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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
What I love most about Angie Thomas’s writing is how real and honest it is. Bri’s character is expertly written and defined. You feel what she feels. See what she sees. Want what she wants.
On the Come Up is about a girl with dreams, struggles and a bit of an identity crisis. To get what she wants, she has to be who she isn’t and doesn’t want to be. Each step forward is a step further away from herself.
Garden Heights, where The Hate U Give took place, is a phenomenal supporting character. Thomas puts you in the heart of the city. She’s created a world and characters that pull you in and shows you the beauty and pain that resides beyond the landscape the rest of the world sees.
On the Come Up had me laughing one minute, crying the next and then angry at the world. Sometimes all on the same page.
On the Come Up is about a girl with dreams, struggles and a bit of an identity crisis. To get what she wants, she has to be who she isn’t and doesn’t want to be. Each step forward is a step further away from herself.
Garden Heights, where The Hate U Give took place, is a phenomenal supporting character. Thomas puts you in the heart of the city. She’s created a world and characters that pull you in and shows you the beauty and pain that resides beyond the landscape the rest of the world sees.
On the Come Up had me laughing one minute, crying the next and then angry at the world. Sometimes all on the same page.
“Get the song taken down if you want. But you’ll never silence me. I got too goddamn much to say.”
On the Come Up is the story of Bri, a teen girl who dreams of making it as a rapper. Angie Thomas expertly weaves together the wit & shade of the rap world, while simultaneously navigating issues like race, poverty, substance abuse, gang violence, and more.
This book stunned me. I don't typically read YA, but the cover made me pick it up, and the premise was intriguing enough to make me give it a shot. (Young female rapper with big dreams and bigger talent? Yes please!) I loved how this story gave representation and a voice to so many marginalized communities, all while Bri sought to find her own voice in a world that would silence her. Thomas' writing is authentic yet approachable. One of my favorite reads this year!
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On the Come Up is the story of Bri, a teen girl who dreams of making it as a rapper. Angie Thomas expertly weaves together the wit & shade of the rap world, while simultaneously navigating issues like race, poverty, substance abuse, gang violence, and more.
This book stunned me. I don't typically read YA, but the cover made me pick it up, and the premise was intriguing enough to make me give it a shot. (Young female rapper with big dreams and bigger talent? Yes please!) I loved how this story gave representation and a voice to so many marginalized communities, all while Bri sought to find her own voice in a world that would silence her. Thomas' writing is authentic yet approachable. One of my favorite reads this year!
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Although I liked The Hate You Give better than this book I still really enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a book about rap but it’s really about relationships. Thomas is a master of character development. I love her characters & they just jump off the page. Quick enjoyable read.
It was always going to be difficult to follow up The Hate U Give which I would argue is one of the most important and biggest debuts of the decade. Angie Thomas has chosen to set On The Come Up in the same neighbourhood as THUG but different characters facing different struggles, but still tackles racial inequality and the reality of growing up black in the US. I didn’t love Bri as much as I loved Starr but the writing is still amazing and taught me a hell of a lot.
On the Come Up is a young adult contemporary novel set in the same neighborhood as Angie Thomas' previous work, The Hate U Give.
This book follows the story of Bri Jackson, a black teenager with aspirations of being the Next Big Thing in rap music. Her father was an up-and-coming star when he was murdered, an event which sent her mother into the world of drug addiction and led to Bri and her brother going to live with their grandparents.
Her mother spent years getting clean and working to get her kids back, but things are tough for the Jackson family, and the constant worry about whether they will have food, heat, and shelter play strong roles in Bri wanting to develop her talent and get out of her neighborhood.
Bri gets a break, but becomes involved with her father's former manager. She tries to keep this information from her family, knowing her mother will not approve.
I went into this without a great deal of expectation. I mean, THUG was probably the best book I read last year, and sophomore slumps are as real in the publishing world as they are in the music industry. Was there any way Angie Thomas could outdo herself with this book?
The answer is no. I didn't get the same feeling while reading this that it could have the same impact as THUG (which I think in the future will be known as this generation's To Kill a Mockingbird). But it is still a worthwhile read.
There were minor editing errors in the Kindle version I borrowed from my library. Someone doesn't know the difference between physical twitches and blood-sucking parasites (tics vs. ticks), and that drives me moderately insane. Like, how can you have someone half-ass edit a follow-up book to a number one bestseller?
Storywise, there were a few coincidences that went right up to the border of suspending disbelief and pressed their faces against the glass.
I don't think you have to be a hip-hop fan to enjoy this book, but it probably wouldn't hurt as references are interspersed throughout the novel.
What does make this book great on its own is its unflinching portrayal of the realities of poverty and the drive to make things better even when the system theoretically designed to help you is keeping you down.
The fears, the struggles, the friendships and the family are what makes this book special. The fierce examination of white privilege and the sexism and misogyny within rap culture are also important reasons to read this book.
While it wasn't THUG, and I don't expect it to linger in my head the same way, Thomas' writing style, the way she tackles tough topics, the way she makes you think, and the humanity she brings to her characters have made her a favorite author and one whose works I view as socially relevant.
5 out of 5 stars.
This book follows the story of Bri Jackson, a black teenager with aspirations of being the Next Big Thing in rap music. Her father was an up-and-coming star when he was murdered, an event which sent her mother into the world of drug addiction and led to Bri and her brother going to live with their grandparents.
Her mother spent years getting clean and working to get her kids back, but things are tough for the Jackson family, and the constant worry about whether they will have food, heat, and shelter play strong roles in Bri wanting to develop her talent and get out of her neighborhood.
Bri gets a break, but becomes involved with her father's former manager. She tries to keep this information from her family, knowing her mother will not approve.
I went into this without a great deal of expectation. I mean, THUG was probably the best book I read last year, and sophomore slumps are as real in the publishing world as they are in the music industry. Was there any way Angie Thomas could outdo herself with this book?
The answer is no. I didn't get the same feeling while reading this that it could have the same impact as THUG (which I think in the future will be known as this generation's To Kill a Mockingbird). But it is still a worthwhile read.
There were minor editing errors in the Kindle version I borrowed from my library. Someone doesn't know the difference between physical twitches and blood-sucking parasites (tics vs. ticks), and that drives me moderately insane. Like, how can you have someone half-ass edit a follow-up book to a number one bestseller?
Storywise, there were a few coincidences that went right up to the border of suspending disbelief and pressed their faces against the glass.
I don't think you have to be a hip-hop fan to enjoy this book, but it probably wouldn't hurt as references are interspersed throughout the novel.
What does make this book great on its own is its unflinching portrayal of the realities of poverty and the drive to make things better even when the system theoretically designed to help you is keeping you down.
The fears, the struggles, the friendships and the family are what makes this book special. The fierce examination of white privilege and the sexism and misogyny within rap culture are also important reasons to read this book.
While it wasn't THUG, and I don't expect it to linger in my head the same way, Thomas' writing style, the way she tackles tough topics, the way she makes you think, and the humanity she brings to her characters have made her a favorite author and one whose works I view as socially relevant.
5 out of 5 stars.
I need a bit more time to sit with my feelings before I give my overall thoughts on this book.
I don’t think any words can really do justice to the beauty of the words inside this book. I’m no poet or rapper, and rap is not a world I get, at all, but this transcends all that to speak to everyone.
Bri is a really relatable main character for me - she’s so scared but so quick to lash out at the world she sees around her, a world that isn’t always friendly and welcoming. Angie Thomas does a great job of making that understandable to someone who has never had to go through that, and to make me try and understand what it’s like.
In many ways, OTCU isn’t as powerful as THUG, but I think it tells just as important a message about the state of our world. From the differences in how Bri, and her friends and family, are treated in the world, to in community prejudices, to how black rappers are portrayed both in the media and by white people in general. Bri’s lyrics getting misused felt so sadly realistic to the fake news and misleading headlines I see all around me, and that’s on a national level - in many ways, it is more damaging when used like in OTCU because it’s in a community and also about a teen girl.
I sort of want this to have a follow up, and I see how it could, if Thomas were ever in a place to write one. I think it ends with open hope, something that’s also important.
4.5 stars and another great book from Angie Thomas.
Bri is a really relatable main character for me - she’s so scared but so quick to lash out at the world she sees around her, a world that isn’t always friendly and welcoming. Angie Thomas does a great job of making that understandable to someone who has never had to go through that, and to make me try and understand what it’s like.
In many ways, OTCU isn’t as powerful as THUG, but I think it tells just as important a message about the state of our world. From the differences in how Bri, and her friends and family, are treated in the world, to in community prejudices, to how black rappers are portrayed both in the media and by white people in general. Bri’s lyrics getting misused felt so sadly realistic to the fake news and misleading headlines I see all around me, and that’s on a national level - in many ways, it is more damaging when used like in OTCU because it’s in a community and also about a teen girl.
I sort of want this to have a follow up, and I see how it could, if Thomas were ever in a place to write one. I think it ends with open hope, something that’s also important.
4.5 stars and another great book from Angie Thomas.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I could listen to Angie Thomas novels all day long, especially when Bahni Turpin is the narrator!
Alongside the Black trauma scenes, there is also Black joy, resiliency and brilliancy weaved into this story. I loved living inside 16-year-old Bri’s world for 12 hours. Can’t wait to watch the film adaptation!
This was another stellar read for me by Angie Thomas! It was such a good love letter to hip hop and a fantastic story full of characters that make you feel the entire spectrum of emotions.
I love that Bri wasn't perfect. Hell, she wasn't even likable sometimes, but that is exactly what made her such a compelling character. I wanted her so badly to succeed that I felt actual frustration in my soul when she was making questionable decisions.
Her family dynamics are beautiful. Her mom's story is heartbreaking (if anything, showing the timeline of her fighting addiction and how long it took her to get her kids back despite doing everything in her power to show that she was capable really demonstrate how America's entire foster care system needs an overhaul, to be honest!), and I wanted more than anything for her to be happy and successful throughout. I loved Bri's conversations with her brother and her insights on her mother. Her grandmother at the church was hilarious! While these experiences are not similar to my own, I guarantee people have read this book and found their own family among the pages. Everyone was flawed, but everyone loved so fiercely. It was perfect.
All parts of this story were important and enrapturing. Bri's push towards starting her rapping career, her family's fight to push through poverty, the racism at her school - nothing over-shined anything else.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the audiobook narrator, Bahni Turpin. She absolutely made this book shine. I want to listen to everything she has narrated now. She brought all of these characters to life. I would extend my walks at lunch just to keep listening.
Full five stars for this book, and I am excited to keep reading everything Angie Thomas ever writes.
I love that Bri wasn't perfect. Hell, she wasn't even likable sometimes, but that is exactly what made her such a compelling character. I wanted her so badly to succeed that I felt actual frustration in my soul when she was making questionable decisions.
Her family dynamics are beautiful. Her mom's story is heartbreaking (if anything, showing the timeline of her fighting addiction and how long it took her to get her kids back despite doing everything in her power to show that she was capable really demonstrate how America's entire foster care system needs an overhaul, to be honest!), and I wanted more than anything for her to be happy and successful throughout. I loved Bri's conversations with her brother and her insights on her mother. Her grandmother at the church was hilarious! While these experiences are not similar to my own, I guarantee people have read this book and found their own family among the pages. Everyone was flawed, but everyone loved so fiercely. It was perfect.
All parts of this story were important and enrapturing. Bri's push towards starting her rapping career, her family's fight to push through poverty, the racism at her school - nothing over-shined anything else.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the audiobook narrator, Bahni Turpin. She absolutely made this book shine. I want to listen to everything she has narrated now. She brought all of these characters to life. I would extend my walks at lunch just to keep listening.
Full five stars for this book, and I am excited to keep reading everything Angie Thomas ever writes.