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Jul 07, 2019EljayJohnson rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
When you write something as seminal as The Hate U Give, how do you follow it up? I don't envy Thomas having that pressure, but she met it head-on and did very well. I think this is better-written and more complex than THUG; Thomas' already great skills have only improved. This is the story of Bri, a 16-year old rapper who begins to make a name for herself. She is desperate to make it big, for the fame, sure, but even more to rescue her family from poverty and to enable her beloved aunt to leave the gang/drug dealing life. Bri faces challenges and choices and often, infuriatingly, inevitably, makes the poorest choice possible. Bri is often unlikable and exasperating and downright rude, but she is a fascinating, fully realized human whose voice I won't get out of my head anytime soon. This didn't have the breathtaking heart of THUG for me and sometimes the music biz stuff left me cold, but it's a great read and Thomas is an exciting writer. Can't wait to see what she'll serve up next.