BIBLIOGRAPHY
Thomas, Angie. 2017.THE HATE U GIVE. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780062498533
2. PLOT SUMMARY
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 made 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.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In “The Hate U Give”, we can see the in depth journey that Thomas took with this novel. Breaking this novel down in 5 parts was a very cohesive way for the reader to understand, with part one being “when it happens” we get to see what entails of the situation and part two being “five weeks after it”, part three “eight weeks after it” and the fourth part being “ten weeks after it”, the final part being “thirteen weeks after it- the decision”. This gives the readers a clear vision of the timeline and the events that took place.
Thomas touches on themes of racism, social justice, the police and community relationships. As the story goes on we can see how Starr is going through the motions of injustice and working on how to advocate, especially because of Khalil's death and what the media has portrayed of him based on stereotypes. We can see Starr’s journey and how she grows to be the strong advocate instead of being silent about the situation. By doing this, I believe Thomas gets her readers to empathize with the characters and the situation, in which will hopefully be able to bring change to our society.
Overall, I know this had to be a hard novel to write, with all of the emotions as a reader that I felt from anger, to empathy, to being proud of how brave Starr was to speak up this was an amazing and touching book.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book (8/1/17)
African American sixteen-year-old Starr Carter lives a life caught between her rough, predominantly black neighborhood and the "proper," predominantly white prep school she attends. This precarious balance is broken when Starr witnesses the shooting of her (unarmed) childhood friend Khalil by a police officer. Debut author Thomas is adept at capturing the voices of multiple characters in her powerful, in-your-face novel.
Kirkus Reviews (4/23/24)
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is a black girl and an expert at navigating the two worlds she exists in: one at Garden Heights, her black neighborhood, and the other at Williamson Prep, her suburban, mostly white high school. Walking the line between the two becomes immensely harder when Starr is present at the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, by a white police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Khalil's death becomes national news, where he's called a thug and possible drug dealer and gangbanger. His death becomes justified in the eyes of many, including one of Starr's best friends at school. The police's lackadaisical attitude sparks anger and then protests in the community, turning it into a war zone. Questions remain about what happened in the moments leading to Khalil's death, and the only witness is Starr, who must now decide what to say or do, if anything. Thomas cuts to the heart of the matter for Starr and for so many like her, laying bare the systemic racism that undergirds her world, and she does so honestly and inescapably, balancing heartbreak and humor. With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr's natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family. This story is necessary. This story is important. (Fiction. 14 & up)
School Library Journal Starred Review (1/1/17)
Gr 8 Up-After Starr and her childhood friend Khalil, both black, leave a party together, they are pulled over by a white police officer, who kills Khalil. The sole witness to the homicide, Starr must testify before a grand jury that will decide whether to indict the cop, and she's terrified, especially as emotions run high. By turns frightened, discouraged, enraged, and impassioned, Starr is authentically adolescent in her reactions. Inhabiting two vastly different spheres&12;her poor, predominantly black neighborhood, Garden Heights, where gangs are a fact of life, and her rich, mostly white private school&12;causes strain, and Thomas perceptively illustrates how the personal is political: Starr is disturbed by the racism of her white friend Hailey, who writes Khalil off as a drug dealer, and Starr's father is torn between his desire to support Garden Heights and his need to move his family to a safer environment. The first-person, present-tense narrative is immediate and intense, and the pacing is strong, with Thomas balancing dramatic scenes of violence and protest with moments of reflection. The characterization is slightly uneven; at times, Starr's friends at school feel thinly fleshed out. However, Starr, her family, and the individuals in their neighborhood are achingly real and lovingly crafted. VERDICT Pair this powerful debut with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys to start a conversation on racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement.&12; Mahnaz Dar , School Library Journal
5. CONNECTIONS
Police & Community relationships: After reading this book, how can we support relationships within people of color and our police force? Do we see any departments trying to build community trust within their communities, and is it working? Why is it working for them? What could they support other departments to do for their communities?
Black Lives Matter Movement: This book was written around the time this movement was introduced to a lot of people, how can we learn how to advocate for people of color, and for the justice system to be more equitable? Could it be more equitable? What would need to happen in order to make it so? How can empathy lead us to change through the reading of this book?
Book similar to “The Hate U Give” :
”Mondays Not Coming” by Tiffany D. Jackson: This book tells the story of Monday, she goes missing and only Claudia, her friend, seems to be the only one to really be worried about it. Claudia knows that something is wrong, therefore she pushes to refuse to give up on finding out what happened to Monday.
Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.
Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.
Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.
When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.
We can see how as a young father determined to not take the same footsteps as his father have really impacted Maverick and how he still wants to do right by his family but as we all know it is not always easy. We are able to really feel through the writing the experience of him still finding support so he can be the best father figure he can. Her style made this book an easy and enjoyable read, we get to see love, loss and family play a role in this book while handling heavy topics, Thomas was still able to give us some moments to enjoy and laugh. I read “The Hate U Give” before this book and it was just so surprising to see how the characters turned out, and just how Mavericks life played out!
Horn Book (4/23/24)
One of the most dynamic characters in Thomas's acclaimed The Hate U Give (rev. 3/17) is Starr's father, Maverick Carter. In this prequel, seventeen-year-old Mav has joined his incarcerated father's gang for protection and is secretly selling drugs with his best friend. The situation isn't ideal, but it provides young Mav with everything he wants in life...until he discovers he's a father. Suddenly a single parent to a three-month-old, Mav reevaluates the life he needs to live for his son (and that's just the first major complication), but he quickly discovers that leaving his old life without consequences isn't an option, while outside pressures build to a tragic event. Authentic to the point of heartbreak, Maverick's voice is earnest as he wrestles with his decisions. Even as his behavior swings chaotically between virtue and violence or near-violence, Mav's main motive remains consistent throughout -- to protect and honor his loved ones. Fans of Thomas's work will not be disappointed by this intense portrayal of this phase in the Carter family's story. Eboni Njoku
School Library Journal Starred Review (12/1/20)
Gr 9 Up-Maverick "Lil Don" Carter is a 17-year-old King Lord growing up in the Garden Heights district. The King Lords have been in existence long before Maverick was born, so his life has always been steeped in gang culture. Maverick knows that the game can steal family, friends, and time from you. His father Adonis's imprisonment is a testament to that fact. Maverick's cousin Dre and his friend Shawn try to keep Maverick from falling too deep into the game, but Maverick's best friend King keeps finding new ways to convince him to deepen his involvement. The unexpected joys and pains of fatherhood, the death of one of his best friends, and another unexpected pregnancy threaten to break Maverick's tenuous hold on his own sanity. How can he cut ties with the King Lords, raise his son, prepare for another child, and maintain his independence? The pressure Maverick is under yields some startling blooms in this novel about tenacity and rebirth. This is the perfect example of a narrative that straddles the beauty and pain of belonging and having the courage to make your own choices. Maverick Carter, who is Black, is a wonderfully complex character who will resonate with readers of all stripes. Thomas writes with a depth of humor and clarity that really allows readers to bond with the characters. VERDICT This prequel to The Hate U Give is perfect for public and school libraries. Desiree Thomas, Worthington Lib., OH
Kirkus Reviews (4/23/24)
This literary DeLorean transports readers into the past, where they hope, dream, and struggle alongside beloved characters from Thomas’ The Hate U Give (2017).The tale begins in 1998 Garden Heights, when Starr’s parents, Maverick and Lisa, are high school seniors in love and planning for the future. Thomas proves Game of Thrones–esque in her worldbuilding ability, deepening her landscape without sacrificing intimacy or heart. Garden Heights doesn’t contain dragons or sorcerers, but it’s nevertheless a kingdom under siege, and the contemporary pressures its royalty faces are graver for the realness that no magic spell can alleviate. Mav’s a prince whose family prospects are diminished due to his father’s federally mandated absence. He and his best friend, King, are “li’l homies,†lower in status and with everything to prove, especially after Mav becomes a father. In a world where masculinity and violence are inextricably linked to power, the boys’ very identities are tied to the fathers whose names they bear and with whose legacies they must contend. Mav laments, “I ain’t as hard as my pops, ain’t as street as my pops,†but measuring up to that legacy ends in jail or the grave. Worthy prequels make readers invest as though meeting characters for the first time; here they learn more about the intricate hierarchies and alliances within the King Lord gang and gain deeper insight into former ancillary characters, particularly Mav’s parents, King, and Iesha. Characters are Black.A resounding success. (Fiction. 13-18)
Teenage Fathers: Having conversations about how Maverick wanted better for his family, and we can also correlate this conversation with “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas since this is a prequel to that book! We can compare and view how characters have changed, or maybe what they went through led them to how they are now.
Overall this book was a touching one, in which its readers can empathize with Mia and the life changing choices she has to make while still reminiscing with memories in which I am sure makes it even more challenging all while still missing her family regardless of her choice to leave or stay.
Kirkus Reviews
When snow cancels school, Mia and her family pile into their beat-up station wagon for a drive. Unlike most 17-year-olds, Mia is secretly enjoying hanging out with her quirky family until an oncoming driver shatters their lives, leaving the gravely injured Mia with the ultimate decision: Should she stay or go? As a spirit-like observer, Mia narrates the next 24 hours, describing how her medical team, friends, boyfriend and extended family care for her each in their own way. Woven into her real-time observations are powerful memories that organically introduce Mia's passion for classical music, her relationship with her boyfriend and her bond with her parents and brother. These memories reinforce the magnitude of Mia's decision and provide weight to both sides of her dilemma. Forman excels at inserting tiny but powerful details throughout, including the realistic sounds, smells and vocabulary of a hospital, which will draw readers into this masterful text and undoubtedly tug at even the toughest of heartstrings. (Fiction. YA)
Horn Book
A car accident leaves seventeen-year-old Mia in a coma, her parents and brother dead. She hovers between life and death, watching surgeons bustle around her comatose body. The story moves easily between the present vigil and Mia's past as she considers the unbearable pain of living with so much loss. The stakes are poignantly conveyed through Mia's vivid memories.
School Library Journal Starred Review
Gr 9 Up-Forman creates a cast of captivating characters and pulls readers into a compelling story that will cause them to laugh, cry, and question the boundaries of family and love. While out on a drive with her family, 17-year-old Mia is suddenly separated from her body and forced to watch the aftermath of the accident that kills her parents and gravely injures her and her younger brother. Far from supernatural, this shift in perspective will be readily accepted by readers as Mia reminisces about significant events and people in her life while her body lies in a coma. Alternating between the past and the present, she reveals the details and complexities of her relationships with family and friends, including the unlikely romance with her punk-rock boyfriend, Adam. An accomplished musician herself, Mia is torn between pursuing her love for music at Julliard and a future with Adam in Oregon. However, she must first choose between fighting to survive and giving in to the resulting sadness and despair over all she has lost. Readers will find themselves engrossed in Mia's struggles and will race to the satisfying yet realistic conclusion. Teens will identify with Mia's honest discussion of her own insecurities and doubts. Both brutal and beautiful, this thought-provoking story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD
Life & Death: Mia’s “out of body” experience touches on just how fragile life is, and how death is something inevitable. This book can open up the floor to conversations about this topic, and how we can make the most out of our life. Mia having the choice to decide whether or not she stays or goes also gives us an insight into how we can control where we want our life to go based on our decisions to keep going.
Music: We can tie this novel into how music plays a big role into some peoples life, and how it can impact our life choices.
Comments
Post a Comment