Buddy Read Time!! The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give

Angie Thomas

Hardcover, 444 pages

Balzer + Bray

February 28, 2017

African-American Fiction,Coming-of-Age, Contemporary Fiction, Diverse Reads,

Social Justice, Young Adult Fiction

A three-time winner of Goodreads Choice Awards

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

********************

Partial List of Literary Awards
(Complete list at Goodreads page)

National Book Award Nominee for Young People's Literature (2017), Odyssey Award (2018), Los Angeles Times Book Prize Nominee for Young Adult Literature (2017), Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult (2018), Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee (2019) Coretta Scott King Award Nominee for Author Honor (2018), 

Be sure to read Barb's Launch Post, which you will find HERE!!

So here I am, teaming up again on a buddy read with fellow book blogger extraordinaire, Barb @ Booker T's Farm -- Books and Nails and Puppy Dog Tales!

In May of last year, Barb and I embarked upon our very first buddy read, for the paranormal YA novel, Dread Nation, by Justina Ireland. We had SO much fun, and it was such an interesting experience, we decided to do another one! And we'll DEFINITELY be doing more of them in the future! 

This time around, we both agreed that The Hate U Give was the PERFECT choice! As you can see from the partial list of literary awards above, this book has definitely hit a nerve with the American reading public. It's sad that it should be so, but unfortunately, it is. Our current political climate has brought all kinds of bigotry to the limelight. However, the United States has a long and terrible history of racism directed toward its own African-American population. Far from being a thing of the past, this particular brand of racism has continued to be a blight upon this nation that is supposedly dedicated to liberty and equal rights for ALL. The recent creation of the activist group, Black Lives Matter, is clear evidence that our ugly heritage of racism is definitely not a thing of the past. 

So this is a very relevant book, as well as a very important one that should be read by everyone who is concerned about social justice in America.  It has also been made into a movie of the same name, which premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2018, and was released in the U.S. on October 5, 2018. This film has received critical acclaim, also grossing over $32 million at the box office. (Source: Wikipedia)

For our buddy read, Barb and I have decided to read certain chapters each week. We'll be posing questions to each other, which we will then be answering in each other's weekly update posts.  Our last post will be a review of the book. Please refer to the schedule below. 

Buddy Read Schedule

The Hate U Give

by Angie Thomas

Maria @A Night's Dream of Books

Barb @ Booker T's Farm

Launch Post - 1/11/19

Buddy Read Update No. 1 - 1/18/19

(Chapters 1 - 7)

Buddy Read Update No. 2 - 1/25/19

(Chapters 8 - 14) 

Buddy Read Update No. 3 - 2/1/19

(Chapters 15 - 21)

Buddy Read Update No. 4/Wrap Up - 2/8/19

(Chapters 22 - 26)

Book Review -  2/16/19
(This review date is tentative.)

And now I'm going to answer Barb's first questions for me, regarding this buddy read!

Barb: We've planned on reading this together for so long. What initially made you gravitate toward this title when it was released? Does it fall into something you'd normally read, or is it more "out of the box"?

Maria: Yes, we certainly have been planning on doing this buddy read for quite a while now! But it seems that one thing after another kept coming up. Finaly, HERE WE ARE!!! :)  :)

I'll answer your last question first. This is definitely the type of read that is more "out of the box" for me. I don't much like to read stuff that's TOO similar to "real life". I much prefer to read novels that take me to magical, fantasy lands, or far-flung planets. However, I felt I had to make an exception for this book, because it's such a VERY important one, as I stated in the paragraphs above.

Actually, part of the answer to your first question is contained in my answer to your second question. Lol. I gravitated toward this book, first of all, because the topic of racism, especially as it relates to African-Americans, is one I've always been interested in, as well as totally appalled by. WHY this type of thing should exist is totally BEYOND me! I've felt this way my whole life, too. 

I remember seeing the movie "Beloved", back in 1999, and how horrifying it was..... (Spoiler coming!) That an African-American slave mother should be willing to kill her own daughter, so as to spare her the evils of slavery.....well, suffice it to say that this film was not only an eye-opener for me, but something that tore at my heart. I need to read the book this movie is based on.

So, when I came across The Hate U Give, I felt that, in spite of the fact that I know it will be an emotionally-wrenching read, I really need to read it. It's just too important a book for me to NOT read it, even though it won't be easy for me to do so.....

Barb: The movie releases on DVD and streaming soon. Do you think you'll watch it?

Maria: I really don't know if I'll be able to...... I mean, "Beloved" affected me VERY strongly. I cried and cried and cried and cried...... I know I should watch "The Hate U Give", but it might be too much for me. I'm a very visual person, as well as a very emotionally sensitive one. If do watch this movie, it will have to be on a weekend, on my PC, with headphones on, and a box of Kleenex nearby.....

So that's it, folks! Barb and I have officially launched our buddy read! Come on over to each of our blogs every Friday for the next few weeks, as we share our thoughts and insights on this highly-acclaimed novel! Thanks in advance for any comments you might wish to make!  :)

 

 

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi, as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine, with a picture included. 

She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University, and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. 

She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books.
  Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, was acquired by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in a 13-house auction.
The book has won several awards, and has
been translated into several languages.

  Film rights were optioned by Fox 2000, with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star.
 The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released in the U.S. in October 2018, grossing $32 million at the box office. The DVD is currently available on Amazon.
   

Website/Twitter

Blog/Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Instagram