This powerful novel explores navigating racial injustice and finding your voice in a world that often feels unfair, helping young readers process complex social issues.
A parent might reach for this book when their teen is beginning to grapple with news reports of social injustice, police brutality, and activism, and is trying to make sense of their own feelings about it. The Hate U Give follows Starr Carter, a Black teenager who exists in two different worlds: her predominantly Black, working-class neighborhood and her affluent, mostly white private school. When she becomes the sole witness to the fatal police shooting of her childhood friend, these two worlds collide. Starr must navigate her grief and trauma to find the courage to speak her truth. Appropriate for mature teens, this novel is a powerful, relevant, and deeply humanizing entry point for conversations about race, identity, and the power of one person's voice.
A fatal police shooting is depicted. Also includes riots, looting, and physical threats.
Character DeathIntense
The inciting incident is the violent death of a main character, which is a source of trauma.
LanguageIntense
Frequent and strong profanity, including numerous uses of the f-word.
Substance ReferencesModerate
Characters discuss past drug dealing. Some underage drinking at a party.
Sensitive Topics
The book's approach to racism, police brutality, and grief is direct, raw, and unflinching. It does not use metaphor. The resolution is realistic rather than idealistic: the officer is not indicted, which reflects many real-world outcomes. However, the story ends on a hopeful note, not of systemic change, but of Starr's personal empowerment as she embraces her role as an activist. The perspective is secular.
Ideal Reader
A teen (14+) who is beginning to engage with social justice issues they see in the news and is seeking to understand the human side of the headlines. It's for the reader who feels caught between two worlds or identities, and for any young person who has witnessed injustice and is feeling angry, scared, or powerless.
Parent Prep
Parents should absolutely preview this book or read it alongside their teen. It contains significant profanity (including frequent use of the f-word), a graphic depiction of a police shooting in the opening chapters, references to drug dealing, and intense, emotionally distressing scenes of racism and rioting. This book requires maturity and is best accompanied by open discussion. A parent has heard their teen expressing anger, confusion, or sadness about a news story involving police violence or racial injustice. The teen might be questioning their own identity or talking about feeling like an outsider at school. The parent is looking for a resource to facilitate a difficult but necessary conversation.
Age Experience
A younger teen (14-15) may connect most with Starr's personal struggles: her friendships, her relationship with her boyfriend Chris, and her fear of speaking out. An older teen (16-18) is more likely to grasp the deeper political and systemic critiques, including the commentary on the Black Panther Party, the nuances of code-switching, and the complex social dynamics at play.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many 'issue novels,' this book's strength is its deep character work. Starr is a fully realized, relatable teenager dealing with universal problems (friend drama, first love) alongside the extraordinary trauma of the shooting. The authentic use of African-American Vernacular English and the nuanced exploration of code-switching provide a window into an experience that is rarely depicted with such honesty and heart.
Read plot summary
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter code-switches between her poor, Black neighborhood and her wealthy, white prep school. Her carefully balanced world is shattered when she witnesses a white police officer fatally shoot her unarmed childhood friend, Khalil, during a traffic stop. The novel follows Starr's emotional journey as she decides whether to speak out, facing pressure from her community, her school friends, and law enforcement. Her activism grows as the case gains national attention, culminating in a grand jury decision and community riots.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Starr talks about having two versions of herself: one for Garden Heights and one for Williamson Prep. Why did she feel the need to 'code-switch'? Have you ever felt like you had to change how you act or talk to fit in?
2
Starr's uncle, Carlos, is a police officer. How does his job and his perspective complicate the situation for Starr and her family? Did his character change how you thought about any of the events?
3
The title is from a Tupac quote about 'THUG LIFE': 'The Hate U Give Little Infants F***s Everybody.' How does the story illustrate this idea? Where do you see cycles of hate and poverty affecting the characters?
4
After the grand jury's decision not to indict the officer, a riot breaks out. Some characters participate while others disagree. What does the book seem to say about different forms of protest and activism?
5
Hailey uses racism as a weapon in her friendship with Starr, saying things like 'unarmed Black man' is not a reason to protest. Why do you think Starr had such a hard time cutting Hailey off completely?
