Review & Summary of The Hate U Give  

Estimated Read Time | 7 mins

At the time of this article, The Hate U Give has been on the New York Times bestseller list—often number 1—for over two years.  If I’d compiled my bestsellers list later, this book would have been on both that list and our spotlight list for Black writers.

The novel tells the story of our main character, a 16-year-old African-American girl named Starr Carter, who lives in a predominantly black neighborhood but attends a mostly white private school. Her life is shattered when witnesses the shooting of her childhood friend by a police officer during a routine traffic stop. This event forces Starr to grapple with the harsh realities of racial injustice and the impact of systemic racism on her community.

Throughout the story, Starr becomes an important voice in the fight against racial discrimination and police brutality. Her journey of self-discovery and activism inspires those around her and highlights the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity.

Themes & Connections: The Hate U Give and To Kill a Mockingbird

My first impression of this novel was that it reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird. They have many similarities. Both The Hate U Give and To Kill a Mockingbird are in the coming-of-age genre. They both hit some of the same narrative beats, culminating with a miscarriage of justice because of the systemic racism in American society.   

Differences: Starr Carter & Scout Finch

But, of course, these two novels are different because of the narrators. Instead of seeing the story through the eyes of Scout Finch, the young girl narrating To Kill a Mockingbird, we see The Hate U Give from the perspective of 16-year-old Starr Carter, who is both older and more world-weary than Scout.

Because Scout is white, she centers To Kill a Mockingbird not on the Black characters in her setting but on her father, who is defending a Black man from the charge of rape. 

The characters in To Kill a Mockingbird only glimpse the racism surrounding them once Atticus takes on the case of Tom Robinson, the man falsely accused of rape. Their only real connection to the Black community is their maid, Calpurnia, who Scout discovers leads something of a double life. Calpurnia employs code-switching to speak differently when she is at her Black church.

Atticus Finch stands out as a noble white savior, and despite not changing the minds of the all-white jury, receives the respect of the Black community because he deigned to treat a Black man like a person worthy of defense.  

Differences: Community

Other than a few arguments with friends, relatives, and neighbors, the events of the rape case do not affect the Finch family. The trial is only one of many subplots in the novel. Other subplots include spying on a mysterious neighbor—Arthur “Boo” Radley, a neighborhood fire, and receiving rifles for Christmas.

This lack of personal involvement can be further seen in To Kill a Mockingbird's sequel, Go Set a Watchman. This later novel reveals that Atticus Finch was never a hero but only doing his job as a defense attorney. And despite Atticus harboring racist views and opposing desegregation, Scout, now going by her real name, Jean Louise, ends the novel telling her father that she loves him.

On the other hand, in The Hate U Give, the book is entirely centered on the experiences of Black characters. Starr Carter is the only witness to the shooting of her friend. She is personally affected by his death and knows that what happened to Khalil could have easily happened to her or her brothers or her father.

Starr straddles the world of her Black neighborhood and her upper-class white school. Throughout the novel, she learns to stand up, both to the systemic racism in society and to the cyclic gang violence overrunning her neighborhood. 

Unlike Jean Louise in Go Set a Watchman, Starr doesn’t accept the flawed realities of gang violence or police brutality. She vows to fight for equality, undoing the cycle of violence.

Themes & Connections: Universality And Cultural Specificity

The Hate U Give deals with a universal theme: identity. However, for the character to work as a person, that universal theme must take on more specificity.

In Starr’s case, she desires to be her authentic self despite societal expectations and stereotypes. As a person stranded between worlds—Black and white, rich and poor—Starr struggles to fit in. Like Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird, she code-switches around her white Williamson Prep friends but doesn’t feel like a full member of her Black neighborhood.

The Hate U Give is also about the perception of identity. The officer who kills Starr’s friend Khalil perceives him as a threat because of his race and appearance. In turn, the media embraces this story because it is the narrative they have come to expect.

This story is important and its 'ripped from the headlines' nature allows Angie Thomas to use fiction to tackle a real-life problem. In many ways, fiction is more effective at conveying a real-life experience than the truth. Reality is always more complicated and subject to implicit and explicit bias. In a first-person narrative. the reader becomes Starr, no matter who they might be.  

What does The Hate U Give Mean?

The name of the book, The Hate U Give, comes from an explanation of the tattoo and record album from the late(?) rapper Tupac Shakir.

In one interview, he claimed that his large THUG LIFE tattoo means, "The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everyone.” (*censorship mine)

This could be interpreted to mean that the hate experienced by people of color might lead them to grow up in poverty, which in turn limits their choices, which in turn leaves their children with limited opportunities. Which, in turn, harms society as a whole.

The phrase echoes the sentiment expressed in the poem This Be the Verse, by Philip Larkins:

They f*ck you up, your mum and dad.     

They may not mean to, but they do.     

They fill you with the faults they had  

And add some extra, just for you.   

The Larkin poem places blame on the shoulders of the parents, but Tupac, and by extension, Thomas contend that the problem is more insidious. We don't just inherit our parents’ faults; we inherit society’s faults, expectations, and prejudices.  

The title of the novel also represents the character of Khalil who was unarmed at the time of the police altercation. A tattoo like THUG LIFE might indicate to an outsider that this is a dangerous criminal, but in reality, the explanation can be more thoughtful and nuanced.

In the novel, the media constantly bring up Khalil's drug dealing as a valid reason for his death—he was a thug.  However, the novel reveals that he was selling drugs to take care of his mom. He also liked Harry Potter and was afraid of dogs. He was a person, not a stereotype that could fit easily into a thirty-second television news clip.  

Lessons Writers Can Learn From The Hate U Give

Social Commentary

The novel is about complex issues such as racial injustice, police brutality, and systemic racism. Writers can learn to use fiction as a platform for discussing important societal problems and encouraging dialogue.

Pacing

The novel effectively manages its pacing, balancing intense scenes with quieter, reflective moments. Writers should learn how to vary the pace of their narrative to keep readers engaged and raise the tension when and where needed.

Authenticity Matters

Thomas's portrayal of her characters and their experiences feels authentic and genuine. Writers should strive to create well-rounded, relatable characters who reflect the diversity of the world around them.

Setting as a Reflection of Themes

The novel takes place in two settings: Garden Heights and Williamson Prep. These places are not just backdrops for the action but reflect the novel's themes. Writers can consider how to use the setting to reveal the themes and atmosphere of their own stories.

Who Wrote The Hate U Give?

Author Spotlight: Angie Thomas  

Angie Thome is the author of The Hate U Give. As a teenager, she was a rapper. That's a unique hobby to consider when it comes to creative writing. Rap has to be lyrical and witty. It often has allusions to other works, puns, and intricate wordplay. Rap battles, a common way aspiring rapper hone their skills, are made up on the spot. They often contain a response to whatever their rap opponent previously said.  

Thomas draws from her own experience to make these characters true to life. She holds a BFA in creative writing from a private Christian college in Jackson, Mississippi. Thomas is the only Black person ever to complete that degree at this small school. She used her experience as an outsider to create the character of Starr.  

From the first sentence, she evokes a distinctive sense of time and place. I know who these characters are. I've met people like Kenya, Khalil, and Big Mav. Lisa Carter reminds me of some sisters I know from my local congregation.  

It takes time and research to create this verisimilitude.   

For more information