On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
You might remember Angie Thomas’s debut, the explosively popular The Hate You Give. It flew off the shelves and has since been made into a feature film that was also very popular. On the Come Up is Thomas’s very solid sophomore effort. Its been called an homage to hip-hop and I can understand why. Our main character, Bri, is an up and coming rapper in her local neighborhood. Unfortunately, her family is dealing with their electricity being shut off and having to make trips to the local food shelf. While I had little in common with a 16-year-old hip-hop artist I found myself rooting hard for her, and I learned a lot as well. This is a Young Adult novel but the problems that Bri faces are all too adult, and all too common.
“I’ve always had this theory that God is a sitcom writer who loves to put me in ridiculous situations.” ― Bri, On the Come Up
