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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
Synopsis:
Bri was basically rapping before she could walk. For as long as she can remember, she has dreamed of having a stage to command and at 16 her dream hasn't changed But so much holds her back - her gender, the extreme poverty she was born into, an dangerous figures in her neighborhood who don't want her to succeed. On the Come Up is the story of her coming of age, sorting out feelings for her best friend, and trying to survive her circumstances.
Review:
It was beautiful to see a YA contemporary so entrenched in the vernacular and culture of black youth. Dialogue-driven and unflinching, I fell headfirst into Bri's world. Like THUG, On the Come Up is a theme-heavy novel, with multiple conversations about drug selling in poor black/latinx communities, the politics of the music industry, feminism as it relates to black women, and the criminalization of black/latinx kids at school. This last theme impacted me the most heavily: it reminded me of so many times that I, as a black student, was targeted by teachers, principals, and students, and made to feel unwelcome in education. So often, school informs other students on how to treat one another, and the perception of black kids as "aggressive" and "unruly", sticks with them for their entire lives, ultimately influencing how we are treated in society as a whole.
Overall, this book had so much say and so did Bri. She is a headstrong character, one who loves deeply and speaks before she thinks about the consequences of her words. I loved that she wasn't perfect. Although not explicitly stated in the book, she certainly has PTSD and is triggered throughout the novel as she experiences racism and sexism. We often exclude black kids from the conversation of mental health, so i encourage you to go into this novel thinking about how her situation has impacted her wellness and emotional intelligence.
My main issues with the book was a rushed ending; it felt bumbled, too much resolved in a short span of pages, and much went without being addressed. I would've liked to see Bri engage more with the consequences of some of her actions, either to condemn or stand by them after she reflected.
I also didn't feel that the book utilized rapping in the best way - I went into this novel thinking rap would be a bigger part of the story. I would've liked to see her use verse far more often than she did.
This book addresses many stereotypes we have toward black folks. It has many conversations that some may find uncomfortable, but those conversations are so important and eye opening if you are willing to have them.
Bri was basically rapping before she could walk. For as long as she can remember, she has dreamed of having a stage to command and at 16 her dream hasn't changed But so much holds her back - her gender, the extreme poverty she was born into, an dangerous figures in her neighborhood who don't want her to succeed. On the Come Up is the story of her coming of age, sorting out feelings for her best friend, and trying to survive her circumstances.
Review:
It was beautiful to see a YA contemporary so entrenched in the vernacular and culture of black youth. Dialogue-driven and unflinching, I fell headfirst into Bri's world. Like THUG, On the Come Up is a theme-heavy novel, with multiple conversations about drug selling in poor black/latinx communities, the politics of the music industry, feminism as it relates to black women, and the criminalization of black/latinx kids at school. This last theme impacted me the most heavily: it reminded me of so many times that I, as a black student, was targeted by teachers, principals, and students, and made to feel unwelcome in education. So often, school informs other students on how to treat one another, and the perception of black kids as "aggressive" and "unruly", sticks with them for their entire lives, ultimately influencing how we are treated in society as a whole.
Overall, this book had so much say and so did Bri. She is a headstrong character, one who loves deeply and speaks before she thinks about the consequences of her words. I loved that she wasn't perfect. Although not explicitly stated in the book, she certainly has PTSD and is triggered throughout the novel as she experiences racism and sexism. We often exclude black kids from the conversation of mental health, so i encourage you to go into this novel thinking about how her situation has impacted her wellness and emotional intelligence.
My main issues with the book was a rushed ending; it felt bumbled, too much resolved in a short span of pages, and much went without being addressed. I would've liked to see Bri engage more with the consequences of some of her actions, either to condemn or stand by them after she reflected.
I also didn't feel that the book utilized rapping in the best way - I went into this novel thinking rap would be a bigger part of the story. I would've liked to see her use verse far more often than she did.
This book addresses many stereotypes we have toward black folks. It has many conversations that some may find uncomfortable, but those conversations are so important and eye opening if you are willing to have them.
This was a bit of a hard read for me since, as a middle-aged white woman from the Southwest suburbs, I am SO not the book's target audience! The language was strong (F-bombs on every page) and there were lots of terms, slang, and cultural references that I just didn't get. That being said, I think it's important for all kids to feel represented in YA lit and this book reps a lot of people/lifestyles/cultures that aren't often found in this genre. Reading about them helps those who are outside them understand them better and empathize with the problems those within them face. ON THE COME UP is an eye-opening read in that aspect. I appreciate that look into a lifestyle/culture different from mine. I also appreciate the book's universal themes of standing up for one's self, daring to dream in spite of difficult circumstances, working towards goals, and the power of strong friendships and families. Bri is a sympathetic heroine, one who's easy to root for. Her story seemed very wordy to me, though, so it took me several days to get through the book. All in all, I think ON THE COME UP is a well-written novel with important themes and I liked it overall, but I didn't end up loving it.
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
I loved “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, so there was no doubt I’ll pick up “On The Come Up” too, as soon as I could get my hands on it. Which isn’t very soon, but hey, not too late yet. The book was absolutely brilliant too.
About: Bri’s life was never easy. A black girl in a pretend-progressive school she witnessed her share of racial profiling, singling out and punishing the kids of color on daily basis, while white kids got away with a lot without even a comment. At home there’s other kinds of problems. Like, her shoes falling apart, gas getting turned off, late rent, constant shortage of everything. Her father was shot, her brother, with all of his education, moved back with his mother and works as a pizza maker to help them meet the ends, and their mother has barely gotten out of a drug slum which she fell into grieving. All Bri wants is to make it, become as great a rap star as her father was, greater even, so she can help everyone out, stop the struggles, get her loved ones off streets, hell, get new shoes… But we all know that path to success is rarely paved with roses. And so, one day she’s singled out, she’s the black girl who didn’t cooperate. She’s on the ground, cuffed. And every phone is pointed at her.
Mine: If you compare American white authors written YA parents, and those of an author of color… I think most of us in Europe will see our parents in the latter ones. There’s this strong love and caring, without the cliche nonsense where a parent is either too understanding, too dumbly kind, or too great of an opposition against their child. Bri’s mother did all she could, sacrificed all she had, and gave her children everything. She lived and survived for them through the worst of it. But it didn’t mean she can now read their thoughts or understand everything, and approve of everything. They spoke, like adults, like child and mother, and they figured things out. You know, the way real world works or tries to work. On top of that, the plot is so amazingly well written, with every side-story so well woven into it, that for once I was just happy to read natural, organic conversations and events. Everyone was their own person, with none of those lines where you read it, you read a response to it, and you just know author wrote all of that just so this character could say this thing. And, I know I’ve spoken in length about it now, but seriously, this is such a good book about real struggles, real poverty, real stressful guilt that you honestly need something when you’ve got nothing… I loved it.
This is a quality read. Especially if you like rap rhymes, oh boy these are nice! Just like The Hate U Give, this one too gets 5 out of 5, and I am sure going to read whatever’s next for Angie Thomas.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
I loved “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, so there was no doubt I’ll pick up “On The Come Up” too, as soon as I could get my hands on it. Which isn’t very soon, but hey, not too late yet. The book was absolutely brilliant too.
About: Bri’s life was never easy. A black girl in a pretend-progressive school she witnessed her share of racial profiling, singling out and punishing the kids of color on daily basis, while white kids got away with a lot without even a comment. At home there’s other kinds of problems. Like, her shoes falling apart, gas getting turned off, late rent, constant shortage of everything. Her father was shot, her brother, with all of his education, moved back with his mother and works as a pizza maker to help them meet the ends, and their mother has barely gotten out of a drug slum which she fell into grieving. All Bri wants is to make it, become as great a rap star as her father was, greater even, so she can help everyone out, stop the struggles, get her loved ones off streets, hell, get new shoes… But we all know that path to success is rarely paved with roses. And so, one day she’s singled out, she’s the black girl who didn’t cooperate. She’s on the ground, cuffed. And every phone is pointed at her.
Mine: If you compare American white authors written YA parents, and those of an author of color… I think most of us in Europe will see our parents in the latter ones. There’s this strong love and caring, without the cliche nonsense where a parent is either too understanding, too dumbly kind, or too great of an opposition against their child. Bri’s mother did all she could, sacrificed all she had, and gave her children everything. She lived and survived for them through the worst of it. But it didn’t mean she can now read their thoughts or understand everything, and approve of everything. They spoke, like adults, like child and mother, and they figured things out. You know, the way real world works or tries to work. On top of that, the plot is so amazingly well written, with every side-story so well woven into it, that for once I was just happy to read natural, organic conversations and events. Everyone was their own person, with none of those lines where you read it, you read a response to it, and you just know author wrote all of that just so this character could say this thing. And, I know I’ve spoken in length about it now, but seriously, this is such a good book about real struggles, real poverty, real stressful guilt that you honestly need something when you’ve got nothing… I loved it.
This is a quality read. Especially if you like rap rhymes, oh boy these are nice! Just like The Hate U Give, this one too gets 5 out of 5, and I am sure going to read whatever’s next for Angie Thomas.
Who are you?
This was a great YA read. Followed the usual coming of age ideas. But the biggest thing about this is that Bri didn't just grow up in this book, she learned a lot more about who she is, where she came from and where she wants to go.
Favorite quote: "Those shoes didn't birth you, look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."
This was a great YA read. Followed the usual coming of age ideas. But the biggest thing about this is that Bri didn't just grow up in this book, she learned a lot more about who she is, where she came from and where she wants to go.
Favorite quote: "Those shoes didn't birth you, look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."
I am so glad my teacher gave me the opportunity to read this!!!!! If she hadn't, I probably would not have read this. I was hesitant to go into this book, since I am not a fan of rap. What made me want to read it was that if you couldn't tell from the fact that the title of Thomas's first book was inspired by the words of a famous rapper- Angie Thomas has a large amount of respect for this genre and isn't trying to reference it because it is popular. I will say that it will be easy for fans of 'The Hate U Give' to make comparisons since there will be some similar themes and character tropes that will seem familiar. But another thing that you will see is a focus on family and identity. But what will stand out about On the Come Up is not letting people's perceptions of you (built on negative racial stereotypes or otherwise) define who you are.
Very good book I like how it tied in from The Hate You Give. She stayed true to the characters can’t wait to see this as a movie
Y’all, Angie Thomas is SUCH a good writer.
On the Come Up: YA with a main character who feels like she could step right off the page. This book really got me, Bri is a hot head with a mouth, but the consequences for her are so much more... I was 3/4 of the way through and had NO IDEA how ANY of the threads of this story were going to resolve. Told my family they needed to thank me for the great act of love it took for me to put it down and make them dinner...
Great book.
Great story.
Characters who seem to live and breathe.
Can. Not. Wait. To put this in the hands of some of the teens I work with. ❤️❤️❤️
On the Come Up: YA with a main character who feels like she could step right off the page. This book really got me, Bri is a hot head with a mouth, but the consequences for her are so much more... I was 3/4 of the way through and had NO IDEA how ANY of the threads of this story were going to resolve. Told my family they needed to thank me for the great act of love it took for me to put it down and make them dinner...
Great book.
Great story.
Characters who seem to live and breathe.
Can. Not. Wait. To put this in the hands of some of the teens I work with. ❤️❤️❤️
As a lover of hip hop, I really really enjoyed this book. I was cheering and rooting for Bre the entire book. Although Angie’s books can get depressing, they are because the issues she addresses are very real life. Love her books on audible even more !
After reading The Hate You Give when it came out I was excited to read what Angie Thomas was working on next. Although I enjoyed THUG, I didn't love it as much as everyone else but still thought that her writing and characters were great to continue reading her work. This leads me to be less than surprised when I fell in love with On The Come Up, it was also great to read with Alex and Rachel to see where our views differed.
From the moment I started On The Come Up I knew I was going to love it, I was pulled into Bri's world and didn't want to leave, it is probably one of the only books I liked being over 400 pages. From the start, we get the sense that Bri's home life is not the best and that her family struggles. This, although is hard to read about, was a part of the book that I liked to read as this idea is not often tackled in YA books. This is something that Angie Thomas does so well, tackling issues that we need to see more of in YA.
With this focusing so much on Bri's family life, one of the strongest parts of this book is clearly the family relationship. I loved the relationship between her Mum and brother, this was something that develops throughout the novel and evolves into something that is fleshed out and a notable part of the story. I also loved the relationship with her Aunt Pooh because, although starting off as something small, it becomes something more central to the plot.
This relationship also leads to more complex ideas of the book including the inclusion of drugs and the assumptions that black people have to face in daily life. This is something that Angie Thomas does so well in her books, tackling real-life issues that are intertwined with a narrative. I also think that with a character like Bri, who is so complex, handles all that the world throws at her and I loved that. I, also, felt that I connected well with Bri as well, there were so many characteristics and parts of her personality that I did like and kept me invested in the story. Bri also has a strong connection with her friends and I loved this about the story, especially as they had their own stories and paths to follow themselves.
The book, obviously, following rapping and Bri on the come up (I had to) on her rise to fame and I loved this part. The way that the lyrics were embedded into the story was great and I loved this. This was definitely the part of the story that turned my head and I knew that I was heavily invested into the story. There is nothing that I really disliked about, On The Come Up, I just loved it.
The Verdict:
On The Come Up is yet another amazing book by Angie Thomas that demands to be read by all.
From the moment I started On The Come Up I knew I was going to love it, I was pulled into Bri's world and didn't want to leave, it is probably one of the only books I liked being over 400 pages. From the start, we get the sense that Bri's home life is not the best and that her family struggles. This, although is hard to read about, was a part of the book that I liked to read as this idea is not often tackled in YA books. This is something that Angie Thomas does so well, tackling issues that we need to see more of in YA.
With this focusing so much on Bri's family life, one of the strongest parts of this book is clearly the family relationship. I loved the relationship between her Mum and brother, this was something that develops throughout the novel and evolves into something that is fleshed out and a notable part of the story. I also loved the relationship with her Aunt Pooh because, although starting off as something small, it becomes something more central to the plot.
This relationship also leads to more complex ideas of the book including the inclusion of drugs and the assumptions that black people have to face in daily life. This is something that Angie Thomas does so well in her books, tackling real-life issues that are intertwined with a narrative. I also think that with a character like Bri, who is so complex, handles all that the world throws at her and I loved that. I, also, felt that I connected well with Bri as well, there were so many characteristics and parts of her personality that I did like and kept me invested in the story. Bri also has a strong connection with her friends and I loved this about the story, especially as they had their own stories and paths to follow themselves.
The book, obviously, following rapping and Bri on the come up (I had to) on her rise to fame and I loved this part. The way that the lyrics were embedded into the story was great and I loved this. This was definitely the part of the story that turned my head and I knew that I was heavily invested into the story. There is nothing that I really disliked about, On The Come Up, I just loved it.
The Verdict:
On The Come Up is yet another amazing book by Angie Thomas that demands to be read by all.