On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas made a name for herself with her exceptional debut novel, The Hate U Give, and her sophomore novel, On the Come Up, did not disappoint.  Thomas gives us an exceptional character in Bri, a girl who is striving to make it in the rap industry so she can help her struggling family.  But Bri isn't always perfect and makes plenty of mistakes along the way.  She has to try and learn not only from her mistakes, but the mistakes of her family, past and present.  And most importantly, Bri has to decide who she really wants to be.  Is it worth portraying herself in her music as someone she most definitely is not, especially when that means she has a legitimate shot to make her dreams come true?  Or does she stay true to herself even when those dreams may start to slip through her fingers?  On the Come Up is an incredible story about finding your voice and figuring out who you are even when the world seems to be crumbling down around you.  

From Amazon:

This is the highly anticipated second novel by Angie Thomas, the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning The Hate U Give.

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.