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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
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The Hate U Give summary
A Brutally Honest Exploration of Racial Injustice, Police Violence, and the Power of Activism
24 mins
Brief summary
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is a powerful novel that explores racism and police brutality through the eyes of Starr, a 16-year-old girl. It addresses themes of identity, activism, and the importance of speaking out against injustice.
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The Hate U Give
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Key idea 1 of 5
Garden Heights
Starr was 12 when her parents sat her down to talk about the birds and bees. Momma was a nurse and a straight-talker, so she skipped the euphemisms. Starr learned what went where and what didn’t need to go any damn where until she was grown.
That wasn’t the talk. That one was about what to do when you’re Black and the cops stop you. Momma said Starr wasn’t ready. Daddy insisted. Starr wasn’t too young to get arrested or shot, he said, so it was time she heard it.
Keep your hands visible at all times. No sudden moves. Get a look at the cop’s face. If you can remember his badge number, even better. Don’t speak unless spoken to. Daddy had a bigger mouth than anybody Starr knew. If he said you had to be quiet, you really had to be quiet.
Garden Heights was the kind of neighborhood where cops stopped people a lot. They treated it like enemy territory. Like the reporters who occasionally came to report on its troubles, they didn’t seem to see anything but problems. It was the ghetto: nothing but hopeless drug-addicts, gangbangers flashing signs, and bodies on sidewalks covered in white sheets.
What the cops and reporters didn’t see was the other side. Mr. Lewis, the pot-bellied barber who cut the best fades in the city. Mrs. Rooks’s famous red velvet cakes. Sunday barbecues. The church. Momma’s clinic. Daddy’s grocery store.
Daddy bought that store when Starr was nine. Mr. Wyatt, the old owner, was the only person who’d hire Daddy after he got out of prison. When he retired, Daddy took over. Everyone knew Daddy. If they knew Starr, it was as his daughter. She was the girl who packed their groceries at weekends and went to a bougie school across town called Williamson.
Starr ended up at Williamson the same way Will ended up at his bougie school in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – Starr’s all-time favorite TV show. When Starr was ten, a couple of guys who were up to no good made trouble in the neighborhood. Strays from their shootout killed Starr’s friend, Natasha. Like Momma said, bullets don’t know where they’re going. Like Will’s parents, Starr’s got scared. They didn’t have rich relations in LA, so they did the next best thing: they sent their kids to a prep school across town – the kind of place that catered to white folks who lived in suburbs where kids played in the street and people left their doors unlocked.
Momma and Daddy still sometimes fought about Garden Heights. Momma wanted to move somewhere safer. Daddy wanted to raise consciousness in the ghetto like his Black Panther heroes. He didn’t want to live in a white suburb – he wanted to build a Black neighborhood where kids played in the street and people left their doors unlocked.
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What is The Hate U Give about?
The Hate U Give (2017) is a critically acclaimed coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of racism and police brutality. It follows 16-year-old Starr Carter as she navigates two contrasting worlds: the poor Black neighborhood where she lives and the white prep school where she studies. Starr's attempt to strike a balance between these two worlds is shattered when she witnesses the shooting of her childhood friend, Khalil, by a police officer.
The Hate U Give Review
The Hate U Give (2017) is a powerful and important novel that sheds light on the realities of racial injustice and police brutality. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Packed with and emotionally charged situations, it offers a gripping portrayal of the complexities surrounding racial identity and activism.
- Through its , the book challenges readers to question their own prejudices and biases, sparking meaningful conversations about social justice.
- With its and raw depiction of the impact of violence on communities, this book will captivate and enlighten readers who seek to better understand the African American experience.
Who should read The Hate U Give?
- Social justice advocates and activists
- Young adults exploring identity and inequality
- Anyone interested in compelling contemporary fiction
Categories with The Hate U Give
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The Hate U Give FAQs
What is the main message of The Hate U Give?
The main message of The Hate U Give is the importance of finding your voice and fighting against injustice.
How long does it take to read The Hate U Give?
The reading time for The Hate U Give varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Hate U Give a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Hate U Give is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that is definitely worth reading.
Who is the author of The Hate U Give?
The author of The Hate U Give is Angie Thomas.
What to read after The Hate U Give?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Hate U Give, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
- How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- 10 Days to Faster Reading by The Princeton Language Institute and Abby Marks Beale
- Why is Sex Fun? by Jared Diamond
- Start With Why (new version) by Simon Sinek
- The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss