On the Come Up
Angie Thomas
Some people say that your life flashes before your eyes in moments like this. But for me, all the stuff I haven’t done flashes before mine.” —Bri Jackson
By Haley Giguère
★★★.5
Written on April 30st
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. - As stated on the book’s back cover
On the Come Up is a Young Adult contemporary novel intended for readers aged 12 to 18. It is an aspiring novel about a young black girl who, when confronted with discrimination, takes a stance against society. She is thrown into horrible situations including racism, sexism, and stereotypes throughout the story. The novel shows the importance of fighting for your dreams even when the odds are against you; it also demonstrates how freedom of speech isn’t always free, especially for young black people. On the Come Up is a novel about the lives of black teenagers and is unfortunately a stand alone. However, Angie Thomas – the author – has written several other books involving the same topics and dynamics.
The reasoning as to why On the Come Up has a 3 ½ star rating is because the book was insightful and inspiring, however it was also missing something. It didn’t have that key feature which would’ve made the book more interesting. Even though the novel isn’t a 5 star read it is still an amazing book. The book is fast paced and has super short chapters, which are two of the best qualities in a book. It is an award winning novel that illustrates how others' opinions can influence someone’s life and how effortlessly someone can be judged.
Having first read this novel at 12, it was one of the best things I had ever read at the time. One of the books that got me into reading was in fact On the Come Up. However, after reading several other novels, I find that my opinion has changed and I no longer consider it “the best”. Yet, it remains a fantastic book and I will never forget reading it for the first time.
— Article caption quoted by Bri Jackson {On the Come Up}
— Cover image from goodreads.com
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