On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: On the Come Up
Author: Angie Thomas
Release Date: February 5, 2019

The Hate U Give REVIEW

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

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Review: This book was excellent. Unfortunately, I finished reading this book months ago so this review may not be as thorough as I would like. I do remember absolutely loving this book, though. So if you enjoyed The Hate U Give, you will also find this book to be a wonderful read.

This is Angie Thomas's follow-up to The Hate U Give. It takes place in the same world and the events of that boo are referenced, but this is a whole new story following a different character in a different situation. Bri is an aspiring rapper. She has an incident with some racist security guards at her school. Her music inspires others. She tackles with the question of whether she is responsible for things she puts out into the world. 

One thing I absolutely loved about this book was the queer representation. There are multiple secondary queer characters. 

You should read this book. I obviously give it a 5/5.


--PAUL