YA Novelist: Angie Thomas's "The Hate U Give"


The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas's debut novel, "The Hate U Give" is one of Oprah's Favorite Books of 2017(according to The Oprah Magazine).  With nearly 50,000 five-star ratings on Goodreads.  The book quickly became a #1 New York Times bestseller after its release. selling over 100,000 copies,

The novel also made #8 on the 10 Most Challenged Books of 2017 (via BookBub.com written by Kristina Wright on April 10, 2018).  This critically acclaimed YA novel was challenged and banned in school libraries and curriculums because it contains drug use, profanity, and offensive language and was considered “pervasively vulgar.”



Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Meyers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, 

The Hate U Give, was acquired by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in a 13-house auction and was published in spring 2017. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 into a full-length feature film.with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star. 


Common as Uncle Carlos

A hip hop artist since 1992, it’s likely you’ve heard Common just as much as you’ve seen him. His acting career has been on fire as of late with roles in both Suicide Squad and John Wick Chapter 2. His social work also makes him a great fit for this role, as he founded the Common Ground Foundation, an organization that seeks to serve underprivileged youth.

Anthony Mackie as King

Even Avengers are assembling for this big screen adaptation! Following his role in the tense, powerful Detroit earlier this summer, Anthony Mackie is keeping his Falcon Wings hung up a little bit longer to star as King in THE HATE U GIVE. It’s a different sort of role for Mackie, as here he plays a drug lord tangled up in Starr’s life through his relationships with the people she cares for. With the acting talents he’s shown off, we’re sure Mackie will do an amazing job portraying this complex character.
 Sabrina Carpenter as Hailey
You may recognize Sabrina Carpenter as one of the stars from the beloved TV show Girl Meets Worldwhich recently wrapped up its four-season run on Disney Channel. On top of a huge social following and a burgeoning music career, the young actress stars here as Hailey, Starr’s friend and classmate. After Khalil’s murder, the two girls find themselves clashing in their beliefs, and their relationship is put to the test. We cannot wait to see these two girls act together!



The Plot

Thomas’s story follows 16-year-old Starr Carter, a black girl who navigates two worlds, that of the low-income neighborhood where she lives, and that of the elite suburban preppy high school she attends.  After witnessing her unarmed friend’s shooting by a police officer, Starr’s two worlds collide. As the only witness, Starr must decide in whom she can confide and find the courage to take a stand, even if it puts her and her family at risk.

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. 

What Starr does, or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

This is a must read!
  • In theaters late 2018.
  • Read the book before you see the movie!
  
My Book Review:
I listened to the audio of this Young Adult Novel and found it heartbreaking, funny, dramatic and very racially inspired.  I made a connection with many of the characters and saw a little bit of myself in Starr; having grown up in a catholic school in a predominantly Black neighborhood and then on an army base with many diverse ethnic and culturally diverse people.  Ms. Thomas, herself grew up two different worlds (Advance Magazine, Spring 2018 issue), 

The story started out as a senior project for Angie Thomas while attending Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi and became her best-seller.  The book has been banned and shunned by groups and organizations due to it's frank and explicit language, however it has defied the odds and garnered the accolades of winning the CCCU Young Alumni Award.

I really like how this subject matter relates to the what is happening now in the world and addressing some of the matters that is dividing our country racially and politically.  I think that this novel will relate to not just young Adults but to everyone. I commend Angie Thomas for giving a voice in literary pose about the injustice and the racial divide. I found compassion, community involvement, and hope in this novel,  It's a book I would pick-up and read again to remind me of our challenges as a race and community.

I'm looking forward to her next novel "On the Come Up" release date: February 2019.













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