The Hate U Give

Book: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Publication Date: 2017

 There are perhaps no bigger issues facing the United States right now than race relations and police brutality. There have been at least a dozen books written on the subjects in the last couple of years, but The Hate U Give tackles the subjects with equal parts activism and acknowledged confusion.

 There is no question at the heart of this book. Starr Carter, the main character, watches her friend be shot and killed, unarmed, during a "routine" traffic stop. What follows is her coming to grips with her own part in the narrative, her willingness to stand up for what's right, and how her life (and the lives of those she loves) are forever changed by one moment of violence.

 The Hate U Give was turned into a movie in 2018 of the same name. Both the book and movie have been heralded as hard, honest looks at a crisis facing our world today, and how we all have to be better. The Hate U Give (book) was Number 1 on the NYT Best Seller list for 50 weeks, and received several awards during the year it has been in publication.

 This book is the definition of social commentary in written form. Author Angie Thomas talks frankly through her characters about injustice, harm, community, and the Black Lives Matter movement. This is a Book as Cultural Icon and Book as Author Work.


Of this book, Rosa Elena Oliveras says, "The Hate U Give inspires peaceful and brave activism through a fictional character that embraces a reality we all live in. What do we do when a loved one is killed for the wrong reasons? How do we fight a system that is against the oppressed?"

 source:
http://www.herculture.org/blog/2017/6/13/the-hate-u-give-inspires-activism#.W9oZTJNKiUk

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