Book Summary: The Hate U Give By Angie Thomas

“Funny how it works with white kids though. It’s dope to be black until it’s hard to be black” (Thomas, 11). The novel ‘The Hate U Give’ is written by Angie Thomas and is a story of a black girl named Starr who is between two worlds; the black community she lives in and the expensive prep school she attends. In the novel, Starr witnesses the death of her childhood friend Khalil, and she is on a mission to gain justice for Khalil’s death. For most of the journey, her friends and boyfriend from Williamson prep school do not know she knew the “drug dealer” Khalil that was shot by the police. At school she tries to act normal, playing basketball, and fitting into the school, but sports cannot hide the truth for long. As the truth is uncovered,

After switching to a private school out of town, her main friends are generated from the sport of basketball like, “Jess the co-captain and Britt the center who makes Maya look like an ant”, and “[n]o matter what’s going on, when Hailey, Maya, and [Starr] play together, it’s rhythm, chemistry, and skill rolled into a ball of amazingness” (73, 109). Moreover, “basketball season equals war in [her] house” (313) and is something her whole family traditionally watches and enjoys together. In addition, she has a tradition with her brother Seven, to play “basketball at the park [on the] last Saturday of the month…” (142).These traditions with her family and the team at school are one of the only things she shares with her two worlds; her home life in the black community and the fancy rich suburban school life. This part of her life in one world can continue to the other world without the need for change, unlike how she may act, or how much she swears, etc. Whether with those who are white, black, family or friend, playing basketball or watching others play it is normal for Starr. In summary, Starr values basketball as it is her connection to a normal life with only one world instead of two, and it is something that is a part of her that she never has to change depending on who she is around. No matter where she is, or who she is with, she can always be the Starr who

This is something that she pays attention to in both her worlds, and is a continuous thread in her home life. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Starr talks about how everyone knows her as “Big Mav’s daughter who works at the store”, “like that’s the name on [her] birth certificate” (4,9). These events lead to annoyance being portrayed in the novel as Starr wants to be known by her name, not by the person you see when you go to the store. It always is something that she gets angered by, but this is slowly resolved as the plot progresses. Once Starr is well known for being a witness, people in the community start to say “[a]ll right now, Starr,” as “a simple way [to] let [her] know they got [her] back” (282). The best part of this, in her opinion, is that “it’s never ‘All right now, Big Mav’s daughter who works in the store.’ It’s always Starr”. This little change in how people greet her and see her is something she finds is a huge improvement, as it shows her reputation improving. Instead of being associated with her father and the store, with no true name, she’s now seen as Starr, the individual with an actual name that’s worth remembering. This joy of a higher reputation, and the care she seems to give to it, shows how she values her reputation in the community. In addition, Starr cares equally about her reputation at