Contemporary Author Blog #1: Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas is an African American woman and also a 21st-century author who grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. Thomas is most commonly known for her book titled The Hate U Give, which was a New York Times bestseller for five years. The Hate U Give is a book that Thomas wrote in support of the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement and also to combat gun violence happening specifically in inner cities. This book was officially released in 2017; a sequel was later released in 2021 titled Concrete Rose. Thomas has had many professional reviews written about her book, some of which are on bookadebt.com.   Angie Thomas was also a teen rapper, which inspired her book, On The Come Up. Thomas earned a degree in creative writing from Belhaven University, located in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was raised.

(Angie Thomas)

Major Works by Angie Thomas

The first of Thomas's major works was The Hate U  Give. This book was written to help younger generations understand a little more of what African  Americans have to experience; it also discusses police brutality when Starr, the main character looses her friend to a police officer because he reached for his hairbrush. Losing her close friend leads her to speak out and lead citywide protests demanding justice for her friends and all of the other African Americans who lost their lives to police brutality. Concrete Rose is the sequel to this book, which follows Starr's father Maverick. Another one of Angie Thomas's well known works is titled On The Come Up, this book follows a teenage girl who's goal is to become a famous rapper but throughout the book she faces many struggles such as poverty and systemic racism. Thomas wrote this book because she herself also dreamed of being a rapper and had to face some of the same struggles as Bri, the main character in On The Come Up.

Major Literacy Reviews

Angie Thomas is a New York Times bestselling author. She has had many literacy reviews written about her work;  the first review I found is from The Guardian.com, this literacy review was written by Alex Wheatle. In this review, Wheatle discusses some of the main points in Thomas's book The Hate U Give, after giving a brief summary, he then discusses themes throughout the book such as racism, poverty, and police brutality. Wheatle discusses the subtle racism that can be seen throughout the book in Starr's relationships with her so-called friends, and then Wheatle relates how the systemic racism and police brutality in this story show what it's like to be an African American in America."The Hate U Give is an outstanding debut novel and says more about the contemporary black experience in America than any book I have read for years, whether it's fiction or non-fiction"(Wheatle.) One of the quotes in this book that Alex Wheatle found to be the most powerful is "Keep your hands visible, her father advised. Don't make any sudden movements." (Thomas 20.) Another review I read was from Bookadebt.com and it was written by Melissa Eliiot. In this review, she discusses Thomas's book On the Come Up, she discusses how she feels this book gives readers a closer understanding of the author and her experiences compared to The Hate U Give. She also discusses how she feels Thomas is so perfectly able to address certain themes throughout this book: "Thomas ia a gifted writer and her exploration of the themes of systematic racism and inequality, social injustice, and gang violence are only exceeded by her skills at depicting them through utterly unbelievable characters and a compelling storyline " (Elliot). Both of these literary reviews discuss how great Thomas is at giving the reader a compelling storyline that truly allows them to understand these themes and the experience of what African Americans are dealing with in modern day America. 

Personal Reflection 

Personally, I have read Angie Thomas's book The Hate U Give and I agree with both of these authors that her writing is so powerful, specifically when discussing these sensitive topics and themes of her stories. From what Ive learned, the majority of her work discusses themes such as social injustice, police brutality, and racism, which are very important themes to discuss.  I've also learned that her books are mostly written for younger audiences and through the book and quotes I have read I notice that she is able to write her stories so well that anybody of any age would be able to read her books and understand the powerful messages and themes that Thomas is talking about throughout her work.

“On the Come Up.” The Book Adept, 23 Oct. 2019, https://bookadept.com/2019/10/23/on-the-come-up/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.

Wheatle, Alex. “The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Review – Racism and Police Brutality.” The Guardian, The Guardian, 22 Feb. 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/apr/08/the-hate-u-give-angie-thomas-review-alex-wheatle. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.

“The Inspiration Behind The Hate U Give.” Epic Reads, 2026, https://epicreads.com/blogs/news/the-hate-u-give-inspiration. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.

Thomas, A. (2019). On the come up. Balzer + Bray, An Imprint Of Harpercollinspublishers.

Thomas, A. (2022). The Hate U Give A Printz Honor Winner. HarperCollins Publishers.