At times, the gang-related violence can feel like frontier wars as each side tries to maintain ‘territories’ and ‘monopolies’ on city spaces and drug markets.

Although, nothing comes for free and being a member of a gang also means a lot of illegal activities as well as living life in the line of fire. They seem to offer a family for those without one and also provide an income so people can support their friends and families. Through hardships and often times a desire to become successful, many people are drawn to the opportunities that gangs can provide. Bri’s father was killed in through gang violence and whilst she doesn’t want to claim a side, she is forced to deal with gangs in her everyday life. This is evidenced in the way that she shapes Bri’s character and also in her previous novel. I would argue that Thomas is extremely anti-gang and also anti-Black-on-Black (community) violence. Yet, I never once felt like I didn’t understand it and that is a testament to the way Thomas is able to articulate the multifaceted nature of Black neighbourhoods. Thomas is able to weave teenage angst, gang violence, gender relations in rap, negative Black stereotypes, loss, and drug addiction all into one amazing novel.Īs someone who grew up in Australia, the kind of neighbourhood relations that Thomas touches on throughout her novel are hard for me to personally relate to. Yet this story is more than just a rising-star coming of age novel. It follows a Black teenager called Bri, who has a dream of becoming a rapper. On The Come Up is set in the same neighbourhood as Thomas’ first novel, Garden Heights (or simply called The Garden), and even makes reference to the first novel. I honestly didn’t know how Thomas’ was going to top it, yet she is a woman who has something to say and has an amazing way of saying it. With that kind of first-time success, producing a second novel might seem daunting. Thomas’ first novel was amazing and the outstanding reviews and its reception from around the globe are a testament to her writing abilities.

Her first, The Hate U Give, was a runaway success and was also adapted for film. On The Come Up is Angie Thomas’ second novel. Book cover of Angie Thomas’ novel On The Come Up

On the come up by angie thomas