Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give (THUG) is as potent as it is gentle, as impactful as it is heartbreaking - and that’s where its beauty lies. Thomas chooses atom bomb-like issues to deal with, and I can’t think of any other author who has handled these explosives with so much care.
Written in 2017, this book has been on the New York Times bestselling list for over a staggering 156 weeks, and deservedly so. Thomas develops a layered and nuanced take on racism and police brutality.
The protagonist - Starr Carter, who (no spoilers) is witness to the shooting of her close friend Khalil just because a white policeman “thought” he was armed. The whirlwind that occurs both in her mind and her life thereafter portrays human frailties most bluntly.
Thomas gives you a no-holds-barred account of living in an African-American community dominated by drug-lords and sellers divided into The Garden Disciples and King Lords. She maintains the balance of this hard-hitting layer with Starr’s family - her strict but loving mother; her wise ex-convict father, her elder half brother Seven, who was born when Starr’s father Maverick committed adultery. Her younger brother Sekani and boyfriend Chris add to the charm and impact. Not to forget her maternal uncle and father-figure Carlos.
Thomas gives a lived-in, unexaggerated view on fitting in a white school and maintaining the balance with her community. Concentrating on how devastating witnessing murder can be on a teenager. The book may put you off in the first few pages, and establishing a connection with it may seem tougher for some than others, but stay with it, it picks up rapidly.
The protests, the NGOs, the racism, the school where coloured people are stereotyped and labelled feels very real and relatable. Maybe this is because the book isn’t from an outsider’s perspective but from an African American’s. It brings every human insecurity and the feeling of being outcast upfront on your face and bashes them so subtly, which is its most influential strength. The Hate U Give is a must-read, and everyone above the age of thirteen should be comfortable with it, considering there are a few cusses and little sexual content. The violence gets disturbing at a point, but the larger aspect of this book might remain with you for a lifetime. After all, that is the power of great literature.
I’m going for a full ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5, don’t miss it at any cost. It is essential reading, if only to understand the world that we live in.
Comentarios