"Whats the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent?"
On the back of this book, it says “an essential read for everyone” from teen vogue.
I could not agree more.
This was a story about Starr, a girl who lives in a neighbourhood where she hears gunshots around her house on daily basis.
However, Starr goes to a school where she feels out of place, away from and not associated and not at all alike her home life, with there being only two black people in the whole school, her being one of them.
For most people, policeman are people you can go to if you feel lost or unsafe, and be sure that they will help you in the best possible way. However, for Starr, they were people to be careful around, only speak when spoken too, and overall, try not to get herself into any trouble.
Even if she hasn’t caused any.
However, her best friend, Khalil, doesn’t stand for any nonsense of being polite if they are not polite to you, and finds himself being shot by a policeman: even though he wasn’t doing anything and completely unarmed.
And Starr saw it happen.
The story is about the fight for justice for Khalil and the the case of if police officer should pay for murder. The struggle and pain Starr goes through to find this justice is unbelievable and never ending, however, she knows what happened wasn't right, and Khalil deserves justice. Her fear of speaking out could not only put others in danger, it could give her a huge consequence, and maby even mean her life.
The novel is in first person which means you really feel connected to Starr, the main character. All her emotions: anger, happiness, relief and terror are portrayed brilliantly and the way the book is written aids the beauty of the story but also the tragicness of it.
The character development within this story is harrowing and I felt like I really got to know all the characters, especially Starr.
One of the reasons the book is so powerful and important is because its based on so many true stories, one of the big ones being Oscar grant, a twenty two year old black man who was shot by a policeman for literally no reason, and the policeman was released after eleven months.
If you commit a murder, you are sentenced for LIFE.
This policeman was in prison for less than a year.
Just think about that.
Equality is such a huge worldwide problem, and I think a lot of people look black at segregation as history, and forget that it is still happening today. This modern story reminds us of this, and the importance that it needs to stop.
Its just the most powerful and important book and you are obliged to read it. It has hints of humour while still being incredibly tragic, yet powerful and uplifting at the same time. It is also unputdownable, and I'm sure most people who read this read it in one sitting.
An unforgettable story which will remain with me for the rest of my life.
Buy it: