Review: Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give.
LSSL 5385: Required Novels
Thomas, A. (2017). The hate u give. New York, NY: Balzer Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Has something about this book cover caused adults otherwise oblivious to teen reading to pick it up and flip through?
Angie Thomas’ 2017 breakout YA novel The Hate U Give has been frequently challenged, restricted and even removed from some schools (including this reviewer’s own large district). What has caused such an intense community backlash, with what has been described as heated arguments at district hearings? Is it the profane language, inclusion of gun and physical violence, or frank discussion about matters of teenage sex? As noted by a student editor in our district, it’s unlikely that any of these components can really bear the weight of why this novel has been at the center of so much controversy, considering that these elements are present in any number of other accepted Young Adult contemporary books and classics. In any case, this novel presents the believably written voice of young American citizens who are sincerely fearful of bias and corruption within law enforcement, and its repercussions.
The sixteen year-old protagonist of the story is Staar Carter, who lives in the urban neighborhood of Garden Heights where her parents grew up, but commutes to an elite private school, Williamson Prep, where she is careful to check her true personality at the door. Even with her best girlfriends Hailey and Maya, and boyfriend Chris, she covers up elements of her past, her home life, and any mannerisms that--while they may be considered cool for the majority of students--could cause her to be labeled “ghetto.” There are practically no black students at the school outside of Staar, her older brother Seven, and younger brother Sekani, though Seven dates one of the few other black students, as opposed to Staar’s interracial relationship, which she conceals from her own father, Maverick. Staar’s parents are unconditionally loving and involved in their children’s lives, and have chosen to send them out of the neighborhood for schooling following the drive-by shooting of Staar’s friend as they played on the sidewalk as children. However, they frequently disagree on whether they should move, with “Big Mav” wanting to stay, run his neighborhood grocery, and improve the community from the inside, and Staar’s mother wanting to relocate their children to an area with lower violent crime rates.
In the opening scene--one of the scenes read out-of-context to denounce the novel--Staar reluctantly attends a spring break party in Garden Heights, partly wanting to belong, but acknowledging that she doesn’t anymore. She looks around her, describing the music, alcohol, dancing, and general tone in detail, before bumping into an old childhood friend, Kahlil. She briefly questions what Kahlil has been doing for money since quitting her father’s store, but when a fight breaks out and shots are fired, they run, getting into Kahlil’s car and driving away.
When they are pulled over by a policeman, Staar mentally checks off each rule she has been taught by her father--“Do whatever they tell you to do...Keep your hands visible...Don't make any sudden moves...Only speak when they speak to you"--and watches in horror as Kahlil doesn’t defer to these steps. As the police officer returns briefly to his vehicle, unarmed Kahlil leans into his own car window to check on Staar, and the officer reacts by shooting him dead in front of her.
From this point Staar’s life spirals; she suffers post-traumatic stress, reliving the shooting deaths of two close friends. She and her parents attempt to hide the fact that she is the one-and-only witness discussed by the media. Her neighborhood and school relationships are strained. She is approached by those who want her to speak out publicly, and those who threaten her if she does. She is guilt-ridden over her unwillingness to be a voice for Kahlil, as well as her past choices in not keeping up with him, or attempting to help him out of the family difficulties she soon discovers he was going through. Maverick experiences similar regrets for his self-perceived role in Kahlil’s troubles, and given an opportunity to aid another embattled black teenager, takes him in, even to the potential danger of his family.
Another character also struggles greatly with how to handle the media onslaught, community fallout, and upcoming grand jury hearing, and that is Staar’s uncle. Uncle Carlos is her mother’s brother, like a second father to Staar, and a police officer who she holds in the highest regard. The character of Uncle Carlos not only serves to convey the inner turmoil of law enforcement officers regarding corruption and bias within their own ranks, but to show that the protagonist does not fear all police individually, but rather the greater threat of abuse of power--or, from the ten-point program that she has been made to memorize from a young age, “police brutality.” Maverick’s insistence that his children memorize the ten points is connected to the novel’s title, which comes from Tupac Shakur’s explanation of “THUG LIFE”--“THUG” being an acronym for “The Hate U Give”--loosely based on the points, and suggesting that the hate given out by society to the oppressed comes back to harm society exponentially.
The realistic depiction of the neighborhood devolving into riots and looting includes at one point unnamed crowds chanting “F* the police,” and while this story could be ripped from modern-day headlines, is no doubt further fuel on the fire of those opposed to the novel being available to teens. The character development, building tensions throughout all communities, and climatic decisions and actions of this novel are nuanced, stressful, and should invite the kind of disquiet that causes the reader to reflect deeply on not just our own lives, but those with which we have no personal experience--and the many ways in which we may together better address inequality and indisputable disharmony in our society.
Note: the 2018 movie adaptation, while worthwhile, has been described as “uneven,” and unfortunately does not have the time or space to include all well-developed characters or narrative arcs in the novel, falling short of the book’s complexity.
For further reading, click this article, which contains discussion questions:
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