read: 01.01.18 - 02.01.18

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Review

I wanted to start my year off right, reading something that I knew I had loved before and something that would get me in the mood to read. Second time round, not a thing has changed. This book is freaking amazing.

I think what separates this book from any other YA book that I've read, and most other books that I've read, is how real it feels. The characters are multi-dimensional and inspirational, with complex and interesting plot lines which allow Angie Thomas to write some of the most moving lines I have ever read in any book. This is one of the only books that I have physically teared up at before, and it has the ability to tug at my heartstrings.

It is almost like reading a reflection on society. This could have been a non-fiction book and it wouldn't have made any difference, because it so expertly captures life at it's rawest form. I really want to watch the film now because this book is so visual, but I genuinely think that nothing can come close to the emotional intensity displayed in this book. It's a book I get sucked into, and once I start reading I can't really stop hence why I finished it so quickly.

This bodes very well for my reading this year, and I hope I can keep up this pace as I go along despite the obstacles that life may throw in the way.

Rating: 10/10