Angie Thomas (author of The Hate U Give) has a new YA book out called On The Come Up that takes place in the same neighborhood as THUG.
The story follows Bri, a teenager living in the Gardens with her mother and older brother who is trying to become the next big rap star like her idols Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.
Just like in THUG, Thomas takes on the very real issues of poverty, police brutality, and racial stereotypes while maintaining extremely likable characters. I enjoyed this one just as much as THUG and as a bonus there are some awesome raps in there!
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