The hate u give, by Angie Thomas

Title: The hate u give
Author: Angie Thomas
Genre/ issues: YA contemporary fiction. Racism. Black Lives Matter. Family.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, search Indies to locate your closest independent bookstore, or find it on Booktopia. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

June saw me reading books by BIPOC authors as I focused on decolonising my bookshelf, and I finished the month with The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. What a sensational book. Focusing on the personal and community responses in the wake of the shooting of a black teen by a white cop, this book is gripping. Whilst we see mostly through the eyes of Starr, the main character and friend of the young man who was killed, we also get significant insight into the motivations and reactions of a range of people who are impacted by this. Why do people protest? How do good cops, like Starr’s uncle, respond when someone they know is in the firing line? How do white friends show their support? I was really moved by this book, and by its subtle insistence that the most powerful weapon we have is our voice. Let’s use it to speak up for what’s right, and to speak out against what is wrong.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 38/52

Happy reading,