Joint Discussion: The Hate U Give

Happy December everyone! Happy Holidays!

This month Blodeuedd and I read and discussed "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas. Blodeuedd is in red and I am in green. Don't mind the technical difficulties I had! LOL

Author: Angie Thomas

Title: The Hate U Gives

Genre: YA

Pages: ebook

First Published: Feb 2017 

Where I Got It: My Shelf (Amazon)

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life. 

So, what did you think? I did not think it lived up to all its hype. For me it felt like everyone loved it cos it was relevant and cos of its subject. But I felt the story and writing lacked. Sure it was a good book in the end, but at the same time it was that kind of good that did not make me actually read more by the author...if that makes sense.

I felt very underwhelmed myself with this. I felt it was SO over-hyped. Yes, it was pretty good. I enjoyed reading and seeing things happen in a different light. But I think it was only popular because it discussed a controversial topic in an interesting light.

[Carole goes MIA]

CaroleI where are youuuuuuu?

Ok I will continue talking to myself then. I just felt that there should have been more emotions, it should have made me feel. But every time then something else happened. A new storyline. Starr thinking of other things. I really wish the focus had been the shooting and only that. For it really to hit you in the chest and making you want to riot.

Now I was all, ok, yup, that happened. Damn cop should just confess and said he was a scaredy cat who dropped the ball on that. But of course that would never happen. And he really should work in another area if he is like that, scared of his own shadow. But then hey I would not dare to be a cop, I would have my gun out all the time. Omg, I would totally shoot everyone. Oh look a cat walked by, boom. Ok, I can so not be a cop! Better not even try.

Sorry! I disappeared. My computer man.

I did feel at the beginning right after the murder. I felt so bad for Starr especially when we learn this isn’t the first person she watch get murdered right in front of her. I do wish that they would’ve just focused on one thing. There was a lot going on all around them with family drama, town drama, gang drama, and the drama of the murder. Just too much emotion and I didn’t cry like I wanted to because I didn’t have time to focus on the one bad thing.

I agree...the cop should’ve just been honest and said he made a mistake. That is what bothers me in situations like this. He got scared thought the kid was going for a gun but he wasn’t and killed him. Granted, the kid should’ve stayed still and not opened the car door. You never know if the cop is scared or jumpy and trigger-happy. But cop...just admit you messed up!!

[Carole goes MIA again] Omg Carole where are you!!!

Ok so we made it clear I should not be a cop. Starr as a character was pretty weak. I did not care much for her. Her at the end...did not see that. But I am glad she finally got some character, and sure I get it, two worlds, she had to grow. But come one, bohoo my boyfriend is white. Seriously? Now all white people are bad? A white cop shot your friend and now you hate your white boyfriend? So if a black cop had shot Khalil, and for the same reason then…

Carole!!!!!! I am totally talking to myself here, you can always put in your thoughts after mine, lol.

I also felt like it told me at one point that cos black people live where they live they do not get the same chances, true true, but it said then that cos of that then crime is ok. No, just cos you are poor does not mean stealing, selling drugs and shooting people at parties ok. But then if I was poor, and bad at school and saw no other way...nope, would still be on the straight and narrow. I could not do jail. Crime only pays for those higher up. You might live well for a while but you will not make it out. And would not that be the goal, to get out!?

COMPUTER!!!! GAH!

Starr was an interesting character to watch grow. She was very, very weak. However, I enjoyed seeing it. I enjoyed listening to her internal debate and complex. It did upset how after the situation she was scared of her boyfriend because he was white and so was the cop. Yes, she gets over it, but still….I love the boyfriend though and how he stuck by her in through of all this mess. Showed that he truly loved her.

I liked Starr’s parents a lot even though I disagreed with some of the father’s ideas and thinking. Sure he was able to get a fresh start after going to jail from his life of crime. Kuddos to him!! However, it really bothered me that he excused the behavior that crime is okay because it is a step towards becoming a good person and becoming respectable and getting out of that life. Oorrrrrrr not be in that life. Be like Starr’s mom and uncle. Go to school and become a nurse or a detective.

[Again...Carole disappears] Carole!!!!! Where art thou?

Also all white people suck. I learned that. White people are only tolerated if they like the same things, like Chris, who was a wigga. That makes me sad. Like all black people hate all white people :/

Omg Carole you are here!

I’m hereeeee! Holy cannoli. Sorry I keep having issues and leaving you here all alone! Hopefully no other issues arise *looks around scared*

So! Yes, I felt so bad for Chris. He loves Starr so much, but he is so judged because he is white. Not fair at all. He is a good guy. I loved Maya too. Hailey needed a kick in the teeth. She was a little BYOTCH.

Yes, stop being friends with Hailey! Ugh, Hailey. But I loved how Chris always tried to cheer her, Starr, up, such a sweetie. And she needed a guy like that, normal plain Chris.

I loved the Dad’s nicknames for Chris. They made me laugh. I also loved his, “Chris? What kind of boring name is that!” Hahahaha. The Dad was funny. I feel like he was comic relief in a lot of ways.

Lol, oh the dad, yes he was not easy on Chris ;) And Chris IS a boring name. Sorry Chris! I also liked how the dad had gotten out of the criminal lifestyle. I would have rather read a book about that.

I would love a story about the Dad and the Mom. That would be a good read. I want to see them and see what happened in more detail. I want to understand WHY she stayed with him when she had SO many reasons to leave. He was not a good guy for a long while there. But she stayed and now he is a business owner and is a good guy.

Yes, that would be a strong story. She stayed by him and that could not have been easy, but he got out. He changed and they got their kids into a good school so their kids could get out.

That would an amazing story. I would read it.

Now that could make me cry! Write that!

Yes, yes! I don’t want it to be a short story. I would the WHOLE story written down. From when they met to right before Kahlil’s murder.

Yes, a good story. While this, eh, could have been better.

I’ll admit the first couple of chapters were rough to get through. I feel like the author was trying WAY too hard to get the reader to slide into this world and see from this POV. I get the dialogue sounding legit, but the rest of the paragraph? It was too much. After a while, the author did get better and calmed down a bit. However, like I said earlier, there was too much going on. It was hard to focus on the main story-line.

Yes, too much going on, some things could have been left out. I get that she wanted to tell all these stories and tie it together at the end, but it did not add to the story.

Maybe those extra stories could’ve been told in other stories. For example, maybe Seven could’ve had his own book going over the drama of his Mom and whatnot. There was a lot going on and I feel it took away from the emotion for me. However, I did enjoy reading all the drama...I’m a sucker for drama like that! LOL

A Seven book, a DeVante book, yup I could see that and that would have worked well. Now, too much.

Drama is good and all, but it does not make this book the star everyone claims it to be. ANd I thought we would be all over it and instead, hype, total hype, and dunno what everyone see in it when they claim best book of the year.

Agreed. All the extra sideline stories took away the main objective of the story. Don’t kill innocent people and that Black Live Matters. That was what the author was going for. It is there, but buried deep at some points of the story. My main takeaway from reading this is...own up to your faults and your mistakes. If the cop had flat-out said that it was an accident and he got scared. Don’t make the victim the enemy. You messed up. Take responsibility for your error. There was no reason for all of this to be prolonged and etc.

They never do, they never do :/ And yes that prime objective of the story would have made it powerful, but she tried to tell so many other things too.

At least it gave us a good discussion :D Wohooo, since some books we have nothing to say about

I will give this book props...there is a lot to discuss. I feel we can go on and on. My only issue with the book was the writing and too many stories going on. Is this book of the year? No. But it was worth a read for sure.

It is the perfect book to read in school and discuss. I do feel every school should do just that. So many different things to discuss

Yes. I can see this being a book kids in school could read. Granted there are a lot of swear words, but nothing any of those kids hadn’t heard before.

Lol swear words, yes, I am sure they have never heard those, but I also know how schools and parents are. But F that. They should still read it and discuss. These things are important and swear words never killed anyone. Guns do.

*nods* Yes. I agree full-heartedly. It is interesting and should be read and discussed.

S0, anything more to add?

Mhmmm there is a lot to discuss, but I feel we went through a lot. One of the longer discussions we had! But overall, I liked the story. It wasn’t amazing. It was good and a must-read especially with what is going on in the world. It is good for the brain to read from other POVs. I would love to see this discussed in schools. I say read it.

Yes good, but not amazing, and also a book that should not just be read. You should really talk about it afterwards.

A perfect book for group discussions or on a one-on-one basis like us. Anything else?

Nope. All good.

The end! Until 2018!!! :D

Yay.