I have recently read the novel, The Hate U Give, written by Ange Thomas, an urban fiction, young adult novel that really highlights themes such as women’s empowerment, but the most significant being that the color of one’s skin is not what one must be based off of. Now, in the summary. Staar Carter, the main character is a black teen, about sixteen years of age living in Garden Heights, who attended a party with Kenya, a friend, with whom they share a half-brother. The party is later interrupted by gunshots, and in the retreat, she meets Khalil, her childhood best friend. They escape to Khalil’s car and while driving home, listen to Tupac and his belief in thug life’s acronym standing for, “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fs Everybody” (Tupac). While on the way home, they are stopped by a police car that claimed that they were speeding. Khalil is asked to get out of the car and stubbornly does, but when the officer, whom Starr Id’d as One-Fifteen, notices Khalil open the door simply to check on Starr, he fatally shoots Khalil, ending his life for a purpose that Khalil simply wanted to know. Starr recalls her other friend’s death, Natasha, that happened a few years ago before Khalil’s. At school, the white Williamson Prep, she feels that her friend and boyfriend don’t understand her, and this, along with her Uncle Carlos, who is a police officer’s words, asks the station if they could testify about this. She notices they’re asking the wrong questions, and questions herself whether or not Khalil will get justice. Starr meets someone named April Ofrah on the day of Khalil’s funeral, who makes sure that Starr is legally safe, and offers her services. In the middle of the funeral, King, a famous gang member in Garden Heights, walks into the funeral and places a grey piece of clothing to symbolize Khalil’s involvement, making Starr feel even worse. The book was scarcely happy and I felt sad most of the time I read it. I agree with the author’s opinion, which really should be a fact, that the black population in America is treated miles off of the white population. The book also failed to acknowledge issues, like police brutality. This book definitely serves as a strong source of what black lives matter stems from, and it raises questions that the real world hasn’t really answered, but must soon. This novel raised a lot of questions, but at the same time, failed to even bring up significant others. To future readers, this novel will open up your eyes to what actually happens to minorities, and when your eyes are open, never allow them to shut.
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