So You Liked The Hate U Give

Honestly, reader’s advisory is one of my favorite aspects of librarianship. The last two Saturdays, I’ve gotten to do that for at least one teen. Last Saturday, it was a teen looking for a series like Gone by Michael Grant. Connecting kids and teens with books is one of the best feelings in the world. That’s one of the things I hope to do with these posts; connect people with books like their favorites and find something new! Today, we’re focusing on The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

I’ve decided I’m going to try to do one of these posts a month. If there’s a book you want me to cover, let me know in the comments! I love making connections between stories.

Check out my other “So You Liked” posts here!

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Top Read-a-Likes for The Hate U Give

Looking for books about social justice advocacy?

Internment by Samira Ahmed

Set in the not-so-distant future United States, Muslim American citizens are forced into internment camps. That’s where Layla and her family currently find themselves. In order to change their circumstances, Layla has to rely on her contacts from the outside and her determination to lead a revolution against the camp’s director. Scarily realistic, this book is all about fighting for what’s right.

Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

In order to get the girl of his dreams, Del joins a purity pledge at his new church. Dedicated to his cause, he makes a pact with fellow pledger Jameer to get information about the girl. One catch: Del has to give his fellow pledgers information on sex ed. This book looks at toxic masculinity, slut shaming, and the issues with abstinence only sex ed. It also shows Del’s process learning that maybe he contributes to that–and what he can do to change that.

Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro

Moss often wishes that his father’s death wasn’t a rallying point for the community so he could just fly under the radar. New regulations at his school also means that the students are treated more like criminals. Together with his friends, they’re going to insight change. A close look at the way that many marginalized groups are criminalized instead of getting the assistance that they need.

Or maybe books that deal with race or police violence?

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Nothing about Justyce’s life matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. He’s an honor student, on track for an Ivy league school, and always helps his friends. To reconcile, Justyce starts writing letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to make sense of everything around him. When there’s fallout after an incident driving with his friend Manny, Justyce is the one who’s blamed. Read it before the sequel comes out at the end of the month!

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

Marvin tags along to his brother Tyler’s party in order to keep an eye on him. But when the police end up raiding the party after a shooting, Tyler ends up missing. When he turns up dead, a video shows that it was at the hands of the police. Now, Marvin has to figure out how to move forward when his brother has become the latest hashtag. There are a lot of similar themes between this book and The Hate U Give, themes that are still (sadly) relevant to today.

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

It’s Los Angeles in 1992 and Ashley Bennett’s senior year. So far, her life has been pretty smooth sailing. Until four LAPD police officers are acquitted after beating Rodney King half to death. Now, Ashley isn’t just “one of the girls.” Now, she’s one of the Black kids. She tries to keep her life as normal as possible, but when a rumor is started about one of her fellow Black classmates, she feels like she has to intervene. A newer release, this one should definitely be on your radar.

Or a story about finding your voice?

Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson

In order to succeed, Jade knows that she has to make it out of her poor neighborhood. That’s why she works so hard at school, taking all the opportunities that she can get. However, when she joins Woman to Woman, a mentoring program, she’s not sure of it at first. In order to express what she needs, Jade needs to learn how to find her voice. This book just shows what we think teens need isn’t always what they actually need.

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

After not getting the scholarship that she was expecting, Liz decides to enter her school’s prom queen competition. Winning means money for college. What Liz wasn’t expecting was to fall for the competition. And for the backlash that might come with being the first Black prom queen in her town. Throughout the book, Liz also struggles with anxiety, and works throughout the book to make herself heard. A cute, high school romance that should absolutely be on your radar.

I’m Not Dying with You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones

Lena knows she’s going to make it big someday, while Campbell is just trying to get through high school. When the Friday night football game descends into a riot, they find themselves stuck together. In order to survive the night, they’ll have to rely on each other. Two perspectives give important light on important issues that are still highly relevant today.

Maybe you’re looking for family relationships?

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Up until now, Sal has felt pretty good about his identity and his place in the world. He knows where he fits in his family, and has friends that support him. So why is Sal suddenly getting into fights and questioning everything about his life? What pieces of his life is he missing? A close look at families and how they influence our identities in ways that we don’t even realize.

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Darius is about to go to Iran for the first time, meeting family that he’s only ever seen in video calls. While there, he hopes to connect more to his Persian roots. It’s also there that he meets Sohrab, who makes Darius feel okay being himself. Darius just hopes that he’ll be able to keep that confidence when he eventually returns to America. Darius’s story continues in Darius the Great Deserves Better, which just came out this month, another great book to add to your list!

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

A year after 9/11, Shirin and her family deal with the backlash of being Muslim. They’re constantly stereotyped, and often the victims of violence and racism. That’s why Shirin always escapes into her music and breakdancing. It’s a way to forget all that and keep her walls up. At least, until she meets Ocean. He’s the first person in a long time who makes her feel safe. Known more for her fantasy series Shatter Me, Mafi deals with a lot of relevant, important issues in this book.

Or you just want a good coming of age story.

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

In the last semester of his senior year, Jay plans on coasting until he goes to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when his cousin was murdered as a part of the war on drugs, Jay knows he needs to get to the bottom of what happened. So, he travels to the Philippines to learn the real story. Family loyalty runs through the core of this book, showing dedication and the importance of finding out the truth.

American Street by Ibi Zoboi

Fabiola is immigrating to the United States from Haiti, going to live with her cousins and aunt. She arrives for her mom, who ends up getting stuck at the border. So, Fabiola has to learn to make her own way in Detroit with her cousins’ help. But Fabiola soon realizes that freedom can come with a price. I would definitely recommend listening to the audiobook for this, as Robin Miles narrates it and it’s amazing.

Frankly in Love by David Yoon

When Frank Li falls in love for the first time, he realizes that his strict Korean American parents won’t approve of her because she’s not Korean. So, he hatches a plan with his childhood friend, Joy, to pretend to date while they both date who they really want. But their plan quickly becomes more complicated than they though, and just maybe, Frank’s been dating the wrong girl. A look at family, race, love, dating, this has so many things going for it.