“Miss him, allow yourself to miss what could have been, let your feelings get out of whack. But like I told you, don’t stop living.”
The Hate U Give tore me up a little bit. It’s about a sixteen year old girl, Starr, living in a poor, predominantly black neighbourhood in America, but going to private school in the suburbs. At the start of the book, one of her close friends is shot by a policeman and so begins a story that questions how the police treat the black population in America and how that treatment affects people and neighbourhoods like Starr’s.
I started with the quote I did because there were so many times in this book where completely relatable exchanges happen…but then you remember that they are to a sixteen year old girl because she has seen two of her best friends get shot before her eyes in her short life. Argh! My heart!
I struggled with my own privilege as a white/caucasian person, especially living in Australia, and often caught myself thinking “Why doesnt she just do/say/ignore X?”. The very simple answer was always because that’s not something her heritage or neighbourhood let her as simply as, say, mine would.
I strongly encourage you to read this debut novel. It is a fantastically written YA ‘easy’ read that is anything but simple.
*Rating: Very highly recommended to anyone
I’ll sign off with another quote from the book that I think captures how lost and confused the events of the book make Starr feel: “I leave. I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t know much of anything anymore.”
M x
*I am going to try to avoid ⭐ ratings on this blog, because they’re complicated and not everyone will enjoy the same things I do (crazy concept, I know).
Instead, I will just stick to recommendations (or lack thereof).
I honestly love your rating system! I have had this book on my TBR for a while now, but have somehow not yet gotten to yet… I can see it even now, teasing me from its position on my shelf. Agh! I need to get to it. Great review!
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Aw thank you! I always find giving star ratings so troublesome 🤭 I had it on my shelf for a while but so glad I picked it up when I did! x
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This book is so impactful & important, and I’m so happy to see that you recommend it very highly! 💞
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