Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

Starred Review Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two very different worlds: one is her home in a poor black urban neighborhood; the other is the tony suburban prep school she attends and the white boy she dates there. Her bifurcated life changes dramatically when she is the only witness to the unprovoked police shooting of her unarmed friend Khalil and is challenged to speak out ough with trepidation out the injustices being done in the event's wake. As the case becomes national news, violence erupts in her neighborhood, and Starr finds herself and her family caught in the middle. Difficulties are exacerbated by their encounters with the local drug lord for whom Khalil was dealing to earn money for his impoverished family. If there is to be hope for change, Starr comes to realize, it must be through the exercise of her voice, even if it puts her and her family in harm's way. Thomas' debut, both a searing indictment of injustice and a clear-eyed, dramatic examination of the complexities of race in America, invites deep thoughts about our social fabric, ethics, morality, and justice. Beautifully written in Starr's authentic first-person voice, this is a marvel of verisimilitude as it insightfully examines two worlds in collision. An inarguably important book that demands the widest possible readership. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: From the moment this book sold, it has been high-profile. An in-the-works movie adaptation will further push this to the head of the class.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is a black girl and an expert at navigating the two worlds she exists in: one at Garden Heights, her black neighborhood, and the other at Williamson Prep, her suburban, mostly white high school. Walking the line between the two becomes immensely harder when Starr is present at the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, by a white police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Khalil's death becomes national news, where he's called a thug and possible drug dealer and gangbanger. His death becomes justified in the eyes of many, including one of Starr's best friends at school. The police's lackadaisical attitude sparks anger and then protests in the community, turning it into a war zone. Questions remain about what happened in the moments leading to Khalil's death, and the only witness is Starr, who must now decide what to say or do, if anything. Thomas cuts to the heart of the matter for Starr and for so many like her, laying bare the systemic racism that undergirds her world, and she does so honestly and inescapably, balancing heartbreak and humor. With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr's natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family. This story is necessary. This story is important. (Fiction. 14 & up)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Gr 8 Up-After Starr and her childhood friend Khalil, both black, leave a party together, they are pulled over by a white police officer, who kills Khalil. The sole witness to the homicide, Starr must testify before a grand jury that will decide whether to indict the cop, and she's terrified, especially as emotions run high. By turns frightened, discouraged, enraged, and impassioned, Starr is authentically adolescent in her reactions. Inhabiting two vastly different spheres—her poor, predominantly black neighborhood, Garden Heights, where gangs are a fact of life, and her rich, mostly white private school—causes strain, and Thomas perceptively illustrates how the personal is political: Starr is disturbed by the racism of her white friend Hailey, who writes Khalil off as a drug dealer, and Starr's father is torn between his desire to support Garden Heights and his need to move his family to a safer environment. The first-person, present-tense narrative is immediate and intense, and the pacing is strong, with Thomas balancing dramatic scenes of violence and protest with moments of reflection. The characterization is slightly uneven; at times, Starr's friends at school feel thinly fleshed out. However, Starr, her family, and the individuals in their neighborhood are achingly real and lovingly crafted. VERDICT Pair this powerful debut with Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys to start a conversation on racism, police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement.— Mahnaz Dar , School Library Journal

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

African American sixteen-year-old Starr Carter lives a life caught between her rough, predominantly black neighborhood and the "proper," predominantly white prep school she attends. This precarious balance is broken when Starr witnesses the shooting of her (unarmed) childhood friend Khalil by a police officer. Debut author Thomas is adept at capturing the voices of multiple characters in her powerful, in-your-face novel.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is a black girl and an expert at navigating the two worlds she exists in: one at Garden Heights, her black neighborhood, and the other at Williamson Prep, her suburban, mostly white high school. Walking the line between the two becomes immensely harder when Starr is present at the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, by a white police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Khalil's death becomes national news, where he's called a thug and possible drug dealer and gangbanger. His death becomes justified in the eyes of many, including one of Starr's best friends at school. The police's lackadaisical attitude sparks anger and then protests in the community, turning it into a war zone. Questions remain about what happened in the moments leading to Khalil's death, and the only witness is Starr, who must now decide what to say or do, if anything. Thomas cuts to the heart of the matter for Starr and for so many like her, laying bare the systemic racism that undergirds her world, and she does so honestly and inescapably, balancing heartbreak and humor. With smooth but powerful prose delivered in Starr's natural, emphatic voice, finely nuanced characters, and intricate and realistic relationship dynamics, this novel will have readers rooting for Starr and opening their hearts to her friends and family. This story is necessary. This story is important. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

At home in a neighborhood riven with gang strife, Starr Carter, 16, is both the grocer-s daughter and an outsider, because she attends private school many miles away. But at Williamson Prep, where she-s among a handful of black students, she can-t be herself either: no slang, no anger, no attitude. That version of herself--Williamson Starr---doesn-t give anyone a reason to call her ghetto.- She-s already wrestling with what Du Bois called -double consciousness- when she accepts a ride home from Khalil, a childhood friend, who is then pulled over and shot dead by a white cop. Starr-s voice commands attention from page one, a conflicted but clear-eyed lens through which debut author Thomas examines Khalil-s killing, casual racism at Williamson, and Starr-s strained relationship with her white boyfriend. Though Thomas-s story is heartbreakingly topical, its greatest strength is in its authentic depiction of a teenage girl, her loving family, and her attempts to reconcile what she knows to be true about their lives with the way those lives are depicted-and completely undervalued-by society at large. Ages 14-up. Agent: Brooks Sherman, Bent Agency. (Feb.)

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.” This is what sixteen-year-old Starr Carter’s mother tells her after she experiences the worst night of her life. After attending a party that she was not supposed to be at, shots ring out. Starr and her childhood friend Khalil safely escape and begin their drive home, but not long after, they see blue flashing lights in the rearview mirror so Khalil pulls over. These are the last few minutes of his life. Starr is living between two worlds: her predominantly white private school and life in an impoverished African American neighborhood. At school, Starr finds herself censoring the way she talks and acts, but at home she feels like an outsider too. Things get exponentially worse after Khalil is murdered by the police officer. Starr struggles with being the one left alive, being the only witness to a horrific crime, and how she should honor Khalil’s memory, all while trying to keep herself and her family safe. The Hate U Give is an important and timely novel that reflects the world today’s teens inhabit. With news reports seeming to constantly feature police brutality, Thomas gives an honest and true voice to a victim. Starr’s struggles create a complex character, and Thomas boldly tackles topics like racism, gangs, police violence, and interracial dating. Authenticity is critical in novels, and Thomas delivers an authentic plot with realistic, relatable characters. This novel educates readers from any background about the police brutality and racism that led to the Black Lives Matter movement. This topical, necessary story is highly recommended for all libraries.—Loryn Aman.