The Hate U Give

Young adult novel inspired by Black Lives Matter and police brutality

Content warning: racism, police brutality

Searching for my next audiobook that was long enough to be immersive but short enough to be achievable with my attention span, I came across this bestselling and award-winning book that I had heard of but hadn’t had the opportunity to read yet. It is narrated by Bahni Turpin, the narrator of “The Underground Railroad“, so I was very keen to give it a go.

Image is of the audiobook cover of “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. The cover is a picture of a teenage girl in sepia against a black background with white and pink text.

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas and narrated by Bahni Turpin is a young adult novel about Starr, a 16 year old African-American girl who lives in a poor neighbourhood called Garden Heights but goes to an affluent high school called Williamson Prep. Straddling two worlds and two identities, when Starr witnesses a police shooting that kickstarts protests in Garden Heights and a high profile court case, her role as a key witness shatters the delicate equilibrium. With every decision now politicised, Starr is forced to confront the racism in her life, personal and systemic, while still dealing with the everyday dramas that come with being a teenage girl.

This was a fantastic book that had me hooked from the beginning. I was actually shocked to read that this was Thomas’ debut novel, it was so good. Thomas reinvigorates the young adult genre by bringing realism and urgency while maintaining the hallmark youthfulness of young adult fiction. Starr is an excellent protagonist who juggles a myriad of issues. I really liked the way Starr compartmentalised her complex family, her white boyfriend, traumas from her past, the influence of gangs on Garden Heights, microaggressions from kids at her school and the looming court case, and how, as the stress begins to compound, the firm boundaries she has set begin to waver. I also really enjoyed Turpin’s narration of this book. She brought a completely different mood to this book compared with “The Underground Railroad” and gave Starr a full emotional range.

One issue this book is very concerned with is justice, and some of the most confronting parts of the book include the way Starr is interviewed by police and the way the incident is reported in the media. In the wake of the trial for George Floyd’s murder and Black Lives Matter, the questions Thomas asks about justice and fairness are as relevant as ever. Through the conversations the characters have and Starr’s own experiences and observations, Thomas asks the reader to really engage with racism and inequity, the cumulative effect it has on people’s lives and how difficult it can be to speak out against it.

A truly well-written book and I cannot wait to read more of Thomas’ work.