The top YA book in the country is a stunning novel inspired by Black Lives Matter

By Anne Branigin  |  March 9, 2017 | 5:22pm
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The number one young adult novel in America right now is a book directly inspired by Black Lives Matter.

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, debuted at the top of the New York Times Bestseller list this week. The novel—which has been earning rave reviews from critics and readers alike—follows 16-year-old Starr Carter after her best friend, Khalil, dies at the hands of a police officer—despite not being armed. When Khalil’s death makes national headlines, Starr has to reckon with what she knows about his killing.

Thomas tweeted her reaction to the news yesterday:

The Hate U Give has been riding some major buzz over its groundbreaking subject matter. Kirkus has called it “necessary” and “important,” while the Times recommended it as one of its top debuts. Fox 2000 has also bought the film rights for the book, and the Hunger Games’ Amandla Sternberg is expected to star.

But of course, what matters most is how readers respond to the book. We’ll let them speak for themselves:

Oh, there’s a Serbian edition of the book too.

And if you’re wondering how Thomas is doing:

 
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