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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
I listened to this as an audiobook and found it entertaining. Brie is certainly a determined, opinionated, teenager with some really tough circumstances. She dreams of being a rapper and gets caught up in some of the ups and downs of social media when she is trying to make a name for herself. Those parts are realistic and also sad how ruthless the internet can be some times.
I really like the relationships and storylines with her Mom, brother, and two best friends.
However, some of her choices made me so frustrated as a reader! Ahh!
The author does capture a multidimensional picture of kids who travel to another neighborhood to go to school and some of the code shifting they are expected to do.
It was a captivating read.
Some of the rapping portions of the book didn't translate as well in my imagination as some of the other scenes though.
I really like the relationships and storylines with her Mom, brother, and two best friends.
However, some of her choices made me so frustrated as a reader! Ahh!
The author does capture a multidimensional picture of kids who travel to another neighborhood to go to school and some of the code shifting they are expected to do.
It was a captivating read.
Some of the rapping portions of the book didn't translate as well in my imagination as some of the other scenes though.
DISCLAIMER: It's been a while since I read this book but I'm going back to do reviews for all the books I've read since 2018, so forgive any lapses of memory.
I don't really read much YA anymore, but I'm studying to become a high school English teacher, and if I'm allowed to create a little classroom library, Angie Thomas' books are the first ones I'm putting into that library. This book (and The Hate U Give) are what YA books are supposed to be, I think- written in a way that teens can appreciate and understand, but not talking down or written in a boring "marketable" bullshit style. I love this book, I love Bri, I love how much she feels like a real human person who makes mistakes and has thoughts and desires and problems and personality traits and stuff. Highly recommend.
I don't really read much YA anymore, but I'm studying to become a high school English teacher, and if I'm allowed to create a little classroom library, Angie Thomas' books are the first ones I'm putting into that library. This book (and The Hate U Give) are what YA books are supposed to be, I think- written in a way that teens can appreciate and understand, but not talking down or written in a boring "marketable" bullshit style. I love this book, I love Bri, I love how much she feels like a real human person who makes mistakes and has thoughts and desires and problems and personality traits and stuff. Highly recommend.
On the Come Up further cements Angie Thomas as one of the most important voices of our generation.
The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas’s debut novel, is, in my opinion, one of the most important books of our generation, as it expertly tackles the issues of racism and police violence head-on. On the Come Up looks at similar and new issues through a set of fresh lenses that deserve just as much attention.
On the Come Up is set a year after the events of The Hate U Give and shifts narrators to sixteen-year-old Bri, the daughter of an underground hip-hop legend who died right before he got big. Similarly, it’s Bri’s dream to become one of the greatest rappers of all time; however, the pursuit of her dream is made harder when her mother loses her job, leaving her family on the verge of homelessness. This along with an incident at her school all channel into Bri’s first song, which goes viral. However, this comes at a price. Bri’s song gets thrown into the media’s sight, leaving them to misinterpret her lyrics and attack Bri’s character.
Bri is a very different character from Starr from THUG; however, she is also a much more interesting character to follow because she feels like an authentic teenager. She’s impulsive, stubborn, and sometimes outright rude. She gets into fights and has a complicated relationship with the majority of the characters. The thing is Bri also has heart. The things she does through the course of the book are usually because she’s trying to get her “come up” (fame, money) to help the people around her. The pursuit of her come up leads Bri to even considering sacrificing defining parts of herself. I felt every bit of pain and anger she felt throughout as she has to watch her mother and brother struggle to pay the bills, as her aunt gets buried deeper into the world of drug dealing, as security guards at her school target the black and Latinx students for searches, as people make sexist remarks to her as a female rapper and try to shush her voice. There’s no shortage of pain in this book, but none of it feels gratuitous. Everything Bri experiences feels and is real to so many people.
On the Come Up is just as important as The Hate U Give, and I’m glad to see novels like these that don’t shy away from the real problems going on in the world. You’ll find no sugar coating from Angie Thomas, which adds to her importance as a defining author of this generation. (Also, she can write some crazy good verses. All the raps in this book are phenomenal, and I’d love to hear them recorded.) Fittingly, On the Come Up has already been picked up to be adapted to screen as a full motion picture, and I cannot wait to see it.
On the Come Up is yet another stunning book from Angie Thomas, and I can’t wait to see what this author serves in her incoming third novel.
The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas’s debut novel, is, in my opinion, one of the most important books of our generation, as it expertly tackles the issues of racism and police violence head-on. On the Come Up looks at similar and new issues through a set of fresh lenses that deserve just as much attention.
On the Come Up is set a year after the events of The Hate U Give and shifts narrators to sixteen-year-old Bri, the daughter of an underground hip-hop legend who died right before he got big. Similarly, it’s Bri’s dream to become one of the greatest rappers of all time; however, the pursuit of her dream is made harder when her mother loses her job, leaving her family on the verge of homelessness. This along with an incident at her school all channel into Bri’s first song, which goes viral. However, this comes at a price. Bri’s song gets thrown into the media’s sight, leaving them to misinterpret her lyrics and attack Bri’s character.
Bri is a very different character from Starr from THUG; however, she is also a much more interesting character to follow because she feels like an authentic teenager. She’s impulsive, stubborn, and sometimes outright rude. She gets into fights and has a complicated relationship with the majority of the characters. The thing is Bri also has heart. The things she does through the course of the book are usually because she’s trying to get her “come up” (fame, money) to help the people around her. The pursuit of her come up leads Bri to even considering sacrificing defining parts of herself. I felt every bit of pain and anger she felt throughout as she has to watch her mother and brother struggle to pay the bills, as her aunt gets buried deeper into the world of drug dealing, as security guards at her school target the black and Latinx students for searches, as people make sexist remarks to her as a female rapper and try to shush her voice. There’s no shortage of pain in this book, but none of it feels gratuitous. Everything Bri experiences feels and is real to so many people.
On the Come Up is just as important as The Hate U Give, and I’m glad to see novels like these that don’t shy away from the real problems going on in the world. You’ll find no sugar coating from Angie Thomas, which adds to her importance as a defining author of this generation. (Also, she can write some crazy good verses. All the raps in this book are phenomenal, and I’d love to hear them recorded.) Fittingly, On the Come Up has already been picked up to be adapted to screen as a full motion picture, and I cannot wait to see it.
On the Come Up is yet another stunning book from Angie Thomas, and I can’t wait to see what this author serves in her incoming third novel.
This book was amazing. I absolutely love Angie Thomas’s writing style and how she portrays characters in her books. I was going through every emotion. I would definitely recommend.
3.4/5
I listened to this book via Audible and the narrator was the same girl who read The Hate U Give. They could not have picked a better person for that. Being able to hear her rap was so much better than trying to figure out how to read it myself.
The biggest reason I felt like this book was a 3.4/5 stars:
1. I was not captivated as much as The Hate U Give. I loved the fact that it was set in Garden Heights again and had all new characters, but I was not dying to read this book.
2. I am also not a huge fan of Rap music, so I did have a harder time finishing it for that reason too.
3. The book seemed to have lacked connection between the reader and the characters. I did not feel attached to any of them.
Overall, I had a higher expectation for this book. It started off pretty strong and then slowly went down. Nevertheless, I would love to read another book from this author in the future.
I listened to this book via Audible and the narrator was the same girl who read The Hate U Give. They could not have picked a better person for that. Being able to hear her rap was so much better than trying to figure out how to read it myself.
The biggest reason I felt like this book was a 3.4/5 stars:
1. I was not captivated as much as The Hate U Give. I loved the fact that it was set in Garden Heights again and had all new characters, but I was not dying to read this book.
2. I am also not a huge fan of Rap music, so I did have a harder time finishing it for that reason too.
3. The book seemed to have lacked connection between the reader and the characters. I did not feel attached to any of them.
Overall, I had a higher expectation for this book. It started off pretty strong and then slowly went down. Nevertheless, I would love to read another book from this author in the future.
3rd and final book for my 24-hour Readathon!
Brianna Jackson is the daughter of a former rapper, her father was like the king of the neighbourhood. But Brianna never wanted to get recognition as the daughter of the rap legend. Her father passed away long ago, all her life she wanted to be a great rapper herself with her own skill. She was actually on her way to that, until everything came crashing down. She started to have problems with her only two close friends, her mother lost job, her elder brother was struggling with everything, they were one step away from being homeless. So what should Brianna do?
Never in any YA novel I've seen such an amazingly bad-ass female character. Of course when the author portrays a character as a rapper, she/he is supposed to be kinda bad-ass, but Bri seriously gave a different vibe. I love love love her! I was a sweet surprise all 3 of the books for my twenty-four hour readathon revolved around friendship, I'm a happy person. Everyone talks about Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give". Comparatively, this book seems under-appreciated to me. It deserves a lot more love.
Brianna Jackson is the daughter of a former rapper, her father was like the king of the neighbourhood. But Brianna never wanted to get recognition as the daughter of the rap legend. Her father passed away long ago, all her life she wanted to be a great rapper herself with her own skill. She was actually on her way to that, until everything came crashing down. She started to have problems with her only two close friends, her mother lost job, her elder brother was struggling with everything, they were one step away from being homeless. So what should Brianna do?
Never in any YA novel I've seen such an amazingly bad-ass female character. Of course when the author portrays a character as a rapper, she/he is supposed to be kinda bad-ass, but Bri seriously gave a different vibe. I love love love her! I was a sweet surprise all 3 of the books for my twenty-four hour readathon revolved around friendship, I'm a happy person. Everyone talks about Angie Thomas' "The Hate U Give". Comparatively, this book seems under-appreciated to me. It deserves a lot more love.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Police brutality
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story is interesting, but I felt like the pace was too slow. The audiobook performance is fantastic.
3.5 out of 5 stars. It actually took mr awhile to get into it, but it was worth the read in the end! Love Angie Thomas!