The Hate U Give is a young adult novel by Angie Thomas. It follows events in the life of a black 16-year-old girl, Starr Carter, who is drawn to activism after she witnesses the police shooting of a childhood friend. Published February 28, 2017 by Balzer + Bray, The Hate U Give debuted at number one on The New York Times young adult best-seller list, where it remained for 50 weeks.