“People already say you think you all that.” “Stop following me and go dance, Starr,” Kenya says. He always has it on the Friday of spring break because you need Saturday to recover and Sunday to repent. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of them are conceived the night of Big D’s party. Spring in Garden Heights doesn’t always bring love, but it promises babies in the winter. My nana likes to say that spring brings love. Guys in their freshest kicks and sagging pants grind so close to girls they just about need condoms. Got me feeling basic as hell with my ponytail. Girls wear their hair colored, curled, laid, and slayed. I’ve always heard that everybody and their momma comes to his spring break parties-well, everybody except me-but damn, I didn’t know it would be this many people. Between the headache from the loud-ass music and the nausea from the weed odor, I’ll be amazed if I cross the room without spilling my drink. Kenya holds up her cup and dances her way through the crowd. Some rapper calls out for everybody to Nae-Nae, followed by a bunch of “Heys” as people launch into their own versions. A haze lingers over the room, smelling like weed, and music rattles the floor. I squeeze through sweaty bodies and follow Kenya, her curls bouncing past her shoulders. Big D’s spring break party is one of those places. There are just some places where it’s not enough to be me. I’m not even sure I belong at this party. THE HATE U GIVE goes on sale February 28, 2017, but you can start reading below! And don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads shelf here! Soon to be a major motion picture from Fox 2000/Temple Hill Productions. The Hate U Give is about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances and addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. Read the first three chapters from THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas, a young adult novel inspired by Black Lives Matter.