The Hate U Give Audiobook By Angie Thomas cover art

The Hate U Give

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The Hate U Give

By: Angie Thomas
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
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About this listen

Eight starred reviews ∙ William C. Morris Award Winner ∙ National Book Award Longlist ∙ Printz Honor Book ∙ Coretta Scott King Honor Book ∙ Number-One New York Times Best Seller!

"Absolutely riveting!" (Jason Reynolds)

"Stunning." (John Green)

"This story is necessary. This story is important." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"Heartbreakingly topical." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"A marvel of verisimilitude." (Booklist, starred review)

"A powerful, in-your-face novel." (The Horn Book, starred review)

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does - or does not - say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

And don't miss On the Come Up, Angie Thomas's powerful follow-up to The Hate U Give.

©2017 Angela Thomas (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
Depression & Mental Health Difficult Situations Emotions & Feelings Literature & Fiction Racism & Discrimination Series Essentials Top 100 Essentials Inspiring Heartfelt Feel-Good Funny

Editorial reviews

Why we think it's Essential - Every now and then a book comes along that speaks to your soul. Angie Thomas' debut novel, The Hate U Give, is one such book. Each editor here has listened, and the feeling afterwards is unanimous - this is one of the best performances we've ever encountered. Thomas' message is both timely and transcendent. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this book is important, necessary, fearless, and, quite simply, stunning.

Narrator Bahni Turpin manages to give voice to such a broad and rich cast of characters, each with their own authentic perspective, demonstrating the power of performance to bring new depth to a complex social issue.

We believe this is truly the definition of required listening.

--The Audible Editors

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Critic reviews

"[Narrator Bahni] Turpin's portrayals of all the characters are rich and deep, environments are evocatively described, and Starr's fraught struggles to understand life's complexities are believable." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: The Best Black Audiobook Narrators to Listen to Right Now


A skilled performer has the ability to take the written word to new heights, infusing an author’s work with empathy, warmth, and excitement. And representation matters just as much for audio as it does for any visual medium: listeners should feel and hear themselves in art driven by powerful performers and authentic deliveries. We’ve gathered a few of the best Black audiobook narrators in the business and their can't-miss performances.

Editor's Pick: Best of the Decade

Thomas and Turpin are my OTP
"No listen has had a greater impact on me in the last decade than The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. In a word, it’s transformative. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this searing debut will floor you with its elegant and deliberate prose. Our heroine Starr Carter is driving home from a party with her best friend Khalil when they are pulled over by a cop, who ends up fatally shooting Khalil. Khalil was unarmed. Thomas fearlessly handles the narrative that follows with a grace and poignancy that will have you marveling at her talent. Narrator Bahni Turpin manages to give voice to such a broad and rich cast of characters, each with their own authentic perspective, demonstrating the power of performance to bring new depth to a complex social issue. This is the very definition of required listening—and my favorite from the decade."—Katie O., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Hate U Give

Highly rated for:

Powerful Storytelling Authentic Representation Outstanding Narration Relatable Protagonist Thought-provoking Themes
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    4 out of 5 stars

Truly a nice listen.

☀️
“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”
• • • •
“At an early age I learned that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them.”
Quotes from: Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give
——-
This book blew it out of the park in a lot of ways. I had the honor of experiencing my first time listening to an audiobook with it too! The performance was absolutely amazing and made me FEEL. Her voice made it so nice. So raw. So real.
I enjoyed this book mostly because I LIVE AND BREATHE for books that are from the perspective of a POC. It made my heartache- so much. There were moments where I had to stop the audio and take a break just to get myself together.
Instead of saying what this book is about and spoiling it, I’d like to say what I learned from it. That way, if you guys wanna read it you totally should!
I learned that there is power in my voice. It taught me that nothing will happen if you just sit there and take the beatings. You have to stand up for what’s right no matter how much you get knocked down. It made me realize that maybe I should also stand up for what is right instead of wishing for changes.
I enjoyed the way this book touched on the subject of police brutality. I genuinely believe it is a subject that needs to be talked about more.
In general, I didn’t give it the full five stars because I would have really liked to see a lot more of the characters interacting with each other. I feel like there could’ve been a lot more to Khalil’s character so the reader could’ve felt more personal with him. I fell in love with Starr because I learned about her personality. But I would’ve just loved to fall in love with Khalil’s personality as well. I guess that shows the sadness of the whole topic in a way... We see so many people get hurt and just wish we could’ve gotten the chance to know the person behind the tragedy. All in all, it was still a great listen!!! I need to pick up my own copy soon.

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37 people found this helpful

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Should be required reading

This story had me from the very start and never let go. I LOL and cried out loud. The character development was on point and the timely political and cultural significance of Khalils' life and Stars' voice cannot be under stated. As an adult with a teenager, this genre is important to me, but this book is definitely NOT just teen genre! You will NOT be disappointed. I wish every parent and teen, especially the privileged, would read this book and open their heart and minds. Great, great story!!

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22 people found this helpful

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Fabulous listen

This book is stunning. It's not just relevant. The writing is amazing. The characters compelling and complicated. I highly recommend the audiobook if you are not a black person living in America. #blacklivesmattertoo #audiobooks #knitandread

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    5 out of 5 stars

Subtitle: The death of Philando Castile

This book starts out like many YA books -- and that's not a compliment since it's admittedly one of my least favorite genres. About an hour into it, I thought about abandoning it for something else with more heft. If I had, it would have been my loss. Once this book hit its stride, it became relevant to now -- especially here where I live. The death of Philando Castile and the recent verdict is our local news. This book hits home.

I can't say this explored new territory -- it didn't. But the way it explored current issues is different. There's a feeling of authenticity that I very much appreciated. The YA part comes out in the way the people talk and think. That's really refreshing.

There's always a difference in perspective after a tragedy. Though almost comic in its Valley Girl delivery, this author made the utter ridiculousness of some opinions blazingly obvious. She also took on the nuanced views with aplomb. It's all there. I found myself examining my own thoughts and conclusions about recent events and I'm not really pleased with some of it. I can do better. Like I said: this book hits home.

I live in a diverse, colorful neighborhood. The problems we face -- like those in this book -- are complicated. While I don't have any answers or solutions, I do know that we need every bit of light shining on the issues to gain more understanding. This book does exactly that. Brilliantly.

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17 people found this helpful

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T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E. for a new generation

This was great, enlightening stark and uncomfortable reality, without getting too political, and managing not to be a turn off. A reminder to blacks who have forgotten the struggle, and a wake up call to whites who weren't aware there was a struggle, this manages to walk the walk and talk the talk in a way everyone can absorb.
I really do wish there was less swearing though. For a teen fiction, I hesitate to let my teens listen to this level of profanity.

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7 people found this helpful

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Message needed to be heard

The timing of this book is impeccable. Great story- a real story and has touched on (just about) every inexcusable event that has taken place over the past few years. A lot of chapters will hit home even when just describing the neighborhood and all of the "characters" each of our neighborhoods have. The narration was great- the only piece of advice I can give is: It's clear that a msg was trying to be sent with this book (and it was) but when narrating the white girl characters- the extreme "Becky voice" was used unnecessarily which feeds into the divide that has been long ago established. Picking at something minor? Yes- but it is just an example of the long way we have to go. Overall, a great read and highly recommended.

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7 people found this helpful

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Best audiobook I’ve listened to.

I have listened to a lot of audiobooks, and this is by far one of the best ever. I was unable to stop listening – – the story was paced exceptionally well. The story was beautifully told and the characters richly drawn. The narrator is so charming and so much of the story is humorous, despite the difficult subject matter. And the narrator is probably the best I have ever heard. And exceptional book for readers of all ages – – I’m an adult, and I found this book utterly compelling.

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5 people found this helpful

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Black Lives Matter

Any additional comments?

the writing was wonderful and the narration was great. The story line kept me coming back. But as an old white woman who lived thru the race problems of the 60's and 70's and had foolishly convinced herself the worst part of racism was over I was hoping this was going to address both sides of the issue- that Black Lives DO Matter and also the psychology of what fears the good police officers are facing. Regardless it's a great book and I look forward to reading more of Angie Thomas' writings. Also hope to find more books narrated by Bahni Turpin!

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4 people found this helpful

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A long way to grow...

And I mean grow. Thank you Angie Thomas & Bahni Turpin for creating and sharing the stories, memories and trajectories unknown to so many, Judged by so many, and needing to be taught through so many. I can't say to much more than read this book. Wrestle with its uncomfortableness and grow into living a life that supports love and safety. It was worth every word and every minute!!

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3 people found this helpful

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Great Young Adult Book -- AGJ

Excellent young adult introduction to real world race relations in the USA. The USA is one of best places in the world---but not fair ---- neither is life!! As a black parent, I drilled this into my kids

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2 people found this helpful