The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - an extract

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still lives in Jackson, Mississippi. A former teen rapper, she recently won a Walter Dean Myers Grant, awarded by the We Need Diverse Books campaign. The Hate U Give is her first novel.

The Radio 2 panel loved The Hate U Give – here are some of their comments:

“A powerful story about inequality and justice.”

“This young adult book looks at family, community and race. It is part of the Black Lives Matter campaign and I think it is a book that will spark a useful debate. Starr sees her childhood friend killed by a policeman. The ensuing train of events have a major impact on her and the community, tackling fitting in, complex family relationships and loyalty. This book offers lots of discussion with young people.”

“Another college YA novel I thought…but not at all. And powerful stuff. Told in the first person by Starr it gave me understanding of her situation and feelings and a strong picture of her family, friends and community. I couldn’t put it down, I had to read on and be in the story!”

Download the exclusive extract and then write your group’s thoughts in the Book reviews section.