Books to get excited about: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Synopsis:
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas’s searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. Soon to be a major motion picture from Fox 2000/Temple Hill Productions.

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.

Why I'm excited:
We live in a day and age (especially in America) were it seems like for weeks on end there are police involved shootings of people of color. For me the subject has always been a tough one; I have always been Pro law enforcement (spent over 8 years in college to obtain a Bachelors and Masters degree in Criminal Justice). I know cops have a dangerous and difficult job. However, I was always very aware of the underlining mistrust in my own community when it came to Law Enforcement. And I had witnessed first hand what it's like to be profiled by police. Officers have a tough job; and over the past few years it's gotten tougher because of a few bad apples in their departments. But also because certain things on certain departments have been exposed. Not to mention more aggressive reporting on mass incarceration and its effects on communities of color.
This book excites me because it is written for a YA audience. It will give kids a small glimpse into how these situations make those involved feel. I am interested to see how the author spins this. How she channels the frustration, hurt and anger into this nice, neat package. I think there will be a lot of Raw emotion in this book. I really can not wait to read it.

^ above: photo of Angie Thomas
*also the book has been slated to become a major motion picture