Verdict: Angie Thomas’ first book is a gem. Although aimed at young adults (YA), it is sharply written, entertaining and packs a real punch on social issues.
Review: A member of my book club chose this for our first read of 2019 and I’m so glad she did. I was reluctant to dive in because I thought the subject matter- the police shooting of a young black man and ensuing fallout – would be heavy. While the subject matter was heavy, and deservedly so given the concerns it raises, Thomas deftly folds this heaviness into a community and characters that are supportive and buoyant so that reading never felt like a chore. I loved the main character, Starr, a bright and athletic 16 year old black girl, and I appreciated that the narrative of a police shooting came through her perspective, as a witness to the shooting. This perspective isn’t one that is usually (ever?) presented in the news coverage, so it felt fresh. I also loved Thomas’ development of the supporting characters, in particular her parents. They are responsible, hard-working, loving, supportive and funny, and reading about their lives reminds me of how rare such representations are for black communities and especially lower income black communities. Neither Starr nor her parents are perfect, and Thomas does an excellent job of laying out the conflicting emotions and often unfortunate circumstances that drive their decisions. I also love how Thomas shows the reader that people who make bad decisions aren’t necessarily bad people. My only criticism is that the last section of the novel takes a plot turn that seems out of sync with the rest of the novel- its like Thomas felt she needed a big event to force her characters into action (or sell a movie deal…), and so she threw her main characters into a scenario where it didn’t seem likely they would have naturally ended up. Despite this criticism, the book is well worth reading. Not only does it add to the conversation on the Black Lives Matter movement/police brutality, but it is also- and this is not something I never thought I’d say before I started reading- a really enjoyable read.
