AUTHOR: Angie Thomas
STARTED: November 24, 2017
FINISHED: November 26, 2017
PAGES: 444
GENRE: Young Adult
FIRST SENTENCE: I shouldn't have come to this party.
SUMMARY: [From BN] 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.
THOUGHTS: This book was billed as the "Black Lives Matter" book and, you know what, it is. More than that, however, this book is an incredibly important story that both deserves to be told and needs to be heard but a wide audience. Diversity and inclusion matter, particularly in YA literature. Readers need to see themselves in stories and their stories need to be shared.
Thomas brings her characters to life in such a realistic way that more than once I was in tears (even when I was on an airplane). It's impossible not to emphasize with Starr and her family. Their lives and neighborhood leap boldly off the page; this book practically screams with emotion and begs you to pay attention. The narrative is well-constructed and built in such a way to enhance the drama in a realistic manner. Starr is a wonderful character, but I particularly love her father. Their relationship is the heart of this book and you root for them on every page. I feel like these characters are a part of my life now. The book may be over, but their story lives on for me.
Finally, I need to say that the most important piece of this book is how it speaks to the reader. I'm white. I don't know and I can't know what it is like to be a person of color. That is a life I will never experience, which is why I (and everyone else) needs to read this book and others like it. This book gives insights into a life that is not mine. It shows the ups, downs, and realities of what it is like to be a person of color in today's society. This book shows just how draining, emotionally and physically, code-switching can be. It shows the impact societal pressures have on non-white populations. It shows the inherent unfairness in our social, judicial, and political systems. It shows why we need to have true equality for all. It's impossible to leave this book as white reader and not question your biases and assumptions.
This is, hands down, the most important book I have ever read. I will continue to recommend this book to everyone I know. You should read it.
RATING: 9/10 [Excellent!]
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