The Hate U Give

Sometimes you appreciate a creative work so much that simply buying the book is not enough. You look for a Kickstarter or an IndieGogo or a Patreon or a Kofi, hoping for more ways to support the author. This is one such work, a great debut novel. I only have one criticism, and that's that the main cast was too perfect. I don't mean that they led charmed lives, because they didn't; what I mean is that in almost every situation, when facing almost every challenge, they acted how one might hope they would act. Like, you know how sometimes you say or do something, and two days later you're like awww, maaaan, I should've said/done this other thing, that would've been so much better. Most of these characters, most of the time, act and react in an almost ideal way; and, in so doing, their credibility is somewhat diminished. That niggle out of the way, there is so much here to love. The Carter parents interactions are wonderful, as is Starr's ability to appreciate them and see her parents as individuals separate from just “Mom” and “Dad”; this ability speaks to a maturity far beyond her 16 years. The whole family dynamic, in fact, is so great: there is so much love, compassion, and empathy. I look forward to reading whatever Angie Thomas has next in store for us. (I was on an airplane without in-flight Wi-Fi while I was writing this, so I wasn't able to look up that what she has in store for us is [b:On the Come Up 36578443 On the Come Up Angie Thomas https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1549338526s/36578443.jpg 56364068] and it just came out a little bit ago and I must buy it immediately.)