I don’t know about you, but I tend to get a bit stuck in a rut when it comes to my reading. I find myself reading almost exclusively sci-fi and fantasy, which are two amazing genres to be sure. But there are a lot of other good books out there, so, over the past month or so, I’ve been dipping into some other genres, and trying to catch up on books that I probably should have read well before now. As part of that, I read both of Angie Thomas’s books for the first time. The Hate U Give was amazing. It’s gritty and raw and dark, and gripped me right from the very first chapter. On the strength of that, I borrowed her second book, On The Come Up immediately afterwards. To be honest, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like it quite as much, mostly because the main character is deep into rap and I really don’t like or listen to that genre of music, and figured that I probably wouldn’t enjoy the book so much because of that. I should probably know better by now.
“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.”
This book is about rap, but so much more than that. And even then, Angie Thomas somehow managed to draw me into the world of rap and make me enjoy the experience before I even knew where I was. There’s such passion for rap and encouragement for following your dreams. It’s hard not to get caught up in it. The main character Bri is smart and sassy, and is determined to follow in her father’s footsteps as a rapper and chase her dreams, and she also wants to help her family at the same time. She’s so authentically a teen, but one loaded down with problems and worries. She has such a compelling passion for life, music, and her family, you can’t help but love her.
The supporting cast is also amazing, from Bri’s drug dealing Aunt Pooh, to her duo of school friends, her crush, and everyone else she comes into contact with. Everyone’s vibrant and alive, with their own motivations and flaws. It feels like the real world. There’s no real villain, or main antagonist, just a bunch of people trying to live their lives, as messy as that can be, which makes Bri’s struggles just that much more real.
The romantic subplot in the book is also A+. I’m not huge into romances, especially in the contemporary genre. They’re usually cliche and over the top and a bit cringeworthy. This was nothing like that. it’s sweet and awkward in a good way, and remembers to take a backseat to the rest of the plot instead of taking over the book and promising to fix all of Bri’s problems by the power of love. I was definitely rooting for this little romance by the end, and for me, that’s saying a lot.
There’s just so much that’s good about this book. It has awesome themes about families, chasing your dreams, speaking up even when it’s difficult, and being true to yourself no matter what the world thinks of you, or thinks you should be. I would highly recommend you read On The Come Up, if you haven’t already, and also The Hate U Give. I usually stay away from books that have been hyped up, but in this case, the hype is well deserved. I can’t wait to see what Angie Thomas writes next.
What have you been reading recently? Have you read either The Hate U Give or On The Come Up? What was the last book you picked up that you weren’t sure you’d enjoy, but was pleasantly surprised by?
