Merle
The Hate U Give was one of the best books I read in 2019. This year, I decided to give On the Come Up a shot, because I loved Angie Thomas' style of writing, and hoped for this to stun me as well. Spoiler: it didn't. But I will definitely read Concrete Rose when it's published next year, because I still believe Angie Thomas is a good author. The book lacked focus, a plot, something with substance. The protagonist and her family had some struggles; Bri gets suspended for having candy because the guard thought it were drugs - a great example for every day racism. And then she publishes a song. There is some family trouble and struggle, Bri trying to get a record deal, and a love story. Why do you always have to add a love story these days? It did not help that I found Bri unbearable annoying. And she was being disrespectful all the time. Yes, I get it, she is an angry teenager... My favorite character in the book is Jay, Bri's mother, who is really inspirational and is trying her best every day to get money and pull herself together for her ungrateful daughter... I liked some of the rap parts, but... this book was a meh for me. Maybe if I had read this before THUG, I wouldn't have been so dissappointed.
