The Hate U Give

Angie Thomas brilliantly tells the story of Starr, a girl who has witnessed her two childhood best friends die from gun violence. The story is fictional, however, anyone not living under a rock can see the parallels between Starr's world and our world. I cried many times reading this book, feeling so hard for Starr and the ones she loves it. She really drives home the point that no one wants the police to kill black people—and no one wanted to have to advocate against this, but, when black people are dying and justice is never being served, you have to use your voice. Throughout Starr's dilemma, I kept hearing the phrase “the hidden violence of silence.” It will never go away if we don't talk about it and take action. This is a good book, but the only real good in it is the way Thomas' characters stick together despite it all.