The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Friday reading tips this week is the stunningly brilliant The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This book is so, so important, a real eye-opener. It addresses the difficult, complex topic of systematic racism in a way that grips you and makes you understand by feeling, rather than being told, how this undergirds the everyday life.

The characters are absolutely real, with flaws and shortcomings, and all the complexity that comes with being human. The main character Starr is so bad-ass, smart, funny, adorable and brave in a real way; trying to stay true to herself and her believes while maintaining a balance between her two worlds (the poor neighborhood and the posh school on the other side of town).

I have to admit that it took me some time to get into the book and the narrating, but once I did it was impossible to put this book down. It was heart-wrenching, stirring, with a perfect balance of heartbreak and humor, telling the story about love, friendship, loss, grief and racism in a completely new way. Even though the book touches on difficult topics and there are some really sad parts in it, it’s not a heavy read. I can’t recommend it enough!

Oh, and I love the Fresh Prince in Bel Air references throughout the book, it was one of my favorite TV shows as a teen...

Find out more about the books and the author here: Angie Thomas