Reviewing: The Hate U Give

Welcome to book review Tuesday, where each week, we will be reviewing a book from our bookshelves to talk about you, our beautiful listeners, readers and writers. The purpose of this is it promotes books we love and show support for our favourite authors. This section of the blog is also an offshoot of the podcast's section called the bookshelf. So enjoy this review as we dive into:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Brief Summary: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighbourhood 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 is 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.

Our Favourite Character: Maverick "Big Mav" Carter

Starr, Seven, and Sekani's father, an outspoken and philosophical man who runs a small grocery store in Garden Heights. Despite his dark past as a member of the King Lords gang and a short stint in prison, Maverick is an engaged father who devotes himself entirely to his family and neighbourhood. Maverick inspires Starr by educating her on Black Power philosophy. Still, he struggles with balancing his values of black liberation with the reality that those values put him and his family in danger. His strong beliefs often get him into arguments with Uncle Carlos, who helped care for Maverick's children while Maverick was in prison.

Our Rating of the book is 9/10

This book was a fantastic read. The entire office took the time throughout the summer to sit down and read the book. It was a popular subject around the workplace, with many discussions arising from the book topics. We were also surprised by how well the book depicted many aspects Starr's life and the neighbourhood she lives in. Highly recommend reading this fantastic book.