Summary
Starr Carter is a sixteen year old girl living in Garden Heights, a mostly black and poor urban neighborhood. She attends a white private school about an hour away. The book opens on a party, where Starr is with her friend Kenya and is hardly aware of the fact that she lives a double life. At school she tries not to be "ghetto," and the neighborhood kids dislike her for abandoning them for the white kids. At the party, Starr has just started to catch up with her childhood friend, Khalil, who began dealing drugs when Starr joined the private school. A gang dispute evolves into full blown dancefloor shootout. The two escape the scene but are pulled over by a cop due to a broken taillight. The police officer pats Khalil down and goes back to his car. After seeing how distressed Starr was, Khalil opened his door to check on her, and the cop opens fire. Starr watches as Khalil dies in front of her.
Initially, the grief and fear deters Starr from identifying herself as the only witness to the murder. As time goes on, that reluctance to speak in the investigation disappears and she eventually advocates for justice for Khalil on a nationally-broadcasted interview. She even joins a street protest after a grand jury lets off the officer who shot Khalil. In the next weeks, Starr deals with not only her own trauma, but with her white classmates who use his death as an excuse to get out of class as well. Her own friends imply that the officer did the world a favor by taking out a dangerous drug dealer. She decides to hide her relation to the case from her friends and white boyfriend, Chris, but the truth comes out and Starr sees which of her friends are really her friends.
Garden Heights had already been divided by drugs and violence from opposing gangs, and the death of Khalil enhanced the divide. Maverick, Starr's father, was a gang member who went to jail and renounced the gang life. He has a feud with the father of Kenya, King, a current gangster who practically runs the neighborhood. This feud puts Starr's family in danger time and time again. Maverick and Starr's uncle have a dispute because Carlos is a cop on the same force as the officer who killed Khalil. Carlos helps Starr understand that police are not generally corrupt or bad people.
Starr's mother wants to move out of Garden Height's due to how dangerous it has become, but Maverick wants to stay so that he can improve the neighborhood. Lisa tells him that he can still use his grocery store in the neighborhood to help the community but their family's safety is a priority so they need to leave. The family moves to the suburbs, but one member, Seven, decides to stay and live with Kenya and King. Seven is torn because he wants to protect his mother and sisters, but he also wants to attend college outside of their city. While all this is happening, another self proclaimed thug, DeVante, goes to Maverick in search of help to get out of the gang life. DeVante is located to Carlos' home.
Another trial on Khalil's death ends with the grand jury failing to indict the officer who shot Khalil. This results in protests and riots all throughout Garden Heights. King decides to use the chaos as a cover to set Maverick's store on fire while Starr, Chris, Seven, and DeVante are stuck inside. Maverick helps them escape and the neighborhood turns on King. He is arrested for arson. Carlos promises to protect DeVante, so he agrees to serve as a witness to all of King's drug-dealing. King is removed from the neighborhood and his abuse to Kenya and Seven's mother is over. Maverick eventually accepts Starr and Chris' relationship. In the end, Starr makes a promise to never remain silent and continue fighting injustice.
Initially, the grief and fear deters Starr from identifying herself as the only witness to the murder. As time goes on, that reluctance to speak in the investigation disappears and she eventually advocates for justice for Khalil on a nationally-broadcasted interview. She even joins a street protest after a grand jury lets off the officer who shot Khalil. In the next weeks, Starr deals with not only her own trauma, but with her white classmates who use his death as an excuse to get out of class as well. Her own friends imply that the officer did the world a favor by taking out a dangerous drug dealer. She decides to hide her relation to the case from her friends and white boyfriend, Chris, but the truth comes out and Starr sees which of her friends are really her friends.
Garden Heights had already been divided by drugs and violence from opposing gangs, and the death of Khalil enhanced the divide. Maverick, Starr's father, was a gang member who went to jail and renounced the gang life. He has a feud with the father of Kenya, King, a current gangster who practically runs the neighborhood. This feud puts Starr's family in danger time and time again. Maverick and Starr's uncle have a dispute because Carlos is a cop on the same force as the officer who killed Khalil. Carlos helps Starr understand that police are not generally corrupt or bad people.
Starr's mother wants to move out of Garden Height's due to how dangerous it has become, but Maverick wants to stay so that he can improve the neighborhood. Lisa tells him that he can still use his grocery store in the neighborhood to help the community but their family's safety is a priority so they need to leave. The family moves to the suburbs, but one member, Seven, decides to stay and live with Kenya and King. Seven is torn because he wants to protect his mother and sisters, but he also wants to attend college outside of their city. While all this is happening, another self proclaimed thug, DeVante, goes to Maverick in search of help to get out of the gang life. DeVante is located to Carlos' home.
Another trial on Khalil's death ends with the grand jury failing to indict the officer who shot Khalil. This results in protests and riots all throughout Garden Heights. King decides to use the chaos as a cover to set Maverick's store on fire while Starr, Chris, Seven, and DeVante are stuck inside. Maverick helps them escape and the neighborhood turns on King. He is arrested for arson. Carlos promises to protect DeVante, so he agrees to serve as a witness to all of King's drug-dealing. King is removed from the neighborhood and his abuse to Kenya and Seven's mother is over. Maverick eventually accepts Starr and Chris' relationship. In the end, Starr makes a promise to never remain silent and continue fighting injustice.