The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
(Synopsis from Goodreads). 

My Thoughts:
Typically, I don't read a lot of books as soon as they are released that have hype surrounding them. However, everywhere I've looked on social media lately, I've been seeing The Hate U Give. It's impossible not to see a post about it while scrolling through my various social media feeds. I couldn't escape it, so I decided to just give into the pressure and read it. It was one of the best bookish decisions I've made recently. It was worth all of the hype surrounding it, and then some. 

The Hate U Give is such an important book. I think it should be on reading lists at schools throughout the country. It puts the into Starr's shoes, and gives a perspective that some people don't get in regards to the Black Lives Matter movement. It forces the reader to see the world in a completely new way. 

After reading The Hate U Give, I was completely outraged at the way minority groups are treated. I couldn't believe how much I didn't previously know about police brutality. I wanted to take a stand, and say enough is enough. I wanted to call my senators, and tell them to take a stand against police brutality. I wanted to protest the unfair treatment of people of color by police officers. Before reading The Hate U Give I knew police brutality happened, but I didn't think it affected me. Now I know better. It affects every member of the community, regardless of race. 

The Hate U Give was a powerful, moving book. Not only did it mess with my emotions, but it taught me so much that I never knew before. I wish that I could convince everyone to read it, and get a copy of the book in everyone's hands. It's worth all of the hype it's been getting, and more. Maybe if more people were willing to read this, and see from a perspective that they don't usually get, the world would be a better place.

I give The Hate U Give: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://angiethomas.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACThomasAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/acthomasbooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acwrites/
Tumblr: http://writerzambitionz.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15049422.Angie_Thomas

I received this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.