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ellemnope 's review for:
On the Come Up
by Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas has a way with creating wonderfully realistic characters and circumstances. Her characters are well-crafted, with a good mixture of talents and flaws. Her settings are well-described both in their visual characteristics, but also in the human impact they make. Ms. Thomas can take a story and weave it with beauty to describe the imbalances of privilege in a blunt and stripped down way that makes things both accessible and impactful. I love the way she makes everything feel real, as if she was telling a memoir or reading a diary rather than creating contemporary fiction.
Like The Hate U Give, Thomas uses On the Come Up to expose her reader to realistic experiences and prejudices that they may not have even been aware of, let alone experienced, and helps to bridge the racial gap that exists in our world. Nothing feels contrived or imbalanced, nothing feels like simply an agenda. Her writing carries power and intent, but in a heartfelt way that serves to open the eyes of those who have turned away from reality.
The construction of Bri's character is perfect for this story. She is smart and capable, but still retains that teenage immaturity that causes her to be occasionally lax in contemplating the repercussions of her actions. She is rash and temperamental, with the ability to reflect on her mistakes but not always avoid them. Bri is also perfect for showing the divide of prejudice, both in terms of racism and sexism. She has the same attitude and outspokenness of many teens, but faces harsher feedback & consequences because she is Black. She is talented and ambitious, but is not taken seriously and is often assumed to have "help" when it comes to her rapping, rather than being given credit for her skills.
This story is one that needs to be told, needs to be read, and definitely has something important to say. It is beautifully written and gives a strong representation of the biases that need to be worked on in our society. The ending wasn't as powerful as I had hoped for and the book itself did not have the impact of The Hate U Give, but this is still a very good and important read. At this point, I will read anything Angie Thomas decides to put to paper.
Like The Hate U Give, Thomas uses On the Come Up to expose her reader to realistic experiences and prejudices that they may not have even been aware of, let alone experienced, and helps to bridge the racial gap that exists in our world. Nothing feels contrived or imbalanced, nothing feels like simply an agenda. Her writing carries power and intent, but in a heartfelt way that serves to open the eyes of those who have turned away from reality.
The construction of Bri's character is perfect for this story. She is smart and capable, but still retains that teenage immaturity that causes her to be occasionally lax in contemplating the repercussions of her actions. She is rash and temperamental, with the ability to reflect on her mistakes but not always avoid them. Bri is also perfect for showing the divide of prejudice, both in terms of racism and sexism. She has the same attitude and outspokenness of many teens, but faces harsher feedback & consequences because she is Black. She is talented and ambitious, but is not taken seriously and is often assumed to have "help" when it comes to her rapping, rather than being given credit for her skills.
This story is one that needs to be told, needs to be read, and definitely has something important to say. It is beautifully written and gives a strong representation of the biases that need to be worked on in our society. The ending wasn't as powerful as I had hoped for and the book itself did not have the impact of The Hate U Give, but this is still a very good and important read. At this point, I will read anything Angie Thomas decides to put to paper.