Can teenagers relate to Starr Carter in The Hate U Give?

Based on her personality, many teenage readers would likely be able to connect to the character of Starr Carter from Angie Thomas’s book The Hate U Give. Starr is an outspoken teenage girl who stands up for what she believes in. A lot of teenagers share her outspokenness, as adolescence is a period in which people are still learning or ignoring the social norms of what to say when. In Starr’s case, her outspokenness helps her advocate for what she believes in. Many teenage readers might also relate to how courageous Starr is and how loyal she is to her friends, even if standing up for them makes her uncomfortable.

For example, recall the climax of the book, in which Starr testifies before the grand jury. There is quite a lot of pressure on her at this moment, and it takes a lot of courage for her to do this at such a young age. It is also quite impressive that she does this in light of the trauma she faced the night of the shooting. Her internal conflicted thoughts at this moment are likely relatable to a lot of readers. Recall how she reacts when Ms. Monroe asks if she is okay to go over the night of the shooting in detail:

The un-brave part of me, which feels like most of me, shouts no. It wants to crawl up in a corner and act if none of this ever happened. But all of those people outside are praying for me. My parents are watching me. Khalil needs me. I straighten up and also the tiny brave part of me to speak. “Yes ma’am.”

There are so many situations in life, especially as teenagers, in which people want to crawl away and hide somewhere and would rather not say or do anything. But at the end of the day, when courageous, loyal people know others are counting on them, they do what they have to do, just like Starr.

How is Starr Carter relatable in the early chapters (1-4) of The Hate U Give?

In The Hate U Give, Starr Carter comes off as relatable through her language, her allusions to popular culture, and her brutally honest perspective.

From the opening lines, Starr draws readers in to her story through her frank use of language, including some popular slang:

I'm not even sure I belong at this party. That's not on some bougie shit, either. There are just some places where it's not enough to be me. Either version of me.

Starr's language captures a particularly raw perspective of her environment, especially as she genuinely shares her struggles about feelings of self-doubt and of her feelings of social discord.

Starr also alludes to popular culture, which makes her more relatable. She imagines a new show titled Extreme Makeover: Starr Edition. She includes some text message conversations, using text abbreviations and slang. She and her father discuss Tupac and analyze his relevancy. These points of reference to popular culture characterize Starr as an authentic and typical teenage girl.

Starr's most brutal moment of keen perspective occurs as she witnesses Khalil's murder. When they are pulled over, Starr's internal dialogue reflects her ability to be strategic about her own actions in that precarious situation. Starr recalls all that her father has taught her, memorizing the officer's badge number and being careful to keep her hands exactly where instructed.

To her horror, Khalil breaks the officer's commands. As Starr watches, Khalil is shot three times, looking at Starr "stunned" as he gasps for his final breaths. This scene makes Starr more relatable because readers become personally invested in the outcome of this tragedy, particularly because she offers such a forthright perspective about the shooting and about her pain that follows.