Banned Book Week is September 23-29th. I hope you all celebrated this week by reading your favorite banned book while feeling like a bad person for reading it. Because that’s what a banned book means, right? That you’re a bad person for reading it?

If so, call me the worst of the worst. Most of my favorite books appear on the banned books list, and I am more than okay with that. To me, the reason that most of these books are banned is also the reason that the book is so great.

One of my favorite books is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, which was banned in 2017 by a high school in Texas. I was shocked when I found out that it was on the list of banned books. At first, I thought maybe it was banned because of the detailed violence and murder that happens in the book. But no. It is banned for being pervasively vulgar and containing drug use, profanity, and offensive language.

Yes, the book does have all of that in it, but did you happen to get to the part where Starr’s best friend was literally murdered in front of her? What about the part where she fights back against the media’s portrayal of her and her dead friend? Starr is a badass woman and is a beautiful, literary role model for young readers because she fights for what she believes in. I guess that isn’t good enough to cover for all of the bad words in the book, though, huh?

Now that I have told you that the book is banned, let me give you my totally honest review of The Hate U Give:

This is one of the best books you will ever read. Thomas’ writing style is absolutely gorgeous. Her characters, especially Starr, are relatable for any reader and practically jump off the page because they are so real. I wish I could make myself forget what the book was about so I could read it again for the first time. I read it in less than a day and cried for the majority of it because it is so raw and emotional. Even though the characters are fictional, the story is real and is one that is in U.S news practically every week, unfortunately. I am more than ready for Thomas’ next book and for The Hate U Give movie to come out on October 5th so I can experience all of the emotions all over again.

If you like this book, check out Dear Martin by Nic Stone next!

Until next time: Go read a (preferably banned) book!

-Lit Librarian