I always spend a good portion of the summer reading young adult books for the Evergreen Teen Book Award. I haven’t been too excited about the titles I’ve been reading lately, but this one is worth pointing out, especially since it will be released as a movie this fall.
Starr is an African-American teenager living in two worlds. The community she lives in can be dangerous: a poor, inner-city neighborhood. Her parents send her and her brother to a private school in a suburban area where they are definitely minorities. When she witnessed the shooting of an old friend by a police officer, she is forced to reconcile her place and find her voice in any community.
Her father stands out for me as he shows inner strength and total commitment to his family. Many YA books have “absent” parents or ones that contribute to whatever crisis the teenagers are going through. Starr’s father is integral to her life and to the story. It is his strength that allows Starr to find her own.
As always, I highly recommend reading the book prior to seeing the movie.
