Sunday, January 31, 2021

The Hate U Give


Starr Carter was driving with her childhood friend Khalil, home from a party. At sixteen years old, Starr doesn’t often go to parties in her neighborhood. Although she was raised in this poor community of Jackson Mississippi, Starr’s parents enrolled her and her siblings in a fancy private school in the suburbs. Her daddy runs a local grocery store and her mom works as an ER nurse. They know first hand how tough these streets can be and want their children to have a better chance, a higher education. Khalil and Starr are pulled over. Scared, Starr remembers what her mama drilled into her; keep your hands where they can be seen, no sudden movements and no talking unless spoken to. Khalil is shot 3 times, in the back. Blood is everywhere and Starr’s life will never be the same. Starr begins to question her authenticity, friends living in two different worlds, her white boyfriend, and life as a black girl with two identities. The incident makes national headlines and Starr is the only witness. Her family, the local gang leaders and the entire neighborhood choose sides and take to the streets. Riots, danger, fear in one life and AP exams and the prom in the other. It is time for this brave young lady to use her position and stand up for what she believes. Starr must speak for her friends who no longer have a voice of their own. This is a well written, emotional YA story that should be mandatory reading. We may not have immediate solutions but the struggle for justice is paramount. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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