I said to myself after London Book Fair that I would read more YA and start 'reviewing' it (or whatever you call rambling on the internet about a book). And what better way to start than with Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2018 WINNER, Angie Thomas?! I'm pretty sure The Hate You Give, also known as T.H.U.G, is currently in it's 60th (SIXTIETH) week at the top of the New York Times Children's Best Sellers list! Rightfully so!
This is an incredibly emotive book about the unjust way that people of colour are systematically oppressed, the power of finding your voice, and finding strength in the hardest times.
This book is raw, honest (uncomfortably in places) and presents the truth to its readers in a direct, matter-of-fact way that everyone needs. Angie Thomas dismantles oppressive stereotypes of black people and their communities and shows them for what they are: brave, protective, strong, unbreakable and human. In the media especially, people of colour are demonised, stripped of not only their lives in so many cases, but of their humanity too. They are reduced to past crimes or mistakes. Thomas shows us the plain and simple truth: black people are human beings too. She also shows us that nothing is ever simple: Khalil may have been a drug dealer but that was a decision made out of desperation and love, needing the money to support his struggling family. Thomas also shows us that some things are simple: Khalil did not deserve to die.
Contrasting to the sheer injustice that dominates every page, Thomas shows her readers what it really means to be human. In the aftermath of the Khalil's horrific death, our main character Starr still finds very small, minuscule flecks of humour in her day-to-day life after Khalil dies. The subtlety of the light tone is proof of near-universal manifestations of grief, which does not discriminate like people do. It can engulf anyone of any race, creed, religion, age, gender, sexuality, ability, etc. Starr, despite the circumstances, sees the light in a dark world without her best friend, as difficult as that may be sometimes. I think that perseverance to see the good, to BE the good, is a very inspirational thing that many people will benefit from reading about. Starr's mum, Lisa, who may I add is a phenomenal character, says one of my favourite lines: "Brave doesn't mean you're not scared... It means you go on even though you're scared."
My favourite aspect of this book is the strong, bold voice which is established really early on, even before Khalil dies. Despite Starr's self-doubt, I don't think that strength ever goes away. At LBF, I was at a seminar about YA, Denise Johnstone-Burt (from Walker Books, how fitting) said that a strong voice is really important. I was trying to get my head around that concept, figure out if I had ever read a book that I would immediately associate with having a "strong voice". I realised that I hadn't until I read this book. Thomas takes us on Starr's journey. We're there when she doubts herself, when she regrets drifting from her friend who then dies, when she sees first hand the injustice in the world but we are also there when she finds some normality, her strength and her place as an activist in a world hell-bent on silencing her.
T.H.U.G should to be on the national curriculum (swear words and all), because it is, in my honest opinion, one of the most heart-wrenching, empowering, and important pieces of literature that this generation will ever know. It should be used as a tool to bust open conversations about race that need to be discussed by everyone. The world needs this kind of honesty, then maybe stories like Starr and Khalil's will remain fictional.
You can buy this literary masterpiece on Amazon or Waterstones, or wherever you buy ya bookz.
This beauty was published by Walker Books.
This beauty was published by Walker Books.
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