this has been No. 1 on the NYT bestsellers list for I don't even know how many weeks now, and for good reason. The Hate U Give is incredible. It's hard to read. If you're white, this book could make you uncomfortable. Good. It should. The Hate U Give forces you to confront the truth about what's happening to black people all around America today. But these stories need to be told.

Starr Carter is an incredibly strong character, and I admire her a lot. She is resilient, and unapologetically herself. Her perspective is not one that we see a lot of in YA, and it made THUG that much more refreshing.

I also really loved her family. It was one of the few times in YA where I feel like the MC's family wasn't totally dysfunctional/nonexistent/dead. Her story will stay with me forever. (Also, side note: this book, while obviously covering very serious subject matter, is also hilarious. It's a real rollercoaster of emotions. You'll be laughing and then you'll turn the page and start sobbing. I also very much appreciated all of Thomas's pop culture references. there was a meme, y'all. A MEME.)


Honestly, I think The Hate U Give should be required reading. It's that incredible. Angie Thomas is an incredible new, diverse voice in the YA genre, and I'm so excited to see what she does next.