On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Published by Balzer + Bray on February 5th 2019
ISBN: 0062498568
Pages: 447
Goodreads

Set in the same neighborhood where readers met Starr from The Hate U Give, On the Come Up tells the story of Bri – an aspiring rapper waiting for her chance.  Bri’s father was a rising star when he was fatally shot in a gang-related incident when Bri was a toddler, leaving Bri along with a mother who struggles to make ends meet and a brother who is determined to end up anywhere else but in a gang.  After a rap battle victory in “The Ring,” Bri feels like this is her chance, not only to help her mother pay the bills, but also to make it as the star her father never became.

Angie Thomas masterfully shares Bri’s inner thinking, especially scenes in which Bri brainstorms, crafts, and raps off the cuff, and readers will delight in the audiobook version of this text to hear the lyricality of Bri’s music. On the Come Up is a story of overcoming obstacles, and fighting for what’s right, persevering, with a creative ending that will leave readers turning the page and imagining with Bri.  Recommended for grades 8-12.

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

Review by Noelle Gallant, Saco Middle School