Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

8 reviews

hmwoodward's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I've heard so much about this book and seen it as required reading in my high school's classrooms, so I decided to read what some of my students are studying these days. I am so glad I read this book, even though it was often challenging.

This book shows you a side of police brutality that we don't get to see - how those who are left behind process and respond to it. Star grapples with her responsibility to her murdered friend and the risk of speaking about it to the public. You watch as life goes back to "normal" as you follow Star to school and with her family. Though the death is no longer the only focus, it is a grief that weighs on Star and the community, on top of all the other trauma they experience in the form of poverty or drugs or gang activity, etc. The world stops at the news of a death at the hands of the police AND at the trial AND at the decision, but they're gone when the news cycle ends again.

Through the course of the book, you get to know and love (most of) the characters, despite their many flaws. You get to understand why people in challenging situations pick what appears to be a wrong choice since the odds are stacked and no choice is a good one sometimes. You watch as the people around Star grow and hear the stories of others who grew in their challenging environment. 

I listened to this on audiobook and appreciated the narrator because it felt like I was in Star's head. The narrator brought these powerful and emotional moments to life so vividly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Blood

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

_ren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The most refreshing writing style I have read in a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse and Abandonment

Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

jayden_chancery's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

trashgobby's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

cdoubet's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Racial slurs, and Sexual content

definedee's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

plainpaige's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Just a terrific book, I couldn't put it down. A very accessible read, and good insight to the reasons behind a lot of major societal issues, like police violence against marginalized people, the existence of gangs, the illegal drug trade, and more. Non-Black North Americans of all ages would surely benefit from reading this book, and hopefully grow some empathy and understanding from hearing the viewpoint of people that is underrepresented in the mainstream.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

gamora_zen1's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail