Angie Thomas’s breakthrough debut novel, The Hate U Give, was not only an incredible success, but a compelling, timely social commentary on race and police violence. Now, CNN has named it one of the ten most influential books of the decade.
The Hate U Give remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 80 weeks, and was quickly adapted into a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film, starring Amandla Stenberg. It follows the story of Starr, a 16-year old black girl who witnesses a white police officer shoot and kill her unarmed black friend. Starr must then navigate the justice system, as well as her identity as both a member of her black Garden Heights neighborhood community, and the predominately white prep school she attends.
The novel, which also aimed to expand readers’ understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the challenges black Americans encounter with code switching, is often studied in school curriculum. It was also one of the most challenged novels of 2017 and 2018, according to the American Library Association—often the mark of a vital, urgently relevant piece of literature.
You can see the full list of CNN’s Most Influential Books of the Decade here.
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