The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is centered around a topical issue -- the killing of unarmed black men by police officers. Through the character Starr, who witnesses the shooting of her friend Kalil, Thomas explores issues of racism, justice, and personal acceptance. Even with the difficult, sad themes, Thomas is able to create an engaging narrative supported by an intelligent and thoughtful main character that ends with hope rather than despair.
When Khalil and Starr are pulled over, the officer doesn't say why he's stopped them. He shoots Khalil when the teenager moves to ask Starr whether she's okay. Ultimately, a grand jury decides there's no reason to prosecute him; nothing happens to bring justice to Khalil. The protests, riots, and national news come to nothing.
In fact, the only person brought to justice in the story is King, the leader of the King Lords. He tries to burn down a building with Starr, Chris, DeVante, and Seven inside; the neighborhood comes together to accuse King and his gang of arson. DeVante goes a step further and testifies against them from his position as a former gang member so that the neighborhood will be free of their wrath.
Racism is a major issue in the novel, largely because Khalil's murder exposes peoples prejudices more clearly to Starr than before. She discusses how her friends at school treat her like a token black person, how her father wouldn't understand her dating a white boy, and how people approach her about Khalil's death, unaware she's the witness. A friend at school, Hailey, removes her from social media so she doesn't have to see her posts that highlight issues black people face in America. The same friend later admits that she feels Khalil's shooting is justified.
One interesting choice that strengthens the story is that there is no resolution between Hailey and Starr or for the murder of Khalil. Starr decides that Hailey's apology is weak and exposes her for the awful person she is. Many young adult books have people come awake to their prejudices so that relationships can heal; it's a very pat approach. Thomas, on the other hand, leaves Hailey and Starr apart -- Starr is able to accept that Haily won't change or recognize her own prejudice anytime soon.
The murder of Khalil is another thing that isn't resolved. He's dead and no one will pay for that. The officer who shot him claimed he mistook a hairbrush for a weapon -- and that's enough to let Khalil die from three gunshots. The reader experiences the same feeling of frustration first as the police department refuses to try the officer and later as the grand jury says there isn't enough evidence to go to trial.
Personal acceptance is something Starr achieves during the story. Starr lives differently in two worlds. At school, she's Williamson Starr, who doesn't discuss her family or Garden Heights. At home, she changes and acts differently than she does at school to fit into her neighborhood. She grows throughout the novel and comes to terms with each part of herself, integrating them so that she can be one person all the time.
Starr is uncomfortable with her boyfriend, Chris, until the end of the book when she's able to expose her real self to him. Until she could combine all the parts of her life into a single whole, Starr is incomplete and unable to make a real connection. once they're honest with each other about her being the witness to Khalil's death -- and Chris being silently aware of that -- she's able to accept that he can love her even knowing that she's from Garden Heights and used to live in the projects.
She's also not able to fully accept her family -- in the form of Kenya, her sister through Seven -- until the end of the novel. When Kenya points out that Starr was always ashamed of her, Starr is horrified to realize it's true. That's why she didn't invite Kenya over and acknowledge their relationship when she was with her friends from Williamson. Starr realizes those feelings are in the past; she can accept Garden Heights and love the people she cares for without shame or the need to hide who she is.
The Hate U Give has the ability to make an impact on readers, as reflected by its inclusion on the National Book Award Longlist. Thomas's willingness to look closely at thorny issues and allow some things to remain unresolved are two of the major strengths of the book, along with the intelligence and thoughtfulness of the protagonist Starr. Though the officer isn't brought to justice, Thomas closes the book with hope rather than despair; Starr promises Khalil that people aren't forgetting, that she won't forget, and that she won't remain silent.
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