On the Come Up

On the Come Up

By Angie Thomas
Published:Balzer & Bray, 2019
Pages: 447
Genre: Young Adult
Amazon, Goodreads

We ain't letting it stop the come up.

About the book

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 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.

Review

On the Come Up is a poignant, remarkable novel about discovering yourself and sticking to your dreams, no matter how ridiculous they may seem.

The plot is so unique in itself; there's not many novels centered around rape scenes/gangs. On the Come Up is set in the same neighborhood as The Hate U Give, but with a different plot and cast of characters. This is something I really enjoyed about Thomas's second novel... race relations and police discrimination are also focus points in the story. I never felt like On the Come Up was a recycled version of The Hate U Give; Thomas manages to write a funny, important story that addresses similar issues but is still totally different from her debut novel.

I really enjoyed Bri. She's sassy, intelligent, ambitious, hot-headed and mouthy. Even at the beginning when she's struggling to find success as an up-and-coming rapper, she knows that she's not her father, she wants to get on top using her own talents and not live in her father's shadow. I also loved how Bri is also a total nerd! She loves Star Wars and Harry Potter. This gives her character dimension and illustrates the other parts of her interests. The other characters were just as intriguing, realistic and gripping.

On the Come Up is a fantastic read that will definitely be made into a movie some point in the future. those who loved The Hate U Give will love Thomas's second novel just as much!

RATING (out of five puppies)