On the Come Up

If you loved Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give, you are about to take another trip into the Garden. This is the story of Bri. She is the daughter of a slain rapper. She is the daughter of a drug addict who has finally gotten clean. She is the niece of an affiliated drug dealer. She is the best friend of Malik and Sonny. She is the sister of Trey, who has just graduated from college and can't find a job. She wants to help her family get out and has to decide what or who she is willing to become to achieve her goals. Bri has inherited her father's rapping skills. When she goes to battle in the Ring, she becomes a neighborhood sensation. But at what cost? The girl she portrayed in the rap isn't her and the neighborhood is coming to their own conclusions about what her words mean. Bri is torn between the need for money and success to help her family and remaining true to her own voice. This novel is timely, relevant and another reminder how even the simplest things can go terribly wrong if you are the wrong color in society's eyes. The issues are straight from the news and the answers are not always readily available. I couldn't put this down and know my students will devour this book like they did the last. Nothing resonates more with teens than stories that could be happening to them. Happy reading my friends.