Earlier today, I finished my reading of Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give and am still reeling from the depiction of the many injustices that are encountered by African-American teens. In light of the protests going on in our nation right now, I think Thomas’ novel is extremely important and should be read by all adults — not just the young ones!
You can find plot summaries all over the internet, so I don’t want to focus on the story itself. Besides, I hate when a review contains spoilers that lessen a book’s impact. The novel centers around the killing of a black teen boy by a white police officer during a routine traffic stop. Starr, the novel’s heroine, witnessed the entire encounter from the passenger seat of the stopped car and is preparing to testify against the officer. While Thomas explores the implications of the crime, I thought that her most powerful statements were about the role of the media in these recurring scenarios as well as the source of the African-American community’s anger.
As a white man, I cannot fully understand the level of bigotry, prejudice, and disdain that many in the black community have faced. I have a little more of an understanding now — and for that, I’m thankful. I also know that the issues society are currently facing are not so simple that they can be summarized and adequately expressed in a YA novel. But sometimes, I think we need to step away from the “reality” that is such a hot-button issue and look at a similar situation through the lenses of fiction. I know it has been a valuable tool for me and I will not soon forget the story of Starr and the Carter family as they faced injustice in many forms. Thank you, Angie Thomas, for an outstanding novel that permitted me to pause a think in a safe place.
Reading for Me 
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