What is a summary of The Hate U Give?

The Hate U Give opens with Starr Carter attending a party in Garden Heights, where she once lived. She's a teenage girl who attends a fancy prep school with mostly white classmates; Starr is black and her father used to be fairly high-up in a gang. She sees her friend Khalil (who she shared her first kiss with years before), and they discuss Garden Heights and their families. When the party gets violent, Starr leaves with Khalil.

As they drive away, Khalil takes out a hairbrush and then puts it down. They chat and listen to music, and then they're pulled over by the police. Starr recalls a talk her father had with her about what to do if she's ever arrested. He said to do what they say, don't make any sudden moves, and only speak when spoken to.

The police officer asks Khalil for his documents; Khalil asks why he was pulled over. Starr notices that the cop's badge says one-fifteen. When Khalil asks the cop to just give him his ticket, the cop tells him to get out of the car and put his hands where they can be seen. One-Fifteen, as Starr calls him in her head, pats down Khalil and finds nothing.

He tells Khalil and Starr not to move and starts to return to his car. Khalil moves to the door to see if Starr is okay and then One-Fifteen shoots him three times. The officer tells Starr not to move when she tries to help Khalil. Eventually, the ambulance comes but they can't save Khalil. Starr's parents arrive to take her home.

The next day, Starr visits Khalil's family and goes with Carlos, a police officer she knows, to give her statement. One-Fifteen claims he mistook the hairbrush for a gun. 

At school in Williamson, Starr pretends not to have known Khalil. She's tense with her boyfriend and aware of the microaggressions and racist comments that her classmates make. Back in Garden Heights, the neighborhood begins to stir, infuriated by what happened to Khalil. There are riots protesting his death. 

The police department decides not to charge One-Fifteen with anything based on "the evidence as well as the statement given by the witness." Starr finds out on the news. She blames herself for the local unrest, as well as the lack of charges. The news begins to gain national traction and Starr has to deal with knowing that some people—including her friend Hailey—think the shooting was justified.

People don't know she's the witness for the most part, including her boyfriend Chris. 

Starr struggles with whether to speak up but then decides that she can't be silent. Starr thinks:

This is bigger than me and Khalil though. This is about Us, with a capital U; everybody who looks like us, feels like us, and is experiencing this pain with us despite not knowing me or Khalil. My silence isn’t helping Us.

People at Williamson protest and they "act like [Starr is] the official representative of the black race," constantly justifying their participation and giving her explanations. The boy who organized the protests did it to get out of class; Starr and Chris attend their classes instead.

Chris eventually tells Starr that he knew she was the witness to Khalil's death. She admits it and tells him the truth about her family and her childhood. They confess that they love each other.

Protests in Garden Heights continue. A grand jury is convened to determine if one-Fifteen should face charges. Ultimately, it's decided that One-Fifteen, Officer Brian Cruise Jr., shouldn't. 

Seven, Chris, DeVante, and Starr make their way through the neighborhood while the riots are occurring. They explain to Chris that Starr used to live in Garden Heights and that the projects they pass are where she grew up. 

The group, Starr's attorney, and others are involved in an altercation with the police. The police throw canisters of tear gas and Starr throws one back at them. When the cops swarm the crowd, they make for a waiting bus to get away. The riots are causing looting and property destruction. Starr and the others get caught in a fire. 

King, the head of the King Lords, confronts Starr and her family; she accidentally gave the identity of a gang member away during an interview. It's revealed he set the fire. When the police and fire department arrive, everyone says they saw King and the gang members set the fire. DeVante agrees to testify against King and the gang.

Starr realizes that while she was ashamed of Garden Heights in the past, that's behind her now. The novel ends with her promising Khalil that people aren't forgetting and that she'll never forget. She'll never give up. She'll never be quiet.