by Angie Thomas
Reviewed by Linda:
This YA crossover is drawing lots of attention for its riveting portrayal of the shooting death of an unarmed black teen. The novel is narrated by 16-year-old Starr Carter, who is an expert at navigating two worlds: the urban black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy suburban school that she attends. Her delicate balancing act comes undone when her childhood best friend, Khalil, is killed by police in her presence. The novel makes Starr’s world and the racism surrounding it all too real, and readers will root for Starr and her dynamic family to survive and succeed.