Starr Carter is a sixteen-year-old girl who navigates two worlds and essentially two identities. This conflict is one of the parts of the book that really appealed to me. Starr attends a predominately white, suburban prep school where she is expected to speak and act more like her white friends. However, when she visits her family neighborhood, where her father owns a grocery store, she feels out of place. She again has to change the way she talks and acts among her friends of color. She is torn between both worlds. Though, this is not the main focus of the story. The shooting of Starr's friend Khalil, a young black teen becomes the focus, as Starr must navigate issues of injustice and anger. The title is a nod to the musician Tupac Shakur’s idea (and tattoo) “Thug Life” which Khalil explains, stands for “The Hate U Give
Little Infants Fu@!$ Everybody.”
The Hate U Give is a fantastic book with great character development (per Mr. Kisiolek). In 2022, it was adopted as an all class read in English 9. I recommend every student read Thomas's book and some of her other books like Concrete Rose the title is a nod to Tupac's book The Rose That Grew from Concrete. "and Thomas's book On the Come Up. If you like her books, perhaps read a nonfiction book by or about Tupac Shakur. The Hate U Give is considered controversial by a few who only consider some of the mature content: language, drug/alcohol use, violence, and some sexual content. However, the message of racial disparity and peaceful change in the book far outweighs the mature content which is intended for young adults.