The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is a book that disturbed me, intrigued me, and had me determined to finish it even if I had to take a break from reading it for a few weeks! In this controversial, realistic fiction, a traumatic event occurs in which a young man, Khalil, is shot by the police with his friend, Starr Carter (the book's protagonist), was watching it all happen before her eyes. Now, she has to decide whether or not to testify to fight for her beliefs and protect her neighborhood. The language is rough throughout the book and the situations are realistic, but also a bit dramatized. However, I live in a sheltered world, so what the characters in this book have experienced and are exposed to I only have seen or read about through media. The ending, without spoiling it, seems as though everything is resolved; however, there are still major issues that as the reader, we know will continue: the opinions on police brutality; racial tension; and gangs. I do highly recommend this book, but full disclosure it can can be controversial, at times uncomfortable to read, and some could view it as biased or one-sided.