“Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug. He lived, but not nearly enough, and for the rest of my life I’ll remember how he died. Fairy Tale? No. But I’m not giving up on a better ending.” – Angie Thomas, “The Hate U Give”

Angie Thomas’s “The Hate U Give” is a truly mesmerizing debut novel, from the content of the writing to the themes that it expresses. Angie Thomas delivers the story of Khalil, Starr, and her parents by using teen vocabulary, making sure her audience is reached. She also draws the author in with the vivid imagery that she uses. This book leaves the readers with an understanding of the matters that black teens deal with. These problems span from dealing with the police to having to deal with the white friend who believes you have no problems when you are a black teen. This book also addresses the topic of police brutality and police shootings, giving us horrific insight into the justice and aftermath that rocks the black lives to the core. It was truly an honor to read this book, and I have nothing but high praise for it.

“The Hate U Give” focuses on two characters, Khalil Harris and Starr Carter. These two characters are the driving force of the novel, with their witty comments and down to earth personalities, making “The Hate U Give” the perfect teen novel.

To back up a bit, Starr Carter is a sixteen-year-old girl from the poor neighborhood of Garden Heights. She is the daughter of a nurse and former drug dealer and inmate, Big Mav. Her father’s honorable reputation, however, precedes him around the neighborhood. Although his home community welcomes him, Starr’s father feels as if he missed out on part of her life while being incarcerated. Starr acknowledges this problem throughout the story, citing that then time without her dad will always be there. Despite that time of separation, she loves him, and they have a close relationship. Throughout the book, Starr is constantly torn between her life at Williamson Prep, an urban high school, and her life at Garden Heights. In order to adapt, she uses code-switching, which is when she has to change what she says and how she says it based on who she is talking to. While at school, Starr is known as the only black girl, causing her to be cautious of the things she does. This behavioral suppression becomes increasingly difficult when Khalil is shot, and she has to maintain the normalcy of her regular Williamson Prep life while also fighting for Khalil. While at home, she is acknowledged as Maverick’s kid and is referred to as the “boujee” girl who attends the white school.

It all starts when Starr’s actions throughout the story are defined when she, a sixteen-year-old girl from Garden Heights, witnesses a police officer shoot her childhood friend Khalil. This tragedy is an eye-opening moment for Starr, as she gets the first look the power that the policeman possess. Starr also witnesses just how adjacent her two worlds are. On one hand, her friends use Khalil only as an excuse to protest to get out of class. Meanwhile, her friends in Garden Heights urge her to speak up and get justice for Khalil, just as he would have done.

Within the book, Starr also battles problems with her friends: Maya, an Asian American, and Hailey, a white female. Starr is faced with conflict when Hailey unfollows her on Twitter after she reposts an Emmett Till photo. This causes Maya and Starr to look back on some of the things that Hailey has done over the years. Both Maya and Starr are faced with the dilemma that maybe their friend Hailey is hypocritical and judgmental of their culture and race. In one part of the book, Hailey even asks Maya if her family ate cat for Thanksgiving, causing Maya to feel betrayed.

While Starr juggles the conflicts that she is met within her social life, she is often faced with some new challenges that come with her white boyfriend Chris. Starr meets Chris while at Williamson Prep, and although she is in love with him, she is not so sure that her dad will have the same opinion. This presents a whole new problem into Starr’s life. Chris also inserts humor in the story, when he and Starr often talk about the differences that white and blacks have.

Soon Starr realizes that she can fight in her own way. She also sees that she can fight and demand justice in a more efficient way against the police shooting. She acknowledges that fighting the fight is not going to help but acknowledging it is, revealing that she will not stop until there is justice for Khalil. The amount of determination that Starr possesses, makes me feel hopeful. Her determination also allows me to feel like I could make a change.

It gives the readers an experience that can truly be explained as reality. This story offers an insight into the dramatic and brutal look on police brutality. This book is truly mesmerizing and gives a spectacular point of view on the topic, leaving me in total awe at how Angie Thomas was able to capture this inspiring moment in words.