The Hate U Give has been a highly anticipated release and once it was released, it was everywhere. On Book tube, in book stores, twitter, pretty much anywhere else you are going to see a very anticipated book release. Once I heard the synopses I was really intrigued and wanted to read it although I was slightly wary. Sometimes books are so overly anticipated it either puts me off reading them or I find myself really disappointed once I've finished it as it didn't live up to the high expectations I have built up in my head. Whilst I was really excited to start reading this book I was also slightly nervous that it would fall into one of these categories... I am pleased to tell you it did not.

The Hate U Give follows sixteen-year-old Starr who lives in a poor area of America where there are drugs and opposing gangs. However, Starr's  mother and father, an ex-gang leader, has placed her in a private school where she is one of the few black students there, to try and get her away from the dangers of her neighbourhood. When Starr is the only witness to her best friend being shot dead by a police man, she becomes caught up in seeing the reality on how people like her are treated. We follow her as she discovers what it is like to be such a key witness to such a horrific act and what she needs to do to stand up for herself and her rights.

YA books are expanding so much with what people are writing about. More and more delve into an improtant and relevant issue which we have in today's society and give messages which are so important for everyone to learn about, especially for young people. The Hate U Give deals with such a serious issue that not a lot of people are willing to shine the light on. There is so much hate in the world with the recent attacks on in the UK and we need more books that tell the story of what this hate does to people and how we can fight against it and for young people to be reading such an empowering book is really important. Sadly racism is still a huge issue when it really shouldn't. It is voices like Angie Thomas that will help to put a stop to it. 

What I also loved about this book was that not only did it have such a strong and powerful message (and convey it in such a powerful way), its' characters are so relatable and I really grew to love them. In so many ways, Starr and I have nothing in common, we live completely different lives but as a sixteen-year-old so many of her thoughts and feelings I completely understood. Like her life at school and the pressures you can feel - they might not be the same but I felt like I knew what she was feeling, which also helped to make the whole story so much more real.

There were also so many little side stories entwined into this book that added to my love for it. Reading about her friendships, boy trouble and family issues that she had made the story so realistic as I can really imagine that this happened to someone living their normal life. Which also makes it so much more shocking and emphasise that this happens in today's society.

I flew through this book reading it in two days. Once I had finished it, all I wanted to do was recommend it to everyone so they could all read it and I could talk about it with everyone. The book made me feel and an array of emotions from sad to hopeful, disgusted by our society to wishful for the few who can make a difference. Angie Thomas has created an amazing book with an even more powerful message which everyone should read.




You may also like:

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield

Slated by Teri Terry

Those who know me well know that I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I think it stemmed from my brother who, being a huge fan as well, has passed down the fandom to me. Yesterday I got to go to a place I have been desperate to visit ever since I first heard about it: Harry Potter Studios. I got to go because of two of my amazing friends who bought me a ticket for my birthday a few month ago. It was such an absolutely amazing gift and I still can't really believe it. I won't be able to stop thanking them for the next 20 years, give or take a few.

We spent about three hours walking around all the different sets, looking at all the props. When I watching the films, I never realized how many little details are put into all the different scenes, and how long the process of making all the scenes is. For instance, when we walked by the Dursleys house, there was a wall showing the progression to get the bricks to how they look in the film. They are actually made of fiber class and have so many layers of paint to make them look like real, slightly disordered bricks. 

You could also see all the drawings and mini paper structures they created of all the different buildings, costumes and props that they wanted to include in the films. Some were only for a few seconds in the film but they still put so much work into all of it. All the little touches that I never noticed when watching the film, my favorite being the carriages inside the Hogwarts express have the 'Pull in case of an Emergency' strings. 

The Hogwarts express was amazing. When I turned the corner at it was just there, I think I may have jumped up and down a little... It really was so impressive, red and shiny with steam coming off. Just like in the scene in the Philosopher's Stone when Harry first comes out of the arch, turns around and there it is. That was probably one of my favorite bits in the whole tour. 

Every summer they have a special feature which changes each year, this summer it was wizards wardrobes so they had different clothes worn in key scenes throughout the tour. I'm not sure which ones were already there and which were just for this summer but it was so cool to see the different clothes worn in some of my favorite scenes. Hermione's dress from the Yule Ball was amazing to see and so beautiful (you can actually buy one from the gift shop although it is quite a lot of money.). I loved Luna's as well as she is just so out there and unique.

There were so many things that I assumed would be CGI but were actually built by hand or created through mechanics. Lupins case with the compartments that open by themselves and the Monter Book of Monsters which tries to eat Harry in the Prisoner of Azkaban both actually moves by mechanics. Also, the Ministry of Magic which I assumed all to be green screened, part of it was actually hand built and then painted with many different paints to get the gradient of colours. So many little things that take so much time and effort it's really unbelievable that I never throughout about before.

Outside, where you could get a taste of some butter beer, they had the night bus, the Dursley's house and the bridge (which is much shorter than you expect!). As the third film is probably one of my favorite ones, although I change my mind a lot, and my brother has also had a miniature bus for as long as I can remember, I loved seeing the night bus in real. And of course, we had to take a walk along the bridge and feel like a real Hogwarts student. 

Seeing the castle as well was amazing. It was so huge! It must have taken so long to make as it was so detailed. All the bricks being made to look old, the roofs worn in places to make it look like it had been standing for years and years and the stains below the window from the water make it look so realistic. I only wish it was a real castle! It was such an impressive sight. My only annoyance is that they kept changing the lights to blue so my photos are mainly of a very blue castle...

Finally, I couldn't leave without getting one or two things to take away from their gift shop. I feel like calling it a gift shop doesn't give the shop enough credit. It was huge with so many different things I could spend hours in there just dreaming of everything I wish I could buy. My brother and I were talking about it after and we both said we want to go back when we have A LOT more money and just go crazy. I could easily spend everything I have in there and more. This time, however, I was very good and brought two little things that I really love. The first is a poster of the magazine where Luna finds out about the Nargles and it even came with a set of glasses to match. I also got a chocolate frog, which is actually one thing I really wanted to get. The I got a wizard card of Godric Gryffindor which is pretty snazzy! The box is just so pretty and will be going on the shelve next to my Harry Potter books.

I had such an amazing day, spent it with some pretty amazing people in a very magical place. Now all I want to do is rewatch all the films and see if I can spot any of the little details I saw in the studio!