The
Hate U Give has gotten a lot of great book buzz. I knew a bit about the main
story line and I honestly wasn’t in the mood for a book about another teen
death, with civil rights oriented content or otherwise. Seriously, yall. Make
sure you are taking care of your own emotional wellness!
Anyhooo!
THUG was definitely worth the
hype. It’s the story of Starr, a girl who lives in a dangerous intercity
neighborhood and drives into the suburbs to attend private school. At home, she
gets teased for thinking she’s too good for her black friends and at school she
has learned to grin and bear the slightly and not so slightly racist stuff that
comes out of her friends’ mouths.
She has worked hard to keep her
“separate Starrs’” lives separate but when she witnesses her childhood bestie
killed by the police, she realizes that she has to figure out how to be true to
herself, her communities, and the memory of her friend.
The
main story line is strong and important, but I’ll be honest. It’s not the best
part of this book. I laughed out loud many times with the interactions between
Starr and her family members. I read this via audiobook and could tell it was
written and read by folks who know what those interactions sound like, for
real. This was one of the few times I had an overwhelming feeling of being
reflected in a book. That’s powerful stuff, y’all. Thank Black Jesus that I
haven’t had to experience everything in this book, though. But books should be both mirrors and windows.
There
are also some exceptional moments between friends in this book. Starr comes to
terms with the fact that she has the power to decide which relationships matter
to her. Her mother is the truth. But also, there are many examples of the
extended family and relationships that happen in the city and with Black (and
other POC) families often. “Haven’t you ever heard of the power of numbers?” This quote is said while the characters in the books are talking about how white people always want to split up during a crisis in movies. But it highlights one of the biggest
themes in this book. The other, of course, is that your voice is your weapon
and we can never stop doing right.
I
read this book via Overdrive; Bahni Turpin is the audio reader. I love her reading.
Love.
Related
Book Reviews (similar topic content):
Coming from a middle aged white woman's perspective I thought this book was right on with the accuracy of the description of Star's conflicted life. As I drive to work each morning through impoverished neighborhoods I am now thinking about the people who choose to stay living in the city and what this choice means for them day to day. This book left my heart aching and also in many ways hopeful. Of course I loved that Star's Mom was a nurse. It left my mind amazed at the writing of this authors first book. Already looking forward to her next.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, anonymous poster! I think that fact that the parents were also thinking about how to be helpful members of their community and protect and provide for their children was a wonderful part of this story. I think I ignored many many many literary parents when I was a younger reader.
Delete