Author, Angie Thomas
Since its publication, The Hate U Give has become a YA classic. Starr leads a double life but seems to be able to compartmentalise her life: she attends a fancy school in the suburbs but lives in a poor neighbourhood. THUG follows our heroine Starr’s life as the walls between the two sides of her life start crumbling when she and her childhood friend get pulled over by the police on their way home from a party and one of the officers fatally shoots her friend.
After the event, she hesitates. Should she speak out and seek justice for her friend? Or should she stay quiet and not attract attention to herself and her family? This book, although written for a teen audience, will appeal to people of all ages because of its sensitive treatment of important issues such as racism and police brutality. This is one I often revisit. Starr is an incredibly vivid character and Thomas expertly unpicks her thoughts to portray the complexity of the situation she experiences. I believe it  will become timeless and is an honest reflection on the injustices that still affect black people and how racism blankets and affects their lives.
