On the Come Up

Books | Young Adult Fiction / Coming of Age

4.4

(7.5K)

Angie Thomas

The YA love letter to hip-hop—streaming on Paramount+ September 23, 2022! Starring Sanaa Lathan (in her directorial debut), Jamila C. Gray, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Method Man, Mike Epps, GaTa (Davionte Ganter), Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr., and Michael Anthony Cooper Jr.#1 New York Times bestseller · Seven starred reviews · Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor BookThis digital edition contains a letter from the author, deleted scenes, a picture of the author as a teen rapper, an annotated playlist, Angie’s top 5 MCs, an annotated rap, illustrated quotes from the book, and an excerpt from Concrete Rose, Angie's return to Garden Heights.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 all 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.Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn’t always free.“For all the struggle in this book, Thomas rarely misses a step as a writer. Thomas continues to hold up that mirror with grace and confidence. We are lucky to have her, and lucky to know a girl like Bri.”—The New York Times Book ReviewPlus don't miss Concrete Rose, Angie Thomas's powerful prequel to her phenomenal bestseller, The Hate U Give!

Coming Of Age

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More Details:

Author

Angie Thomas

Pages

464

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

2019-02-05

ISBN

0062498576 9780062498571

Ratings

Google: 4.5

Community ReviewsSee all

"Definitely can relate to this book, especially because I want to be an artist!"

Jonathan Kent

"It was very good and very uplifting it shows us that dreams can become a reality. "

Hannah Carson

"I remember finishing this one in only a few days because I couldn’t put it down. I love the way Angie Thomas writes, since it makes it easy to visualize everything. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend!"

Quinno Wuinno

""All these folks I've never met became gods over my life. Now I gotta take the power back." On the Come Up is Angie Thomas' second book, and I loved it! This book is different from The Hate U Give, but it has the same setting, and the main character is a black teen girl in both books. On the Come Up still deals with serious issues like The Hate U Give, but this one has a lighter tone. Angie Thomas is so talented, and I love the differences and similarities in both books. I really enjoyed being in Bri's head for a bit. She's such a fun and intriguing character, and I am so on board if Angie decides to write more about her later. I think she's an admirable character, and I loved seeing her sort out everything that was going on. She cares about her family, friends, and community so deeply. I highly recommend picking up both of Angie Thomas' books, and I can't wait to see what she does next!"

Emily

"Truly Mesmerizing When I first picked up this book, I didn't realize what I was getting myself into. What I mean by this is that it covers topics that hadn't necessarily occurred to me, much less led me to think in full detail about the world around me and the type of neighborhood I live in. No, I don't live the same life Bri does. And no, I don't fear the same things Bri fears. Yet at the same time, Angie Thomas managed to make the character of Brianna Jackson, relatable to me. As someone who reads books for pleasure as well as looking at a story from an author's point of view, this book was amazing. When it comes to the age range that I would recommend this book to, I'd say from about 13+. It covers subjects that to some people may be unsettling such as gun violence and drugs. In that sense I think the way the reader deals with these subjects (if it stresses them out for example) should be taken into account before reading this book. For me at least, I absolutely loved this book and I think it was very motivational and interesting as, like I mentioned, I live a very different life than the main character. It was great for me to get to see the world from a new perspective. Angie Thomas did a phenomenal job in this beautifully constructed novel."

Dana B.

"Dude…woman rule."

NerdyChez

"This was a really great book! I enjoyed the main character despite the stupid mistakes she sometimes made. Her friends and family were great and fun to read about. The serious issues in this book were handled very well. Overall, a good read I would recommend"