Header Image

YA Review: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Title: On The Come Up
Author: Angie Thomas
Year Published: 2019


Genre: YA fiction
Pages: 447
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Location (my 2019 Google Reading map)USA (MS? It's where the author is from and lives and the book doesn't say, so I am going with Mississippi)

FTC Disclosure: I bought this book with my own money

Summary (from the inside flap of the book): Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip-hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri's got massive shoes to fill. But it's hard to get your come up when you're labeled a hoodlum at school and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral ... for all the wrong reasons.

Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn't just want to make it--she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.

Review: No pressure, Angie, but a book that follows The Hate You Give has a lot to live up to! Good thing this second novel is awesome.

This novel is sure to be a hit with students across the country; it has so many ideas in it that they can relate to, no matter what ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion they may be. Relationships with friends, teachers, administrators, the police, and parents are all in this story. Having dreams that seem difficult to achieve, wanting to belong, and having fears are also all in there.

This book may be over 400 pages, but I read it in two sittings. That's how much it captivated me. Bri is a strong main character who is complex and dealing with a lot and I wanted her, her friends, and her family to be okay. I wanted them to escape the violence of the gangs, be able to pay the bills, and to do well on the ACT / SAT to get into college. And, I also want her to do well with her music dream. 

I love the relationship between Bri and her mom and Bri and her brother. They love each other so much and sacrifice for one another while still holding each other to the highest of standards in all aspects of life.

With two strong novels under her belt, Angie Thomas is a force to be reckoned with!



Challenges for which this counts: 

No comments