The Hate U Give

Sixteen-year-old Starr navigates between two starkly different worlds: her predominantly Black neighborhood of Garden Heights and the elite prep school where she code-switches to fit in among her white classmates. When she witnesses a police officer fatally shoot her unarmed childhood friend during a traffic stop, Starr finds herself thrust into the center of a national controversy. As protests erupt and media attention intensifies, she faces immense pressure from all sides—her community demands she speak out, while others work to silence her testimony about what really happened that night.

Bahni Turpin delivers a powerfully nuanced performance that captures every layer of Starr's complex emotional journey. Her narration seamlessly shifts between the different voices in Starr's life, authentically portraying the code-switching that defines the protagonist's daily experience while maintaining the character's distinct personality throughout. Turpin's pacing allows the weight of each moment to resonate fully, whether during intimate family conversations or intense confrontational scenes. The audio format amplifies the story's emotional impact, with Turpin's expressive delivery bringing immediacy to Starr's internal struggles and the urgent social issues at the heart of this acclaimed debut novel.