Narrator: Bahni Turpin
Duration: 11 hours 40 minutes
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.
My thoughts: I am so glad I stumbled upon this book. I am actually surprised that I did not see this when it first came out. Oh well, I'm glad that the audiobook was available on Libby. This book made feel all kinds of emotions!
I absolutely loved the main character Starr. She was such an inspiration! Here we had a teenager who tragically experienced such a terrible event, was absolutely scared but ended up finding her voice. Starr had many stresses in her life but they did not deter her from who she really was. If anything, it made her stronger and wiser.
This book dealt with various issues that still go on today. It talked about racism, prejudice, discrimination, police brutality, poverty, drug use, broken families, and gang violence. I found myself feeling angry, sad, scared, and anxious as these things were described. Of course there were also good moments in the book that had me smiling.
The story and characters were brought to life by Bahni Turpin. She did a fantastic job in capturing Starr's voice. She was able to express Starr's range of emotions without being over the top. I also enjoyed how she interpreted the other characters, such as Chris and Maverick. Bahni was an excellent narrator!
As a whole, this was an amazing audiobook! I loved the characters and I loved Bahni's performance. This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions. I rate it:
The Hate U Give is on my reading wishlist. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about it.
ReplyDeleteI love listening to audiobooks, so I should listen to this novel in its audio format. I've heard Bahni Turpin narrate before and agree with you that she's an excellent narrator.
You would love this one! I just put myself on the waiting list for her other book, On the Come Up. It's also read by Bahni Turpin so I know I'll enjoy it. :)
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