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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
I want more Brii!!! Compared to The Hate U Give, this time round Angie Thomas really succeeds in merging the reader with the protagonist and I am just so in love with BRiii.
On one hand, It was sorta painful to keep on reading, because everything hurts dammit! But I just wanted to knoow and to see her succeed... Bri is so cool y'all.
13/06/2019 edit:
You lot, I'm reversing my rating back to five stars because screw all the Bri haters, she's flawed, so what? If I were Bri, I'd be highly unstable too, ya judgmental dickheads. Anyways, it's way more fun to read if your character has a personality that isn't 'I have to find my voice, then I do-ish and nothing really happens, except, of course, me beating up my friend of 10 years because she's actually super racist whoop-di-doo what is happeniing.' (btw I support beating up racists)
On one hand, It was sorta painful to keep on reading, because everything hurts dammit! But I just wanted to knoow and to see her succeed... Bri is so cool y'all.
13/06/2019 edit:
You lot, I'm reversing my rating back to five stars because screw all the Bri haters, she's flawed, so what? If I were Bri, I'd be highly unstable too, ya judgmental dickheads. Anyways, it's way more fun to read if your character has a personality that isn't 'I have to find my voice, then I do-ish and nothing really happens, except, of course, me beating up my friend of 10 years because she's actually super racist whoop-di-doo what is happeniing.' (btw I support beating up racists)
On the Come Up is such a great read! I loved Bri's rapping, I loved her characterization, I loved her boldness, and I loved her family. Her and Curtis are adorable together. Sonny is the best. I love Pooh and her girlfriend. Thank you, and goodnight.
The problem with reading an Angie Thomas book is that I want EVERY book to be like an Angie Thomas book. So often, authors of YA novels write their teens with vocabularies most adults don't have. But Thomas' characters are real, believable, and become a part of me. Yes, black kids from the hood become a part of a middle-aged, suburban, white woman. You KNOW that takes talented writing.
Main character Bri is following in her rapper-dad's footsteps - on the outside looking in. In reality, she's figuring out who she is. The depth of her character goes far, but so does the depth of the family and friends around her. I've never been through what her mother, Jay, has been through. And yet, just being a mom I could feel her heartache. Bri's brother Trey, her BFFs Malik and Sonny, and even Curtis - the boy who's been bugging her since they were kids, all have been shaped into real people.
A view shared with most, I never like a movie as much as a book. "The Hate U Give" was different - I liked them both equally. I have a sense if "On the Come Up" is made into a movie, I'll like it just as much.
Main character Bri is following in her rapper-dad's footsteps - on the outside looking in. In reality, she's figuring out who she is. The depth of her character goes far, but so does the depth of the family and friends around her. I've never been through what her mother, Jay, has been through. And yet, just being a mom I could feel her heartache. Bri's brother Trey, her BFFs Malik and Sonny, and even Curtis - the boy who's been bugging her since they were kids, all have been shaped into real people.
A view shared with most, I never like a movie as much as a book. "The Hate U Give" was different - I liked them both equally. I have a sense if "On the Come Up" is made into a movie, I'll like it just as much.
[4.5 stars]
While perusing my library for summer reads, The Hate U Give caught my eye. I had previously had to read it for school, and unlike most school-assigned books, I loved it! I wasn't aware that Angie Thomas had written other books up to this point, but I saw On The Come Up next the THUG and immediately grabbed it off the shelf, almost giddy to be able to read more of Thomas' writing. And On The Come Up did not disappoint. I love that all of Thomas' books so far are set in Garden Heights, this book painted an even more vivid picture that I had of it from THUG. I loved reading the parallels between social classes in this neighborhood, with Bri being a lot less well-off than Starr in many regards.
While perusing my library for summer reads, The Hate U Give caught my eye. I had previously had to read it for school, and unlike most school-assigned books, I loved it! I wasn't aware that Angie Thomas had written other books up to this point, but I saw On The Come Up next the THUG and immediately grabbed it off the shelf, almost giddy to be able to read more of Thomas' writing. And On The Come Up did not disappoint. I love that all of Thomas' books so far are set in Garden Heights, this book painted an even more vivid picture that I had of it from THUG. I loved reading the parallels between social classes in this neighborhood, with Bri being a lot less well-off than Starr in many regards.
Spoiler
I really enjoyed the references to Khalil's death as well, showing how it could affect someone who wasn't directly involved. Thomas took the idea of mistreatment of BIPOC in white-dominated schools she had planted in THUG and brought it to a larger scale, with the security guards at Bri's school being the instigators instead of someone closer to the MC like with Hailey and Starr. I thought Bri's raps were really well written, and it was obvious Thomas was a rapper herself, which offers a very unique perspective and offers songs that you can almost imagine in your head. I also loved Miles' character, and it was a great inclusion of queer representation with a character who had so much more to him than just being queer. I also like how Bri did not know exactly how she felt about Malik, and it wasn't just happily ever after for them, it felt very accurate to actual high school relationships, especially feelings for someone you've known your whole life. Great book, can't wait to read anything else Thomas puts out!
“Not long ago, my mom asked me who I am. I’m starting to think I know. [...] If I’m nothing else, I’m them, and they’re me.”
Angie Thomas absolutely crushes her follow up to The Hate U Give. While her protagonist crafts rhymes in pursuit of her own identity, Thomas fills her pages with lyricism that honors hip-hop culture and continues her critical commentary about racial justice in today’s world.
Angie Thomas absolutely crushes her follow up to The Hate U Give. While her protagonist crafts rhymes in pursuit of her own identity, Thomas fills her pages with lyricism that honors hip-hop culture and continues her critical commentary about racial justice in today’s world.
A brilliantly written novel; a “coming of age” if you will for 16 year old Bri!!
A young girl whose BIG dream is to “make it” as a female rap artist. She learns exactly who SHE is through true friendships, family love, trials of unspoken and misspoken words. As she navigates through being known as Lil’ Lawless.. making and doing it HER way from out of her father’s footsteps in “ the Garden”.
A heartfelt and captivating read for both young and old that looks at stereotyping, class, and other stressors prophetically told through Bri... that just gives you so much hope and inspiration!!
A young girl whose BIG dream is to “make it” as a female rap artist. She learns exactly who SHE is through true friendships, family love, trials of unspoken and misspoken words. As she navigates through being known as Lil’ Lawless.. making and doing it HER way from out of her father’s footsteps in “ the Garden”.
A heartfelt and captivating read for both young and old that looks at stereotyping, class, and other stressors prophetically told through Bri... that just gives you so much hope and inspiration!!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Angie Thomas continues to be the voice for teens I've known but rarely read in such familiar, authentic tones. The deserved popularity of her books gives so many of us the privilege to know multifaceted, true portrayals of the lives of people often otherwise erased or made into numbers.
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced