The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - Review

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Starr Carter has struck up an uneasy balance between two worlds - the poor neighborhood she lives in and the elite prep school she attends. One night, though, that uneasy balance is irrevocably shattered when she witnesses the shooting of Khalil, a childhood best friend, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil's death makes national news soon after and many are calling him a thug, a drug dealer, and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets to find justice for Khalil. Some police officers and drug lords try to intimidate Starr and her family. Everyone wants to know one thing that only Starr can answer: What really happened that night?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is an absolute must-read. It's a truly stunning debut that truly lives up to the hype surrounding it. Not only is it an incredibly well-written novel filled with characters who could walk right off the page, it's also extremely important as it realistically handles the complexities of the Black Lives Matter movement. I honestly want to put a copy of this important novel in everyone's hands. My favorite part of this novel are the characters. While I liked Starr, I absolutely loved Starr's parents. Lisa and Maverick have easily made my list of all time favorite YA parents. I was also pleasantly surprised by Starr's geekiness, especially when it comes to Harry Potter. Maverick's Harry Potter theory is one of my favorite scenes!

Overall, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is one of the best YA debut novels I've read in quite a while. The audiobook production by Bahni Turpin is absolutely fantastic - I'll have to look into more of the audiobooks she's narrated. If you haven't read this novel yet, you need to pick up a copy ASAP. I can't wait to see what Angie Thomas does next!

I listened to this audiobook from May 27, 2017 - June 1, 2017 and my review is also on Goodreads.