The Bookish Mindset

Overview:

Title: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Published: April 2017
Genre: Literary
Themes: Police brutality, Family, Race, Class.

One sentence summary: After Star witness the murder of her friend, she’s called to be a witness and the importance of using her voice becomes apparent.

One sentence review: I mean, how do I even review this book? It’s a modern classic!

Review:

After Star witness the murder of her friend, she’s called to be a witness and the importance of using her voice becomes apparent.

It’s been on my shelf for too long and if you have a copy on your shelf that you haven’t picked up yet then prioritise it and read it. Promise me. 

This should be essential reading for teens. It should be studied in schools, not to be pulled apart but to be understood. Adults should be reading this too. 

There’s love and friendship and family, then there’s police brutality and racism and classism and rioting and everything in between. This will break your heart again and again. It’s about the power of your voice and how you use. It’s a 

There are so many good lines in here but here are two of my favourites – 

“At an early age I learned that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them.”

“There’s that word again. Bravery. Brave peoples’ legs don’t shake. Brave people don’t feel like puking. Brave people sure don’t have to remind themselves how to breathe if they think about that night too hard. If bravery is a medical condition, everybody’s misdiagnosed me.”

Let me know if it’s one you’re picking up or already have!

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And don’t forget to check out my other blogs and reviews – you can find books with similar themes in the same folder link below, or click back onto blogs to see the whole offering.

Last updated 09/10/2025