My first quarter SSR book was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I’ve been meaning to read this book for quite a while, and I actually read the first few chapters about a year ago but never really had an opportunity to read all 444 pages. When I saw the movie was coming out, I knew I had to read it before heading to the theater, so I figured SSR was the perfect opportunity!
The story follows Starr Carter, a 16-year-old who balances her life between her poor, black neighborhood and her posh, white private school. She has mastered the art of making sure her two worlds remain completely separate from each other, that is, until her childhood best friend, a young, black boy named Khalil, is murdered right in front of her by a white police officer after being pulled over despite being unarmed and compliant. After the police department’s inaction, comments from friends and peers at school, and false rumors about Khalil’s character come into play, Starr swallows her fear and decides to fight for justice.
I thought this book did a great job of telling a very heavy and important story. Even though it’s a fictional story, it’s a great depiction of the realities African Americans face on a regular basis, detailing the disproportionate violence that affects impoverished communities and the nuances of being the only black kid at a white school from a first person point of view. This book did not disappoint. I hope the movie is just as good!
I have also been meaning to read this book since its' rise last year. It seems like a capturing book by your review, and hopefully I read it by the end of this quarter to put in my own review. By the way, if you like this book, I feel like you will like "Dear White People," on Netflix. It also brings attention to the black community in a posh, majority white school, except it is at a nice private university.
ReplyDeleteWatched the movie about a week ago. It's very good, it shows you that society isn't easy for African Americans or any other race. Life just won't be fair for others. Racism will always be around and ignorant biased thoughts.
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