The Hate U Give

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Considering I am not usually a YA fan, I didn't really expect much from this book. But I have to admit I really enjoyed reading this. The book was very easy to get into and was a fast paced read. I really like in the book the discussion of race and identity in America shown through the lens of Starr, a teenage African American girl. There were a few times this book made me cringe but it was mainly the scene of the girls at prom as I felt it was rather juvenile but that's just because I don't have a taste for the YA writing style. I found the plot as a whole very relevant, contemporary and believable. I think it's fantastic that this book can help a future generation of young African American children and other minorities in America feel they have something to relate to and a way to understand the world they live in better through this book. I think Angie Thomas is a great advocate and it was a solid YA novel. This is a book most readers will enjoy and connect with regardless of race, sexuality or gender and it is a book I would happily recommend to all readers. A 4 and a half star read.