Poetry and Graphic Novels to Read After The Hate U Give

The film adaptation of Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give is lending new energy to the award-winning, best-selling novel about police violence and Black life in America.

A lot of great lists online have already suggested dozens of fiction readalikes, so we thought we'd recommend graphic novels, poetry, and memoirs that address similar themes in a different format. (And we couldn't resist adding a few novels, too.)

Find THUGas a book, ebook, audiobook, or teacher set in our Library collections, and then check out the titles below.

Graphic Novels

I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina
Alfonso is 15 years old when he's shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in Harlem. He narrates this book from the afterlife, riding a subway car full of ghosts who contextualize his death in the long history of police violence against Black people.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers, adapted by Guy A. Sims and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile

This classic story of Steve Harmon, a Black teen in prison awaiting trial, translates perfectly into graphic novel format. Innovative black-and-white comic-book-like illustrations go perfectly with Steve's love of filmmaking, and heighten the suspense of an already-suspenseful narrative.

Black, vol. 1 by Kwanza Osajyefo

"In a world that already hates and fears them — what if only Black people had superpowers?" This graphic novel posits that questions and addresses systemic oppression and racial inequity in a superhero setting. Stay tuned for the next anthology, coming soon to a library near you.

Poetry and Memoir

For Every One by Jason Reynolds

Reynolds, award-winning and best-selling author, calls himself a dreamer. In this book of poetry, he calls other dreamers to action. Reynolds first performed this poem at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers.

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine

Not strictly a book for teens (although are any?), this powerful collection presents essays, images, and prose poems that resonate with readers of all ages. She uses matter-of-fact examples and clear references to showcase systemic racism in everyday life and American culture.

Betty before X by Ilyasah Shabazz with Renee Watson

Betty Shabazz's and Malcolm X's daughter masterfully wove together this mix of historical fiction and memoir about her mother's childhood in 1940s Detroit. The story is aimed at a younger audience, but it has important perspective on the civil rights movement for readers of all ages.

Fiction

THUG is part of a growing group of important novels about the Black experience in America, police violence, and its intersection with urban life. Here are a few more suggestions.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Bright Lights, Dark Nights by Stephen Emond

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Thanks to YA powerhouses Lyndsie Guy and Susen Shi for contributing book suggestions!

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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations