During the book The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas the main character Starr and her family Maverick (her dad), Seven, Sekani, and her mother face challenges with their race. When Starr finds herself in a familiar situation where someone close to her dies. Her long-time friend Khalil and her were pulled over by the police and ended at an unforeseen outcome of Khalil getting shot. This created an uproar of protest to get justice for Khalil, putting Starr in a difficult position as the only witness.

This story starts fast pace with Khalil’s death. This sets the tone for the rest of the book with events following being influenced by Khalil. Starr faces internal conflict with her feelings towards the police and her Uncle being a detective. She considers her Uncle almost as close to her as her father, which she points out throughout the story. The theme to this book is fairly clear with a consistent protest to the racial inequalities brought up. Also shown with Starr’s friend Hailey who had been friends with her since they were small expressing hate towards certain groups of people, and Khalil. This put Starr in a tougher position, and made the story even more compelling. Starr portrays herself differently when she is in Garden Heights (where she lives and referred to as “the ghetto”), and at her school. At school she does not use slang and tries to be less “sassy”. While at home she does not feel the need to try as hard. Starr attempts to keep her worlds separate. She does not tell her friends about knowing Khalil or that she was the witness,. Though it could put a strain on their friendship. This could be because it is hard for her to deal with, or maybe she doesn’t want to admit what happened. Starr’s friends mean a lot to her though they don’t know as much about her as they think. She constantly faces challenges with keeping her worlds separate especially with Chris (her boyfriend) trying to fit into her life. During the course of this book Starr grows as a character turning into a leader, and becomes less ashamed.

I would recommend this book for its strong and relatable characters, and the overall message it sends. This book brings up challenges that are faced today, and stands up to things said or stereotyped that are not acceptable. This is book is a great read for everyone with its realistic, captivating, and motivating message.