Okay, now this was a lot of fun. Down below I will link my book bento, which I created to symbolize the physical and emotional components of the story.

I forgot to mention this on the bento, but the background of the picture represents the “streets” as they would refer to it in THYG, where a lot of people had to grow up. “If you grew up on the streets, you know how it is.” (Seven, pg. 166)

Now, before you read this, you need to know that I am a VERY judgmental person. Which only makes this book look better, because I have (almost) nothing negative to say about it.

“The Hate You Give” was one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I can say that for many reasons.

I have always enjoyed books that were drama filled. No, not he said she said drama. I mean like, death. And yes, that sounds dark, but for some reason I’ve always found it so interesting. This book is all about the reaction from everyone after Starrs childhood best friend, Kahlil, was shot by a police officer. It’s up to Starr and her family to get justice for Kahlil and the people that care about him. Not only that, but every black person who was taken as a criminal, and punished or killed due to a simple misunderstanding. This is happening in real life too. The author does a great job of bringing up current events and “trends” that have occurred recently, and hiding it through the perspective of Starr.

I like how while the book wasn’t focusing on the murder, it directed its attention to the double life Starr led, and how every reacted to it. She went to Williamson Prep (aka, a school for white people) and were, she was “White Starr” as she called it (pg. 212). At home, she was normal Starr. Or, as normal as she could get, giving the circumstances. Everything changes after Kahlil dies. She stops caring as much about who she should be or how she should act, because, “None of it matters now that he’s gone. Nothing will be the same.” (Starr, pg. 101)

If I could change one thing, I would make Kahlil die a tad later in the book. I know that it’s obviously the main topic of the book, but if Thomas developed his character a little more, the reader would be more attached, and it would mean more if they lost him later on. To make up for that, Kahlil’s character did develop in flashbacks Starr had throughout the story, which gave the reader a little more background on him.

Overall, I think “The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas was very well written, and you can tell that the author worked very hard on making it mean something, which is often times rare in books.

Before reading this book, you should know a couple things I’m gonna let you in on, now that I’ve finished it. It is very emotional. I’ve mentioned this in my third blog, but MAN! Starr is one unlucky kid. Imagine being 14 years old and already witnessing two murders, not to mention, they were her best friends! Not only that, but she has to be a completely different person around one group of people, and quick switch back to “normal” Starr when she’s around her family. If I were her, I wouldn’t be able to keep up! Before reading, you should make sure you are prepared for what you are about to read. If you dealt with any trauma, specifically losing a loved one, you might wanna keep looking down the shelf. I will say, it really does speak out about overcoming trauma like that, so it might be a good read for you.

So, why does “The Hate You Give” even matter? Well, I think it addresses a lot of social problems that are still occurring today (racism, discrimination, violence, etc.) that people tend to forget about. The author is very straight forward about the issues she is trying to get across to the reader, but she hides in perfectly in the perspective of Starr. Tinkham – I definitely think this book should stay on the list of books to read. It’s funny, it’s emotional, and it taught me a lot. It opened my eyes and made me realize that situations like this actually happen. (Like… all the time.) Sometimes, I forget that there are people out there that have seen their best-friend/sibling/significant other killed. Or they’ve seen or experienced racism and discrimination firsthand. This book really brought that out to me.

And like I’ve mentioned before, the author did a great job of keeping that consistent tone throughout the entire book, from start to finish. I think that this book is appropriate for students our age, and a good example of theme and even some figurative language.

First off, I am very glad we were giving this assignment because I am the queen of writing about what I think. Blogging is fun to me because you get to use your own voice, and give your own opinion. This is the first of 8 blogs. I chose “The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas. Before even looking at the cover, the title automatically had be interested. I like my books full of emotion, good or bad. I have a dark sense of humor, and I love listening to things that are happening on the news, especially when it covers crimes, prison, murder, and abuse. After looking at the cover (pictured below) I had a feeling that this book would have an African American culture behind it. I was correct. The description briefly mentions Starr, the protagonist and narrator of the book and some of the major events that happened throughout the story, and how they change Starr and her surroundings.

Before reading the rest of my blogs about the book, just know, this is not a place to come to find out what happens in the end of the book. I HATE spoilers. Whether you’ve read the book or not, you’ll never catch me giving away any good ending.

I am excited to start reading “The Hate You Give” and bring you (Tinkham, I know you’re reading this) along with me!

Dear Journal,

This is childish as hell of me to be writing to myself like a girl or somethin, but I got a lot on my mental and I’m not sure where else to let it out. Mommas not doing so hot. She says she’s clean but I can tell she’s lyin’ just by looking in her eyes. It breaks my heart. Breaks everyones heart, to be honest. She can’t even do simple daily tasks around the house, not to mention get a job. I wanna help out but I don’t know how without getting into that illegal shit. I could never get that past my family. Grandma’s sick again, and it’s not looking too good. Not sure what imma do without her. At least I have Starr. I miss seeing her all the time. Ever since she moved to that rich white school, she’s been different. Sometimes she’ll make an appearance at a party, but I never see her for more than a minute or two. Man, I miss those days we were together everyday. Me her and Seven would stay at that park across the street from the house all day. That splash pad was banging, I’m telling you! That was the spot. Shit’s changed now. Everyones all caught up in who’s talking to who and the newest kicks. I’m busy trying to find ways to make money for my momma, but why do I even bother if she’s gonna use it to get high. How ironic. Selling drugs just to buy em again. I’m hoping to get out of the house more these next couple of weeks. Maybe I’ll find Starr at another Garden Heights party. Now that would be something.

Quick summary: I am about halfway through “The Hate You Give.” Before I get into the historical content of the book, I’ll catch you up. After Starrs childhood best friend Kahlil was shot by an officer right in front of her, things suddenly become very chaotic in Garden Heights. Her friends from Williamson Prep have no idea what has happened, and Starrs family is trying to do anything they can to help Starr cope with the trauma, and get justice for Kahlil. Starr is questioned by a police officer since she was on the scene of the shooting. She talks a lot about how hesitant she is to say anything to anyone, especially “one of them. One fifteen shot Kahlil. How do I know this cop is any different?” (pg. 117)

Alright, I got a little off topic.

Before even opening the book, you can already assume that the characters come from a black descent (hence, the picture of an african american on the cover). I mentioned this a little bit in Blog #1, but the slang terms used right off the bat, gives the reader an idea of where Starr comes from, and what type of life she lives. I’m not sure how to say this without sounding stereotypical, but a lot of times, people assume someones race just by the way they talk, and a lot of times, they are right. The author does describe Starr and her friends as “black and from the hood” almost right away, so it is pretty obvious what we are looking at.

After Kahlil was shot, it was very apparent what the author was trying to get across ; The political and social scandal regarding innocent black people being shot and killed by officers without a valid reason. This really brought out some historical and current context.

The book discusses how racism never really ended. In some ways, yes it got better. But from a black persons point of view (i.e. Starr), everyday life for an African American has always been different, and in some cases, harder, then if you were white. There are a couple times throughout the book where being black isn’t a bad thing. For example, Starr talks about her popularity among her white friends at Williamson Prep. “Funny how it works with white kids though. It’s dope to be black until it’s hard to be black.” She mentions how she doesn’t have to try to be cool around them, because in their minds, being black automatically makes you superior.

The historical content in this book really stands out to me, because I like how the author ties it into the story. Without reading in between the lines, you wouldn’t even notice the connections Starrs story has with discrimination, black culture, and racism.

I’m a couple chapters in and all I can say is wow. The author did not hesitate to throw quite the curve ball at you before the end of the very first chapter. From the first couple words, you can already tell that Starr comes from a very distinct lifestyle. The tone of the book is set from the get go, which is good. I like knowing what I’m getting into before I’m half way through the book. Starr, a young girl, about my age, lives in Garden Heights with her parents and her brother Seven. The first scene is at a party her “sister” forced her to go to. The author uses slang terms like bougie, cold, tight, etc. to portray a very informal and almost “ghetto” tone.

When a fight broke out at a party and gunshots were heard, Starr and her childhood best friend Kahlil left together. After getting pulled over by an officer on the way home, Kahlil was shot three times, and killed. This was the scene that changed the entire mood of the book. It went from a fun, little sketchy party environment to a murder. Right from there I knew I was going to enjoy the book. The author used very descriptive words and imagery to describe this scene, and what was happening inside Starrs mind. It includes details like one fifteen, the officers badge number, and other things Starr observed before, during, and after the shooting.

The characters in the book really stressed on a real life problem we are facing today – and that is, officers killing innocent black people. There have been several news stories about this actually happening, and what people have been doing about it. The New York Times posted a recent story titled “Unarmed Black Man Killed By Officer” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/us/alabama-mall-shooting.html

“That’s the so-called gun,” Ms. Ofrah explains. “Officer Cruise claims he saw it in the car door, and he assumed Khalil was reaching for it. The handle was thick enough, black enough, for him to assume it was a gun.”

“And Khalil was black enough,” Daddy adds.

A hairbrush. Khalil died over a fucking hairbrush.

These words hit me like a bus. I am not the only one who thinks its crazy if this Cruise guy doesn’t get fired? A hairbrush. Are you kidding me? There is no excuse for that. And unfortunately, this is not the only case where a “misunderstanding” like this has occurred.

I am done reading “The Hate You Give” and I’m happy to say that I chose the right book – for me. The author did a very good job of using tone, character development, and immediate portrayal of the perspective and background of the story.

Right from the start, I knew exactly what the protagonist, Starr, was like. The author did a good job of describing her internal thoughts, and making it clear to the reader where she was coming from.

The tone of the story was set from the get go. The book contains both humor and trama, a perfect combination of both. There are happy flashbacks throughout the story, but it always brings the reader back to the devastating events that have occurred since then.

A few things to know before reading the book: It is very emotional. It is based off of losing someone you love, and if you have dealt with that before, it can be a pretty touchy subject. The author says things how it is. She doesn’t sugar coat anything. “Kahlil was shot and killed by an officer because he’s black. And there’s nothin more to it.” (pg. 51)

This book is very impactful, a lot more than I was expecting. It teaches you how to love, how to let go, and how to get back up when things get bad. If anyone has ever lost a loved one, this is the book for them. It shows you the life of a girl who has been through way too much for her age. It portrays the idea that, yes, stuff happens, but you will live on, and you may never forget what has happened, but you will eventually overcome it with the help of others.

Tinkham- Keep this book on the reading list. It really makes kids think. A lot of people in this day and age don’t even realize how lucky they are. It opened my eyes to a completely different lifestyle.

I do think that readers who have dealt with unexpected loss of someone close to them, should read this with caution, knowing that there are some parts that hit pretty hard.

I’ve mentioned this before but the author of THYG does an outstanding job with setting a tone, and keeping it consistent throughout the story.