Reviews with content warning for Cursing - The Hate U Give

There’s only one mistake I did when I picked up this book: I picked it up at 9pm. I. Couldn’t. Stop. I knew I had to go to bed… but I couldn’t put that book down! And to say it’s been sitting on my shelf for at least two years….

It’s well written, so it’s super easy to read. Reading this story, your heart just breaks for Starr. I loved the characters, and loved to hate some of them. It’s such an important book to read!!

Content Warnings

ashleyyy27's review against another edition

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

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

4.0

Star Carter goes through traumatic events that lead to the development of who she is as a person. Through the events, she learns what is important to her and that when people love you, you can show them who you really are and they won't run away. This has many political issues in the book and gives a raw perspective on cops shooting black boys and how communities respond to those incidents.

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bookdrunkard78's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

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hmwoodward's review against another edition

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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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