Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

189 reviews

laurataylor's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Vomit, and Police brutality

kibbles15's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this book.  There is way too much language, I realize the author is being authentic to the location, but it still bothers me.   The story moves at a good pace, and the author is keeping me interested enough to continue despite the language.  

While I agree that police brutality and racism are subjects that should be addressed in our country, I feel the author is taking it to the extreme. Whether intentionally or not, the author villainizes all non-minority Caucasians (especially cops and rich white females) and spreads the idea of “White guilt” and Systematic Racism.   She does mention the high crime in the area by black individuals, but passes it off as a result of past black oppression and the members of the community not having a choice in their actions.  There is always a choice, sometimes it is a hard choice, but there is always a choice.  No one is responsible for another person's actions. I realize that it is more complicated than that…but there is always a choice.

Also, the main character is a bit racist herself,  she behaves differently with her white friends than her black friends because she assumes she can’t be herself without judgment.  She didn’t even give the “white” friends a chance to get to know her true self because she “assumes” that people at the school would not like “Ghetto” Starr.   Isn’t assuming that someone will automatically have a racist judgmental attitude toward you, based on the sole fact that the person is born with white skin racist in itself?  That being said, I do understand the fear the character has after witnessing two murders and as a result becoming a target by both the black and white populations in the area.  I would definitely have PTSD after something like that and the actions of the character are consistent with that fear.  Like I said, I have mixed feelings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

pablollopez's review against another edition

inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

bellaiu's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

the ending was very powerful had me screaming crying throwing up etc

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship

ringamboa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

maddielloyd's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Speechless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism

atalea's review against another edition

informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder

Minor: Infidelity and Grief

brynhayes's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

danicampbell0506's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Murder

marissasa's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book is so raw and real, it felt like you were listening to an actual 16-year-old Black girl recount her thoughts and feelings during one of the hardest times in her life to you in person. Angie Thomas did an incredible job developing Starr and the supporting cast of characters, because they all felt layered and complex the way that humans actually are. Everything about Starr from her love of basketball and Fresh Prince to her insecurities about betraying Khalil and her feelings about being split into two versions of herself depending on whether she was in Garden Heights or at Williamson made her believable and real. Watching her struggle and grow throughout the course of the story makes you feel deeply, empathize, and root for her. It doesn't shy away from any of the ugly truths about racism, police brutality, domestic violence, class differences, drugs, gun violence, biased media coverage, or what it means to experience all of it as a young person. I am glad this book exists and that it in itself is emphasizing the importance of one of the major themes: using your voice as a weapon. As the last few pages of the book shows, Starr's voice is the voice of so many Black people both today and throughout history who have watched and suffered the loss of loved ones at the hands of police brutality, and it is one that everyone needs to pay attention to, listen to, amplify, and support. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol