Jenny Reviews: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Release Date: 28 February 2017
Page Count: 450
Genre: Fiction
Target Audience: YA and Adult
Source and Format: Purchased :: Hardback
Amazon | Goodreads



Y'all. I wish everyone would read this book. I think everyone needs to read this book. It is a wonderful example of how important perspective is. This is something I have really been stressing with my students lately. It is so easy to have tunnel vision, to only look at the world through our personal lens. We miss out on so much when we do this: potential relationships, good conversations, new experiences, broader horizons, and open minds. This book is an excellent place to start thinking about things outside of your own box. I could go on and on about this book, but I am going to limit my gushing to five points. Know there are many, many more, but these are the top five.

1. Starr Carter. Starr is the protagonist and narrator, and she is the reason I bought the book. The cover caught my eye, but it was Starr's voice that sold me. I picked it up to skim a couple of pages, and before I knew it I had read the whole first chapter. Starr is one of my all-time favorite protagonists, male or female. She is smart, conflicted, brave, and real.

2. The Conflict. This book is timely in a terrible way. Angie Thomas does a wonderful job of examining all sides of a very ugly issue. She does not shy away from the complex social, political, and cultural implications of racism and prejudice. It is a hard, uncomfortable reality that most people do not want to think about for long because it is so tangled and all-encompassing; it affects everyone whether you like it or not. Thomas refuses to let anyone be an ostrich—no burying your head in the sand with this book.

3. The Lack of Stereotypes. It is easy to get conversations about race so wrong. Too often we think of people in terms of a group rather than individuals. Thomas does an excellent job of fleshing out each of her characters. The good, bad, and ugly are all on display, just like it is in each of us. The nuanced characters of this novel would be completely flat if Thomas had simply made them stereotypes. Her characters are real which makes their voices even more strong.

4. The Humor. There were several times I almost laughed out loud. The issues the book deals with are heavy, and Thomas balances this heaviness with wonderful humor. I especially love the dynamic between Starr's parents. The humor is natural and unforced, and Thomas's timing is impeccable.

5. The Questions. This book asks a lot of questions and does not give a lot of answers. It makes the reader think for themselves and about themselves. It is so entertaining you do not realize you are being made to think—this is harder to achieve than you would think. Thomas manages to be entertaining and insightful, bringing the reader to self-awareness as they are enjoying themselves.

Please, do yourself a favor—read this book. Borrow it from a friend, check it out from the library, buy your own copy. You will not regret it.

Reading Goals Update

I (Jenny) thought it would be a good idea to do an update on the books I've been reading rather than a half way update. I don't know about y'all, but if I do not write about a book fairly soon after I read it, I will forget a lot. Even books that made strong impressions are hard to talk about if I wait too long. It starts sounding like, "It was so good! I loved... everything. The characters were awesome." Details, anyone?

If you are not familiar with my reading goal for this year, you can read about it here. I have 30 books I want to read this year. I think I am doing pretty well so far. Some I have loved, and some I am glad I do not have to pick them up ever again. I am trying to decide which ones to bring on vacation; I am always a much more inspired reader at the beach. Probably because the setting is my idea of perfection.

— Nonfiction —

1. The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert — This book is one of my new favorites. It is about an English professor's journey to knowing Christ. It is well written AND thoughtful. Her logical working out of a) what being a believer means and b) what being a believer will cost is particularly searing in its honesty. I wish everyone who has had any contact with any type of faith whatsoever would read it. Its mirror-like properties are unavoidable; it challenges as it encourages.

2. The Land of the Green Man — This book was incredibly entertaining. Even though it is nonfiction, the content most often reads like a story. Larrington does an excellent job of describing the British Isles (almost too excellent — I am ready to pack my bags right now). She basically sets down the majority of folk tales floating around the British Isles. It makes me wish I lived in a place with such a long history.

3. Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church — I. loved. this. book. It is a presentation of two ways of thinking theologically and practically about homosexuality. 4 scholars wrote 4 short essays defending two views of the issue. The scholars were highly intelligent and, more importantly, compassionate. This is a book I am still wrestling with (in a good way). My only complaint was that there was not a recommended reading list. I think a list would have been a really great- and helpful- addition.

4. Four Views on Hell — This book was not near as good as the one on homosexuality, in my opinion. The scholars were much more antagonistic and the writing harder to follow. I do not regret reading it and I did learn things, but I probably will not read it again.

— Classics —

1. Middlemarch — George Eliot is one of the most astute writers I have ever read when it comes to understanding human beings. The whole book is about a small town in England with, quite frankly, not the most interesting characters or plot. Her insights into human nature, however, kept me coming back for more. (Side note: Rosamond Vincy has joined Daisy Buchanan on my Can't Even list)

— Fiction —

1. The Enchantress of Florence — I was really enjoying this book until about 3/4 of the way through. I cannot tell you my feelings on it with spoiling things, so just know I was extremely disappointed by the way everything happened and I feel that all of Rushdie's lovely, insightful thoughts got washed away in the yuck of the ending.

2. Silence Fallen — This is number 10 in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. It is one of my favorite series and this entry did not disappoint. It was somewhat hard to follow because of how the story is told, but I did enjoy it. I really liked how Briggs expanded the world with a glimpse into Europe. 

3. Shylock Is My Name — This is a retelling of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. This is one of the most thought-provoking fiction books I have read in a long time. Jacobson wrestles with Shylock's Jewishness and its implications for Shakespeare's audience as well as the modern audience.  This is one of those books that I do not know whether or not to recommend it; it should be read, but not everyone would enjoy reading it. Conundrum. 

4. The Burning Page — I reviewed this book in a different post; check it out here.

5. A Court of Wings and Ruin — I was so disappointed by this book. It is the third in the A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy and it was... dare I say it... kind of boring. The second book (A Court of Mist and Fury) was really good, YA at its finest good. The third one was definitely a let down. The main characters were kind of flat, there were some plot holes, and one deus ex machina moment was too much for me. If the second book hadn't been SO good, then the third would not have been as much of a let down.

Wow, looks like I need to do some work on the Classics category. I have picked up the Iliad and am about a quarter of the way in. It is more different from The Odyssey than I thought it would be. So far I am really enjoying this challenge I have set for myself. Hopefully I make much more progress this summer. How are y'all's reading challenges going?