In her Young Adult novel, Angie Thomas attempts to open a discussion about race relations in America, the destructive stereotypes about African-Americans that still pervade our society, and the very timely issue of police brutality. Some themes presented in the book are race, family, justice/injustice, belonging, and finding the courage to speak one’s truth. A condensed summary of the novel follows below.

After witnessing the fatal shooting of an unarmed friend by a white policeman, Starr, the story’s protagonist, finds herself mired in a terrible dilemma. Although she wants justice for her friend, Kahlil, revealing what she knows to the authorities could put her life in danger, but Kahlil, a drug dealer, had ties to local gangs. Further complicating Starr’s decision are the disparities between her home life and her enrollment in a wealthy, white prep school. Living in two worlds that are worlds apart, Starr feels as though she belongs in neither: she is not “ghetto” enough for friends at home and not white enough for her friends at school. Starr’s search for justice sets her on a journey wherein she discovers hidden reserves of courage and, ultimately, her own voice.