Reviews with content warning for Child death - The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give has been sitting on my kindle for a good few years now. It was one of the oldest books I had on there. I bought it when I was in the middle of something else and so I just never got back to it. I've been making an effort to try and read some of the older stuff I have instead of constantly getting new things like a hoarder, so I finally took the plunge and read it.

And damn, it was worth it. While it took me a few days to get through, every time I sat down with it, it felt like I was reading long sections and powering through it because I just wanted to know what was happening next while also worrying about what might possibly happen.

This book is powerful. There's no other way to say it.

Content Warnings

nikkilerae's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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

The Hate U Give
By Angie Thomas
5⭐️

Wow! This story is one I think really needs talked about. It was recommended in one of the book groups I am in for Banned Book Week. I’m so glad I picked this to be my Banned Book Read!

This book hooked me immediately. I thought I’d struggle relating with this book and maybe in some ways I did a little. However, I think that struggle is exactly what I needed to really grasp the importance of the book. There were so many OMG scenes that pulled tears from my eyes and put my hand to my heart. Scenes that had me holding my breath. Every single one of those scenes impacted me in a very deep and profound way. This book needs to be read and talked about!

This book is about a black girl living in a ghetto - a real ghetto - one that most of us don’t really see. At least for me, very different than what our town considers the ghetto or slums or the bricks. This girl loses two of her best friends. One from gang violence at the age of 10 and the other from police brutality at the age of 16. 16 year old Starr is who is sharing her story. Not just her experiences but how she finds her voice, her real voice. Through her story we meet her family and friends and get a real taste of her life.

The flow of this book is so good that I often forgot I was reading. So many pages were turned before I’d check a clock. The author does a really amazing job with this book. Banned or not in places - this book should be read. Read it with your teenagers or even just for yourself. You’ll walk away a different person when you’ve finished. In my opinion, books that change you, are the best ones to read!

Content Warnings

enchantingreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

The Hate U Give, really made me mad, angry, sad, and so many other different emotions. I will never like or understand why Officer One-Fifteen was never charged. He should have been, because he was in no actual danger. Khalil was not even was not even reaching into his door, he was checking to see if Starr was okay.

Officer One-Fifteen shot Khalil 3 times. Then 5e officer turned around and pointed the gun at Starr, until backup arrived and she held her best friend as he died.

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