of Starr’s. Her Garden Heights friends include Kenya & Khalil, while her Williamson friends are Hailey & Maya.
King is the drug leader of the group King Lords. His wife Iesha is Seven’s mom. They have 2 girls; Kenya & Lyric. The other drug group is the Garden Disciples.
~~STORY LINE~~
It all starts when Starr & Khalil flee from a party because of shots getting fired. Once they are away & on the road, they are stopped by a cop & soon after the same cop fires 3 shots which murder Khalil.
In the eyes of cops, Khalil Harris was a black kid with a temper & assumed to be a drug dealer. In Starr’s eyes, Khalil was just a kid with dimples with whom she was friends with since forever. But, that night, he was also just another kid whose car’s taillight was unhinged. He was murdered for nothing. He was shot for nothing. His life mattered. Khalil being murdered sparked something in Starr. At first, it was intense sadness. But then, she finally speaks up as a witness of the shooting. She stands up for Khalil as she knew he would have for her. Her two personalities overlap & she realizes it wasn’t the end of the world. She survives & she makes her life worth it by fighting for what matters.
I won’t reveal the story after this because I’m sure you are going to read this amazing novel & love it!
~~OVERALL THOUGHTS~~
For those of you who have been around for a while here, know how critically I review books. It’s a whole mental process, you know? To put yourself in the journey of those characters. And if the story turns out to be bad or stupid or predictable, it obviously makes me frustrated.
Having said that, I have rated this book at 5/5 on Goodreads & I stand by it. The topic is important & so is the story. It is told in the best possible way. And, it is a book that is an essential read for everyone.
Since this is a sensitive & serious topic, the author has kept a good balance between the fun & serious aspects. While addressing that Black Lives Matter, she hasn’t focused on only one thing. The main thing is the cop shooting Khalil for no reason. While highlighting this, she has also highlighted little discriminatory aspects. Like, cops attacking Mr. Carter out of nowhere, Mr. Lewis snitching being a big thing, putting Uncle Carlos on leave & so on. It’s always underlying but always there even if you can’t always put a finger on it. Now, that’s incredible writing which got me hooked.
Also, there is a lot going on, so there is a lot of content. You have your drug mafia fights, family drama & teenage drama. So, the whole picture levels out perfectly, which is another thing I liked about it.
If you haven’t read this master piece, you should read it right away! If you have, did you like it as much as I did? Tell me in the comments below!!
Until next time,
About The Author
Aishwarya Shenolikar
Hello! I'm Aishwarya, an Introverted bookworm & writer. I have been reviewing books since 6 years on my blog - Mindscape in Words. My favourite genres are Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Magical Realism, Poetry, Fantasy & Memoirs. I like the kind of books which evoke emotions on several levels leaving me wrecked, but also incredibly content. I'm dreaming for the world to paint a landscape full of words, more like Mindscape in Words. Hope you enjoy the view.