The Hate U Give
The Hate U Give
By Angie Thomas
Reading Level
Lexile: 590
Length
464 pages
Representation
I can’t think of an audience that I wouldn’t recommend The Hate U Give to. The main character, Starr, is growing up in a poor black neighborhood, and her world is populated by a diverse and complex group of characters. She attends a mostly-white private school and the voices of her classmates and teachers provide an alternate access point to the story for many whose life experiences differ from Starr’s
Appropriate Content
Common Sense Media both recommend this book for students age 14+. You can read their review here. The Hate U Give is authentic and raw, especially when it comes to the imagery surrounding police violence. There is at least one sex scene, but it's not especially graphic, as well as some swearing and drug use.
Engagement
The Hate U Give is longer than most books we have read for book club (464 pages), but it is extremely engaging and all of the students involved in our small book club finished it. Like many Young Adult books, The Hate U Give opens with a party, but the narrator's voice is fresh and engaging and draws the reader in right away. You can read the first three chapters here.
Substance
The Hate U Give is one of the most complex and sophisticated texts we've read for book clubs. In addition to the rich conversation it facilitates around police violence, The Hate U Give touches on topics of family, gender roles, education, healthy relationships (both adult and teen), friendship, advocacy and more.
Summary
Summary provided by the publisher:
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
Book Club Materials
The Hate U Give: Invitation
The Hate U Give: Publisher's Guide
The Hate U Give: Book Club Agenda
The Hate U Give: Discussion Questions
The Hate U Give: Student Generated Discussion Questions