#Rebuilding Aiyana

[the-iron-tipped-quill]

Rebuilding Aiyana chapter 1/?

part one of idk how many of the book im writing

“Miss Arcadia, enter,” an overhead voice told me.

I walked into the building, the voices around me chattering away. I felt so out of place in the sea of white uniforms. Walking along in my plain, street clothes, I made my way to the headmaster’s office. 

“Miss Arcadia, lovely to finally meet you,” a woman on the taller side said, shaking my hand. I noted as many of her features as I could. Long, glowing white hair, and eyes of such a pale blue they looked white. The walls in her office were also pure white, and completely spotless.

“You as well, Mrs. Aiyana,” I responded.

“Sit, we have much to discuss. A member of the Illustrious Arcadia family, known for being the best in their field of magic, coming to The Aiyana Institute. A shock to be sure!” Mrs. Aiyana said as we both sat down in the office to discuss my entrance into her side of the academy -considering that the school had two sides, depending on what you wanted to study in. You could study the magic of time manipulation, famously used by time mage Aria Williams, or learn to call upon the stars to guide you, famously used by mage popstar, Astra Vox, who graduated from this academy.

“Let's take a look into your file shall we?”

She then placed her fingers onto my temples and took a dive into my memories.

A fire. A great house fire. The fire claimed many lives that day, but spared my little brother and I. I wasn't Azaka Arcadia yet. I was still Azaka Palmer at that point, the magic in our family having gone unnoticed for years until they found us. I was taken in by the Arcadia family, and raised alongside my best friend, Cassian and my younger brother Isaac. As years went by, Cassian and I competed in good fun to be at the very very top of the institute's classes. Raines Vennerer academy could barely keep up with us two. My brother lagged behind us both, but Cassian and I were flying through it all.

Both of us got into the institute after we graduated middle school. We would stay together and see each other as much as we could –  that was what we promised.

She removed her fingers from my head and leaned back, thinking.

I sat across from her in silence, waiting to hear from her, terrifyingly anticipating if I would get in or not.

“You have been accepted into this academy. Welcome Miss Arcadia. Your uniforms will be sent directly to your dorm room. Your supplies and room have already been accounted for.”

I met up with Cassian to hear how his interview went. 

“Mr. Aiyana is crazy! There's something wrong with his head. He looks like he is falling apart at the seams and acts without a care in the world for it,” Cassian exclaimed, not even pausing to breathe. He continued, calmer than before, “Supposedly we share a dorm room together. Let's find out if that's true, I suppose.” 

The two of us walked in complete silence to another building. This one seemed emptier, and we met a woman at the entrance. Calling herself Aia, she handed us both a set of pure white keys. I made a note of how much of the color white was used here: white uniforms, white buildings, white keys. Even Mrs. Aiyana had pure white hair, her office being that same shade of white. I pushed that thought to the side as we got to our room. It seemed larger than what the physical limits of the building would allow, but it was a decent size for Cassian and I to share. We went into our rooms. The room I had was mostly a blend of purple and white, but my uniform was where I got confused. Directly on my neck was a bright red flower looking symbol. I called Cassian to get his opinion on all this. He too had the same exact shade of red on his uniform, but instead of the flowerlike shape I had, he had a red tie. The two of us changed into the uniforms, and they were surprisingly much more comfortable then they seemed. I went to the desk in my room and began searching through the textbooks to gain some understanding of what there was. 

Classes began uneventfully, though the curriculum did seem to be more magic based and much more demanding than my old school, but I rose to the challenges laid out in front of me, and I worked to learn the magic as much as I could. My body almost always felt like it was on fire. I suppose it was on fire considering that my blood had become pure starlight, that I could summon at any moment, though if I used too much, I would collapse. Knowing that I had limits, I focused more on figuring out other ways to use the stars to my benefit. This set of magic works best if used as a secondary. It can be used as a primary, but  is much more costly to the body. 

❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

“Demonstrate for us Azaka, what do you make of your abilities?” My teacher, Miss Adalina, a young woman, who seemed to be very pale, asked as she sat at the front of the class.

“I use the starlight to benefit my own magic, allow me to demonstrate.” I responded, weaving a mask of illusions, a perfect mask hiding me away. 

“Very interesting..” she mused, and then returned to her lesson.

I made another mental note about more of that pure white color, on the desks and chairs, too. 

A girl next to me after class came up to me and introduced herself as Rachel Tolliver, a second year, another person who plans to use starlight as her secondary magic. Her main magic seems to be projecting weapons with some sense of strength. Seems like she plans to use it to reinforce them.

“What's up with the flower on your chest?” Rachel asked, twirling a knife in her fingers. It seemed almost involuntary, like she didn't notice it at all. 

“I couldn't tell you, it feels like a weird sign, considering how much you see white at this school, white buildings, white walls, white desks and chairs and pure white uniforms.” I replied to her just staring at how little care she was giving to the knife in her left hand.

She continued after I finished, ignoring part of my question. “So anyways, how's your first day been, Azaka? She seemed cheerful, as she practically bounced through the halls to the school commissary. I struggled to keep up with her as we entered another completely white room. I saw Cassian and I nodded at him as Rachel dragged me to sit with her and her friends.

“So I may have adopted a freshman again…” Rachel said as she sat down next to around 3 other girls. 

“Another one? You did that before and she flunked out of the academy.” A girl with long blond hair said as she ate her lunch, Working on an assignment for another class, the one I would have after this period.

“Oh yeah, lemme take her to grab something to eat.” Rachel said, dragging me behind her to another area of the commissary to eat something.

“Rachel, who are those 3 you were sitting with?” I asked hesitantly.

“Oh! The blonde is Ahri, she's almost always doing something during lunch, shocked she was even with us, blue hair is Maiya, that's the kid of the Aiyana family, and there's Petra, the black haired chick, she goes to the other side of the academy, mostly she's here for power training and control.” Rachel said grabbing something for herself, I barely had time to swipe something for myself before I got dragged back to the table with everyone. 

Ahri had placed her book away and seemed to be stuffing her face before looking like she was gonna run off. 

“What's the whole well.. Deal with Ahri?” I asked.

“Well, she's kinda killing her health over grades so she can stay in the school. She's here because she works herself to the bone.” Rachel said as we walked back, less dragging me around this time. 

“Poor Ahri, I hope she is able to take a break.”  I said as we got back to the table where everyone was.

“So, who's got you in a bind this time Ahri?” Petra asked, mouth completely full of food to the point I didn't know how her mouth was able to talk.

“Mr. Landau, my Sinworker history project… was not up to his standards.” Ahri said, looking defeated. 

“Landau’s giving you trouble??” Petra asked, eyes blinking from golden to a multitude of colors. 

“Please don’t do anything about it Petra, I can take care of it.” Ahri said, placing her hands on Petra’s shoulders.

“Ahri, I can ask Mari to handle it. He likes you, he won’t mind.” Petra mentioned, like it was nothing.

“You… You would do that for me?” 

“Why wouldn’t I? I know damn well you cannot stand up to anyone. Let me or Ray help you.. Please Ahri.”

“Fine.. You win.” 

I watched Rachel and Petra comfort Ahri, Maiya and I watched them do so silently. Maiya packed her stuff up and left the commissary, almost as if she was never here at all. I followed after her shortly, returning to the room I shared with Cassian. 

“How has the first round of classes been going?” Cassian said, looking fully depleted.

“Decently, I heard one of the teachers here is a strict grader.”  I said, sinking into the chair across from Cassian. 

“Cass, have you noticed how many things are just, pure spotless white here?” I asked, gesturing to the room and our uniforms. “It's getting uncanny how much that color is showing up here.” 

“It's odd but, if I had to guess, it's some form of a design choice. I wouldn't worry too much.” Cassian said, packing up for the next class rotation. 

I collected myself and headed for the class that Ahri warned me about.

[blackqueengold]

The Siren and The Talokanil Warrior

A/N: Hello everyone :) I have updated the first chapter of The Siren and The Talokanil Warrior.... Pls don't come at me that I have taken a long time to come back to writing, I had to come back for y'all ❤️. And now.... Ladies & Gens... Enjoy the ride 😈 *blows out a candle*

Chapter 1

After Wakanda and Talokan have gone into war, both sides had to mourn for the loses of their people, buried the love ones, and had to rebuild. Okoye is the general of the midnight angels with Aneka. M’Baku is Regent king until Shuri comes back from Haiti, but he has been hiding someone from the whole world.

“There you go buddy, swim carefuly, alright?” the woman smiles as she pats the whale and swims away as her tail shines as the sunlight seeps into the ocean.

“Well time to go, M’Baku and Umama must be waiting for me in river tribe borders”, she made her way up to the surface, swam towards her paddle boards and sat on it to let her tail dry but also looked around to check if no one has seen her as she stood up and paddled her way to the border of the river tribe in her paddle board.

She had a beautiful and rare tail for a siren, the only one in the Atlantic Ocean, and had a beauty like no one else that could compare.

“Brother, Umama I’m back from my swim”, she announced herself as she stopped her board at the edge of the entrace of the River tribe. She looked for her brother but he wasn’t there.

“Ah jonga obuyileyo”, Okoye gave the woman a kind smile as they talked in Xhosa.

“Ewe Umama”, they hugged and thanked the river tribe for letting her swim from their borders.

“Umama, where’s M’Baku?” she asks.

“At the palace”, the woman hummed in understanding.

“Tell me Aiyana, how’s the whale doing?” Okoye asks.

“It’s doing well, poor baby I couldn’t find the mother anywhere”, she looked down as they enter the palace and Okoye hummed to understand her sadness.

“Aiyana, we’re having a meeting as your brother is king and we’re meeting with the Serpent god king of Talokan”, Okoye wanted to dismember all of them from what they have done to Wakanda.

“Umama umonde”, Aiyana patted her mother's back to calm her down.

“How can you be so calm if you weren’t at war?” Aiyana could’ve swear she saw fumes coming out of her mother’s ears.

“Umama, when you all told me what has happened to Wakanda and the war, yes I was mad at the king and it’s people from Talokan. But if you want peace, you need to let go as the waves in the ocean”, she turned around looking at her mother as she dries the rest of her hair.

Okoye looked at her daughter figure seriously as she wanted to burn holes into her daughter’s skull.

“Umama, if you keep looking at me like this you’re gonna make me faint”, Aiyana arched an eyebrow as she looked at her mother.

“You’re keen in thinking and strong and wise in words and behavior”, Okoye patted her cheek.

“Enkosi Umama”, she saluted her arms in respect.

Aiyana went up to her house to bath and change into a (dress) that was adorned with jewels she got from trading some of the medicine she made and did her hair into a braid lower ponytail. She then went down to the throne room where the meeting was taking place. Once she entered, everyone stopped talking and stared at her as she made her way to her brother.

“Brother M’Baku”, she bowed.

“Rise sister, sit”, he smiled at his sister having almost everyone in shock, only the river representative smiled at Aiyana as she sat next to her brother and the other representatives.

“M’Baku, you never told us you had a sister”, the border tribe representative held in his shocked face as he looked at Aiyana.

“I’ve kept my sister away from the horrors of this past war? yes, was it beneficial? Also yes”, M’Baku smiled.

“She could’ve help us to win the war—”, spears were slammed into the floor by the Dora Milaje.

"Enough, I will not sit here and listen to your complaint", M'Baku added calmy interrupting the border tribe.

“Well I—”, he got interrupted a second time was mad.

“Are we gonna talk about me or the problem at hand today?” Aiyana looked at the man’s eye for a good second before looking away to see the other representatives and the Talokanil king. She also noticed he was with two other people of high status.

‘Maybe generals?’ she thought as she looked at the tall one with the hammerhead shark skull on his head.

Attuma stole a look of Aiyana when they looked eye to eye as everyone around them were talking about the problem at hand.

“Queen Shuri wants us to make an alliance with Talokan”, M’Baku looked around the room.

“We won’t make an alliance with this….fish people who brought us into war and destroyed our home”, the mining tribe expressed.

"Excuse me? if it wasn't for Wakanda sending one of their people to our nation for taking the scientist to kill her and killing one of ours to take both the princess and scientist then the war wouldn't have happened for your incompetence", soon the whole room was full of yelling to one another, and Aiyana sighed as the high pitch of the screams were bothering ger ears.

“There’s a saying that goes ‘Once an enemy, ALWAYS an ally’", she stood up and walked around the tribes representtives and the talokanil king with his generals, "so if both kingdoms want peace, what’s there to lose through this alliance? Both kingdoms suffered from loss of their people because recent war from both sides that are at fault, not just one but both. Both kingdoms suffered the consequence. From this, both kingdoms would be ready to protect each other if there’s something coming in the future and can get know each other as well”, Aiyana held her head high as she was explaining everything.

“Leti’ jach na’atja’an”, the male general whispered to his king.

“I agree with your sister, King M’Baku. She’s keen at thought and wise as she speaks, Talokan would be ready to protect Wakanda from any future attacks and would always be here to give guidance”, K’uk’ulkan said while looking at Aiyana as he expresses himself to the council.

“Itshiwo kakuhle”, Ayo whispered and Aiyana smiled.

“Do we all agree with Aiayana?” almost all the tribes agreed to the plan.

“Alright Wakanda and Talokan will sign the peace treaty”, which it has been signed by shuri and now by M’Baku and K’uk’ulkan.

“Well this meeting is adjourned”, they all bow to both kings to take their leave first and then Aiyana left with the Dora Milaje.

“Sister”, M’Baku called out to Aiyana to come to him.

“Yes brother?” she ask.

“Meet the King of Talokan, K’uk’ulkan and his generals”, M’Baku introducing them.

“King K’uk’ulkan and generals, it’s an honor to meet you”, she bowed and looked at her brother.

“I must go, I have to go to my study and have training with Umama later on”, she started to walk away but soon got stopped.

"K'uk'ulkan do forgive my rudeness in the throne room, both kingdoms need strengthed the union for both sides to be at peace with each other in the near future", Aiyana advised and took a look at Attuma once more before she turned around and left.

After Aiyana left, Attuma kept looking at where she walked still amazed by her beauty.

“Leti’e jach ki’ichpam”, Attuma declared as he remembers Aiyana, the way she spoked in the meeting. Enchanting. While Namora was looking at Attuma in disgust and wanted to stick her spear into his chest to put him in place. K’uk’ulkan just looked at him with a smile.

“Choko poolech, ku ts’aik asco”, Namora said as she made her way outside to go home. Then Attuma and K’uk’ulkan left after her. He wanted to know more about Aiyana, he was mesmerized by her beauty and how she held herself together in the midst of problems of the council.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

Translations:

Ah jonga obuyileyo- Look who came back

Ewe Umama- Yes mom

Umama- mom or mother

Umama umonde- Mom patience

Enkosi Umama- Thank you mom

Leti’ jach na’atja’an- she's smart

Itshiwo kakuhle- Well said

Leti’e jach ki’ichpam- She’s so beautiful

Choko poolech, ku ts’aik asco- You're crazy, it disgusts me

[strangesigils]

BLM SIGIL STREAM ON SATURDAY

I’m doing a livestream on twitch tomorrow June 13th at 1:00 PM Saskatchewan Time (for those of you new here, SK CST is a bit different from normal from normal CST because we don’t do daylight savings ever)

This is not a normal stream, I’m not filling out normal sigil requests for this, I’m specifically making sigils for the Black Lives Matter movement, because I’m seeing a lot less about it on social media and I think that’s fucked up because this shit is still happening. It’s not a weeklong fad, it’s a movement and a revolution and we need to keep standing behind it however we can. I will be making sigils for justice. “Justice For ... “ George Floyd Ahmaud Arbery Trayvon Martin Eric Garner Walter Scott Ernest Mweru Aiyana Mo’nay Stanley-Jones Philando Castille Tamir Rice Sandra Bland Alton Sterling Michael Brown Atatiana Koquice Jefferson Akai Gurley Megan Marie Hockaday Stephon Clark Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. Amandou Diallo Freddy Carlos Gray Jr. Jordan Edwards Jonathan Ferrel Korryn Gaines Alton Sterling Jamar Clark Jeremy McDole Layleen Polanco Muhlasia Booker Bettie Jones Terence Crutcher Oscar Grant Walter Lamar Scott

 If anybody has more names for me to add to the ‘justice for’ sigils that are not already listed here for me to make, feel free to send me a name with a link about what happened through personal message. For each of these sigils I post I will also be posting a publicly available photo of them and a link to what happened to them. I won’t be able to complete all of these in the stream, but I’ll be working on them outside of streaming when I have the time as well

I will be promoting my fundraiser for black LGBTQI+ refugees in Kenya who have been regularly attacked while trying to rebuild their burnt down homes (which were burnt down while they were away protesting the abuse of Ernest Mweru by the UNHCR which led to his suicide outside their offices) Even though we raised the minimum of $500 they had to pay for medical costs for medicine for members with diabetes, food for the injured, sick, children, and elderly, and ambulance fees for the people who’ve been attacked during building (I think they have 4 or 5 people in the hospital right now, other slightly less injured people are staying in the camp) the graphic images they send me of the brutal injuries they’ve sustained has been keeping me up at night for weeks. They only had enough money left to build 1 home and they’re using it for the children. They’re not black lives in america, but they’re queer black lives in a country and a refugee camp that wants them exterminated, and they matter. Click Here To Go To The GoFundMe I have set up As well as all fiverr proceeds for name sigils and other recreational sigils will go to the same cause As well as any redbubble profits I make (which is only a few cents for purchased item, the rest goes to redbubble so I’m not really going to recommend it for donation purposes)

I’ll still be reblogging posts for BLM  and Bail funds as well

[lanara-julliet]

Why Do We Recommend Alastin Here in Aiyana Aesthetics?

Cosmetic treatments have come a long way, effectively removing unwanted skin conditions and, at the same time, restoring a vibrant look. However, the treatment itself is just a part of the process, and your aftercare process is just as necessary as the treatment. That’s why, here at AIYANA Aesthetics, we offer Alastin to your clients to enhance the effects of their cosmetic treatments.

When contemplating your cosmetic treatments, it’s only natural to be concerned about their outcomes. To alleviate these concerns, you need to know what the procedure entails and its aftercare procedures. It’s essential that you exercise patience and properly follow your provider’s guidelines to ensure safety and results. While aftercare products are extra expenses, there is a reason why we frequently recommend these products.

Why We Offer Aftercare Skin Care Products?

Offering skin care products is after a cosmetic treatment is commonplace. We may provide toners, sunscreens, or serums to protect and nourish the skin, making it look the best. Likewise, certain cosmetic treatments involve procedures that overstimulate the skin.

You’ll need aftercare skin products of these procedures to reduce the potential side effects of the treatment— getting the best out of the treatment. Depending on the treatment, we will give different products suited for it. Nevertheless, many cosmetic treatments don’t require aftercare skin care products. While it’s not that necessary, an aftercare skin care product can still enhance the effects. However, there is one product that we consistently offer, no matter the treatment. We offer this particular product as aftercare support after you’ve just had your cosmetic treatment. This product is Alastin.

What Is Alastin?

Alastin skin care product is an item that is sold by a company that goes by the same name, Alastin. Alastin company offers innovative top-of-the-line enhancement items specifically for dermatologists, estheticians, and plastic surgeons. These professionals use these products for their patients to assist in their aftercare guidelines. Their top item, Alastin, is a formula that enhances the efficacy of both deep skin and surface skin layer treatments.

Alastin also enhances the healing process, minimizing the chances of side effects and optimizing the result of the treatment. Other products do the same thing, but not many are as effective as Alastin. You can use two types of Alastin to give your skin a vibrant appearance: Alastin Skin Nectar and Alastin Restorative Skin Complex. We will discuss each of these options to determine which ones are the best for you.

Alastin Skin Nectar

Alastin Skin Nectar will be the product we offer you after receiving your cosmetic treatment. However, depending on the needs of the treatment, we may apply Alastin even before the treatment. The formula is a blend of active peptides and botanicals that support your skin’s natural cycle. It enhances and promotes the benefits of recycling, rebuilding, and replenishing your skin’s rejuvenation processes, allowing for quick recovery and maintaining a youthful glow.

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are the main key ingredient for the Alastin Skin Nectar. These are short-chain amino acids that make up the well-known collagen and elastin. They are the buzz words of cosmetic treatments that you frequently hear. Your skin naturally produces collagen and elastin, plumping the skin and making it stretchable. But as you age, these productions steadily decrease, leading to wrinkles and other signs of aging. But thanks to most cosmetic treatments, restoring collagen and elastin production is possible, losing the unwanted signs of aging. We can support that skin collagen and elastic restructuring by putting peptides, which enable collagen and elastin to form chains more effectively. As a result, we can significantly speed up the entire ordeal. Peptides are synthetically made, and they are very predictable, allowing the user to predict results since the amino acid sequence is well known.

Benefits Of Alastin Skin Nectar

Quicker recovery by supporting the treatment’s collagen and elastin production

Has antioxidant properties, preventing complications

Clears damage and debris

Alastin Restorative Skin Complex

While Alastin Skin Nectar was for therapeutic purposes, Alastin Restorative Skin Complex is more about prevention. We can recommend this product to allow the cosmetic treatment to last as long as possible, but you can choose not to get the item. Alastin Restorative Skin Complex aims to allow your skin to consistently make it look young, vibrant and keep signs of aging away as long as possible through TriHex Technology.

What Is TriHex Technology?

Alastin Restorative Skin Complex utilizes TriHex Technology to clear out the old collagen and elastin proteins by giving the skin the ability to produce new collagen and elastin.

Previously, peptides were about assisting the cosmetic treatment from developing chains of collagen and elastin. The cosmetic treatments already produce collagen and elastin, so there’s no need for further stimulation for production.

On the other hand, TriHex Technology replaces the old collagen and elastin bonds by adding new ones. Collagen and elastin diminish thanks to sun exposure and aging, and we will restore that. TriHex Technology happens in three steps, remove, rebuild, and replenish.

Remove: TriHex Technology first removes the clumps of aged collagen and elastin to allow room for new proteins to develop. While it may seem inefficient to remove these proteins, they are actually in the way. They exist there, but they are not well-structured to provide plumpness and elasticity, hindering new ones from developing.

Rebuild: Next, it rebuilding these structures start. There’s room for new collagen and elastin to enter, and no damaged fragments are lying around. It can now effectively build and do its job.

Replenish: Even the new collagen and elastin structures will grow old and weaken. To that end, the cycle repeats, replenishing the damaged fragments with new ones.

Benefits Alastin Restorative Skin Complex

Volumizes the skin, preventing signs of aging

Protects the skin from further damage and replenishes it

Takeaway

Cosmetic treatments are just a part of rejuvenating and fighting back aging, and the aftercare guidelines are just as important. That’s why, here at AIYANA, we offer you Alastin items to assist in recovery and enhance the effects of the treatments. If you want to consult us more about it, please book an appointment or contact us anytime!

[purpleproseblog]

review: the hate u give by angie thomas

to celebrate february being black history month, i thought i’d review one of my favorite books, the hate u give by angie thomas. i’ve read this book a few different times, and each time i come away feeling like i’ve learned something. it’s a story that i believe is worth revisiting, seeing as it’s one that can play out (and has, and continues to do so) in the world we live in.

the hate u give follows 16-year-old starr carter as she deals with the aftermath of her best friend, khalil harris’, shooting. khalil was unarmed, but after a police officer mistakes his hairbrush for a gun, khalil is shot and killed, with starr (the only witness) beside him and unable to help. she watches khalil’s death become national news, and must decide whether to speak up about what happened or remain silent. the choices she makes could be dangerous, affecting both her personal life and the lives of everyone in her community. 

this book acts as a window for readers like myself, as i am not a person of color, to see what being black in america is like. privilege can often be invisible to those of us who have it, but this book helped open my eyes to experiences i will never have. i couldn’t relate to many of the things starr went through, but then, that’s exactly the point. 

the notion of community is really strong in this book, and it’s perhaps my favorite of the themes that we see throughout the story. there’s the tightly-knit community of garden heights, where starr lives, which, despite the influence of gang violence, is able to (small spoiler?) rebuild after riots wreak havoc around them. there’s also starr’s school, williamson, in which she’s one of the only non-white students and deals with code-switching and conforming to an identity that doesn’t wholly feel like herself. 

the community that i enjoyed reading about the most, though, was starr’s family. it was refreshing to see a ya heroine that had a good relationship with both parents and multiple siblings. family is really important to the carters, and that’s exemplified throughout the novel. starr’s uncle carlos being a cop added another layer of complexity to the story as she confronts him about what he would have done, had he been in his colleague’s situation.

i did see the film adaptation of the hate u give. i liked it enough, and i thought amandla stenberg was great as starr, but ultimately i felt that the book did a more eloquent job of conveying thomas’ main ideas. however, it’s interesting to note that there were film rights being discussed before the book was actually published. different publishing houses were at odds with each other fighting for the rights to this book (harpercollins won, for those wondering; this is a balzer + bray book). to me, this signifies how important this story is.

the ending of the book is one that gracefully and powerfully connects thomas’ fiction with reality. it has always been one of my favorite aspects of the book, and this is coming from a reader who typically doesn’t enjoy endings. it reminds the reader that even though the hate u give is a story about one particular boy who was killed, racism is an institutional issue, and it’s every bit about the system as it is about the individual. i don’t think there’s any way i could better explain than to simply insert an excerpt from those last couple of pages.

“It would be easy to quit if it was just about me, Khalil, that night, and that cop. It’s about way more than that though. It’s about Seven. Sekani. Kenya. DeVante.

It’s also about Oscar.

Aiyana.

Trayvon.

Rekia.

Michael.

Eric.

Tamir.

John.

Esell.

Sandra.

Freddie.

Alton.

Philando.

It’s even about that little boy in 1955 who nobody recognized at first - Emmett.

The messed up part? There are so many more.”

if you’re looking for more ya books to read during black history month (or really any time of year), underlined put together a list of books that celebrate black history and culture to get you started! click here if you’re interested!