Release Date: 28 February 2017
Page Count: 450
Genre: Fiction
Target Audience: YA and Adult
Source and Format: Purchased :: Hardback
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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.
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