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4.58 AVERAGE
4.58 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death
I am so glad I stumbled upon this book. I am actually surprised that I did not see this when it first came out. Oh well, I'm glad that the audiobook was available on Libby. This book made feel all kinds of emotions!
I absolutely loved the main character Starr. She was such an inspiration! Here we had a teenager who tragically experienced such a terrible event, was absolutely scared but ended up finding her voice. Starr had many stresses in her life but they did not deter her from who she really was. If anything, it made her stronger and wiser.
This book dealt with various issues that still go on today. It talked about racism, prejudice, discrimination, police brutality, poverty, drug use, broken families, and gang violence. I found myself feeling angry, sad, scared, and anxious as these things were described. Of course there were also good moments in the book that had me smiling.
The story and characters were brought to life by Bahni Turpin. She did a fantastic job in capturing Starr's voice. She was able to express Starr's range of emotions without being over the top. I also enjoyed how she interpreted the other characters, such as Chris and Maverick. Bahni was an excellent narrator!
As a whole, this was an amazing audiobook! I loved the characters and I loved Bahni's performance. This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions.
I absolutely loved the main character Starr. She was such an inspiration! Here we had a teenager who tragically experienced such a terrible event, was absolutely scared but ended up finding her voice. Starr had many stresses in her life but they did not deter her from who she really was. If anything, it made her stronger and wiser.
This book dealt with various issues that still go on today. It talked about racism, prejudice, discrimination, police brutality, poverty, drug use, broken families, and gang violence. I found myself feeling angry, sad, scared, and anxious as these things were described. Of course there were also good moments in the book that had me smiling.
The story and characters were brought to life by Bahni Turpin. She did a fantastic job in capturing Starr's voice. She was able to express Starr's range of emotions without being over the top. I also enjoyed how she interpreted the other characters, such as Chris and Maverick. Bahni was an excellent narrator!
As a whole, this was an amazing audiobook! I loved the characters and I loved Bahni's performance. This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions.
I think this book is an incredibly important, coming-of-age book that all high school students should read. Even for me, as someone in their mid- to late-30s, it felt important and that seems like a mark of a book that will stand the test of time. Loosely, this book is about a girl in high school who lives in a poorer neighborhood and watches a police officer shoot and kill a childhood friend while in that neighborhood. The book navigates all of the complicated feelings of watching a friend die, being around officers afterwards and especially being around officers as a person of color and being around offices in a poor neighborhood.
As a white person in America, I want to sit and listen to what people who don't look like me have to say and this book does an amazing job of using its voice to express the systemic racism and police bias present in the United States. It matters that white people see that life looks different for them than it does for people of color.
There were so many beautifully developed character with a lot of intricate character interactions and personal character development. I think some of my favorite parts of the book came from Starr's interactions within her own family. They felt entirely real, relatable, and so unbelievably supportive of each other. It made me feel jealous of this fictional family because they all clearly loved each other so much and had each other's backs regardless of the situation.
I loved watching Starr and other characters find their voices, as well.
I love the idea of students in high school reading this because they are all starting to form their own opinions on life. What a better way to show them that they can be brave when they're scared, that they can be strong even when they don't feel strong, and they can use their most powerful weapon - their voice - to turn the world into a place where they want to live?
This book is full of quotes worth remembering. "At an early age I learned that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them." "People like us in situations like this become hashtags, but they rarely get justice. I think we all wait for that one time though, that one time when it ends right." "Don’t let them put words in your mouth. God gave you a brain. You don’t need theirs." Etc.
Some trigger warnings - violence, threats, language, racism, child abuse, domestic abuse (mentioned), PTSD
As a white person in America, I want to sit and listen to what people who don't look like me have to say and this book does an amazing job of using its voice to express the systemic racism and police bias present in the United States. It matters that white people see that life looks different for them than it does for people of color.
There were so many beautifully developed character with a lot of intricate character interactions and personal character development. I think some of my favorite parts of the book came from Starr's interactions within her own family. They felt entirely real, relatable, and so unbelievably supportive of each other. It made me feel jealous of this fictional family because they all clearly loved each other so much and had each other's backs regardless of the situation.
I loved watching Starr and other characters find their voices, as well.
Spoiler
That almost felt like the central theme of the book, with Starr going from not wanting to speak out at all to agreeing to speak out, but only anonymously, to getting on top of that police car and announcing herself to the world. I loved that it wasn't just Starr who found her voice, either - Maya stood up to Hailey about her racist joke; DeVante stood up to King and snitched to protect his mom and sisters; Lisa stood up to Mav about wanting to move to keep her family safe; and Uncle Carlos stood up to his chief and the other cops who didn't think 115 had done anything wrong.I love the idea of students in high school reading this because they are all starting to form their own opinions on life. What a better way to show them that they can be brave when they're scared, that they can be strong even when they don't feel strong, and they can use their most powerful weapon - their voice - to turn the world into a place where they want to live?
This book is full of quotes worth remembering. "At an early age I learned that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them." "People like us in situations like this become hashtags, but they rarely get justice. I think we all wait for that one time though, that one time when it ends right." "Don’t let them put words in your mouth. God gave you a brain. You don’t need theirs." Etc.
Some trigger warnings - violence, threats, language, racism, child abuse, domestic abuse (mentioned), PTSD
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No