#9: Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give

[kareila]

I don't even know where to start with how great this book is. It so easily could have devolved into caricature or preachiness, but instead it's nuanced, believable, and both heartbreaking and inspiring. I don't know how a 2 hour Hollywood movie can possibly do it justice, because it's not just about Starr and her choices - it's about the complicated network of her family and community, how they build each other up and tear each other down. It deserves a miniseries. It deserves to go on high school reading lists next to To Kill A Mockingbird and The Color Purple. It could end up being the novel that ultimately defines the next generation's understanding of the need for social justice.