Books Like The Hate U Give: 7 Powerful YA Novels
Books like The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas — 7 powerful YA novels about race, justice, and finding your voice, from Dear Martin to All American Boys, with where to start.
By Aisha Patel
Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give became a defining novel of its generation. Through Starr Carter — a teenager who witnesses a police officer kill her unarmed childhood friend, then must decide whether to speak out — Thomas wrote an honest, urgent, deeply human story about race, justice, activism, and the daily act of code-switching between two worlds. If it moved you and you want more YA that tackles hard truths with the same honesty and heart, these seven novels deliver.
Here is a quick comparison, followed by where to start with each.
Books Like The Hate U Give at a Glance
| Book | Author | Why read it |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete Rose | Angie Thomas | The Hate U Give prequel |
| On the Come Up | Angie Thomas | Ambition and art in the same world |
| Dear Martin | Nic Stone | Racial profiling and finding a voice |
| All American Boys | Reynolds & Kiely | Police violence from two perspectives |
| Children of Blood and Bone | Tomi Adeyemi | A fantasy allegory of oppression |
| Speak | Laurie Halse Anderson | Trauma and the courage to be heard |
| The Fault in Our Stars | John Green | Emotionally powerful contemporary YA |
What These Books Share
What connects the best read-alikes for The Hate U Give is honesty — a refusal to look away from hard truths, paired with an authentic young voice finding its power. Thomas’s novel works because Starr feels real: her humour, her fear, her code-switching between two worlds, and her slow decision to speak. The books below share at least one piece of that. Dear Martin, All American Boys, and Concrete Rose tackle race and police violence head-on in the same contemporary key. Children of Blood and Bone channels the same righteous anger into epic fantasy, proving the conversation can happen in any genre. And Speak and The Fault in Our Stars, while their subjects differ, share Thomas’s gift for the unflinchingly honest teenage voice and the courage it takes to be heard. If what moved you most was the social-justice urgency, start with the contemporary trio; if it was Starr’s coming-of-age and her finding her voice, the broader YA picks will resonate just as deeply.
More Angie Thomas
The closest books to The Hate U Give are Thomas’s own.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
The prequel to The Hate U Give follows Starr’s father, Maverick, as a teenager navigating fatherhood, gang ties, and impossible choices. Essential reading that deepens everything you loved about the original.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Set in the same neighbourhood, this is the story of a teen rapper chasing her dreams against a backdrop of poverty and prejudice. Thomas’s gift for voice and authenticity shines, with the same blend of heart and social insight.
YA on Race and Justice
These three confront injustice head-on.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
A bright Black student writes letters to Dr. King as he navigates racial profiling and a tragedy that puts him in the headlines. Sharp, urgent, and brief, it is the closest companion to The Hate U Give.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Told in two voices — a Black teen beaten by police and a white classmate who witnesses it — this novel examines a single act of violence from both sides. A powerful, essential read on complicity and courage.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
A West-African-inspired fantasy epic that powerfully allegorises oppression, state violence, and resistance. For Hate U Give readers who want the same righteous anger in a thrilling fantasy package.
Powerful YA on Hard Truths
Finally, two landmark novels about trauma and finding your voice.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
A modern YA classic about a girl who stops speaking after a trauma and slowly reclaims her voice. It shares The Hate U Give’s core: the cost and the courage of telling the truth.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
A landmark of emotionally honest contemporary YA. While its subject is illness rather than injustice, Green’s gift for the authentic teenage voice and unflinching emotion makes it a natural next read for fans of Thomas’s heart.
Where to Start
If you want the closest continuation, read Concrete Rose. For more YA on race and justice, go to Dear Martin or All American Boys. For a thrilling fantasy with the same fire, read Children of Blood and Bone. And for emotionally powerful YA, pick Speak or The Fault in Our Stars. Any of these seven will give you what The Hate U Give does best: an honest, unforgettable story about a young person finding the courage to speak.
A note for readers and educators building a list: these titles pair especially well together, since they approach justice, identity, and voice from complementary angles — Thomas and Stone from the perspective of those targeted, Reynolds and Kiely from two sides at once, Adeyemi through allegory, and Anderson and Green through other forms of hard-won truth. Read together they make a powerful conversation about what it costs to speak up and why it matters. For more in this vein, see our best coming-of-age novels roundup, which gathers many more honest, voice-driven stories of growing up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after The Hate U Give?
Start with more Angie Thomas — Concrete Rose is the prequel and On the Come Up returns to the same neighbourhood. Then Nic Stone's Dear Martin and Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys are the essential next reads, both unflinching YA novels about race, police violence, and speaking out.
What books are similar to The Hate U Give for teens?
Dear Martin, All American Boys, and Concrete Rose are the closest matches — contemporary YA centred on race and justice. For a fantasy that powerfully allegorises oppression and resistance, Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone is a gripping choice, while Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak tackles trauma and finding your voice.
Why is The Hate U Give important?
The Hate U Give gave a generation of readers an honest, accessible story about police violence, activism, and code-switching through Starr Carter, a teen who witnesses her friend's killing. Angie Thomas's own Concrete Rose and On the Come Up, along with Nic Stone's Dear Martin, continue that vital conversation in YA fiction.
