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Celebrate Banned Books Week
- Jill Brashear
- Oct 7
- 2 min read
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas’ 2017 novel The Hate U Give addresses issues of racism and police violence as witnessed by Starr, a Black teen struggling to find her place between worlds.
At its core, The Hate U Give is a story about family. Starr Carter’s parents, Lisa and Maverick, are two of the most grounded and loving parental figures I've ever read. They don’t just exist in the background or play an absentee role. They actively guide Starr through the complexities of growing up Black in America, even when it means giving her the talk about staying safe from cops at a very young age. Their tough love, strong morals, and open communication create a home filled with warmth, humor, and resilience that would make anyone want a seat at their dinner table.
Starr’s narration is raw, funny, and unfiltered. Her voice sounds like a real teen. She hides her boyfriend from her dad, argues with her girlfriends, and struggles to fit in at her predominantly white private school. That authenticity gave the story its emotional punch.
The novel’s exploration of gun violence and police brutality couldn’t have been more timely. In a period when real-world tragedies were sparking national protests, The Hate U Give offered readers a way to process those events through Starr’s eyes. It humanized the headlines, showing the devastating impact on one family and one community.
Despite the trauma Starr experiences, her story is ultimately one of strength and hope. She finds her voice and refuses to be silenced. Her courage reminded us that change begins with speaking up, even when it’s uncomfortable. That universal theme of perseverance, grounded in love and community, is what helped make The Hate U Give not just a bestselling novel and movie, but a part of our culture.
But not everyone wants to see this transformative book in the hands of it's target audience.
According to the American Library Association, The Hate U Give was one of the top ten most banned or challenged books the year after it debuted. Counties in Texas, South Carolina, Florida, and Missouri have banned the book, and many more states have challenged its inclusion in school curriculum.
It has been deemed “anti-cop” and challenged for profanity, drug use, sexual references, and child abuse.
But the very reasons it’s been challenged are also the reasons it should be read.
Though I'm relatively critical of this novel, I agree it certainly shouldn't be banned. In fact, the issues I see in the book are cause to read it more under a critical eye. Each generation of literary history is a learning opportunity for improving the craft and advancing art, and I think "The Hate U Give" is an excellent educational tool for some of the blind spots in contemporary fiction.
That's crazy that this is a banned book. It seems a lot of people are scared of letting their children think and the books that make us think the most are always at the top of the banned books list. What's really interesting is this book isn't really about the shooting but more really about how people react to a shooting. If the story was about 115 and Khalil, then I could see how people could be critical on both sides, but that's not what this is about. Very little is said about either of them. I don't think there's a person alive that thinks any kind of police shooting is a good thing. Police are meant "to protect and…
I agree! Angie Thomas does a fantastic job at making the awkward, partially insecure teen era realistic. It perfectly mirrored what many kids go through, even down to the push and pull between hating authority and coming to terms with the police. I've noticed that with banned books, there's this fear of the content scaring the kids, and in this case, influencing them to riot alongside adults, but it's entirely false. The book doesn't push for that, but instead, cleverly focuses on the family dynamic and the effects of the crime, rather than a buildup to the shooting.