Standalone Sunday: The Hate U Give

Standalone Sunday is a weekly feature created by Megan at Bookslayer Reads which aims to showcase standalone books which you loved or would recommend.

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

This is an incredibly powerful and emotional read. After it was released The Hate U Give seemed to be the book everyone was talking about, and while the chatter seems to have died down a little bit between now and then I feel like everyone who has picked this book up so far has loved it.

The Hate U Give tells us Starr’s story as much as it does Khalil’s. We see Starr’s journey through the shooting all the way to the grand jury’s decision and beyond. This is a story about justice and the lives that have been lost so far, it’s a story that is so important and so worth reading.

“Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug.

He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life I’ll remember how he died.

Fairy tale? No. But I’m not giving up on a better ending.”

You can check out my review for The Hate U Give here.

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What did you think of The Hate U Give? Have you read it yet or is it still on your to-read list? Let me know in the comments and let me know if you took part in this week’s Standalone Sunday as well.