Angie Thomas’s debut novel, The Hate U Give, is similar to American classics in the sense that it takes on the issue of racial segregation. The book takes place in modern time as the main protagonist, Starr Carter, witnesses the shooting – and death – of her childhood friend, Khalil.
While leaving a party after a fight broke out, both characters get pulled over for, as they believe, no apparent reason. Khalil, the unarmed driver of the car, is hesitant at first and then ultimately forced out of the car. Upon stepping out of the car the police officer misreads Khalil’s movements and he is shot a total of three times.
After the shooting, the whole town is anxiously waiting for answers. Only the cop and Starr really know what happened that night. Starr is fearful of what might happen if she makes a statement because being publicly known as the only witness to the death of Khalil is a burden she doesn’t know if she wants to carry.
As she continues to switch between the opposite atmospheres of her life, her home in a “ghetto neighborhood”, and her mostly white preparatory school, she starts speaking out that this is what is actually happening in America right now. Racial inequality hasn’t gone away, and it won’t until they start teaching new generations what their racism can lead to.
This book strives to make an impact through an idea of Tupac’s saying, “THUG LIFE”. “THUG” standing for: The Hate U Give. Explaining that nobody is born with hate, and rather they are taught to discriminate. The book advocates for equality, telling our advancing world that we should’ve been doing this all along.
