The Hate U Give

In the kidlit world, the accepted black narratives tend to focus on a few things: slavery, gang violence, or sports. But beyond that, the main point in all of them is black pain, which can come across as entertainment for some. Just look at how black kids getting shot and posted online are shared over and over.
Angie's book has gang violence, it has sports. There is black pain. The pain of seeing friends die in front of you, by the hands of white and black people. The pain of losing friends. The pain of wondering why my life doesn't matter. And why people destroy their neighborhoods when they're angry. WHY they're angry.
Hard choices, like letting go of people who don't serve you. And people who sacrifice in the name of love.
But what makes this book unique? There is also black JOY. So much black joy. Family, love, togetherness. In YA, disappearing parent syndrome is a thing. But Starr's parents are present–all up in her business even–and they are amazing. So much love in her family. So much love from her white boyfriend who doesn't understand everything... but he's trying.
I could hear the cadence of the voices. I got the inside jokes. It felt like home reading this book.
EVERYONE needs to read this book. It gives a glimpse into the complex emotions of being a black teen–heck, a black person–in a country, a world, that is often hostile towards us. Nothing in this book is simple. Just like nothing in our lives is simple. Layers of joy, pain, love, sweat, tears, laughter. Empowering, engaging, and very, very important.