“Because having your story told as a woman, as a person of color, as a lesbian, as a trans person, or as any member of any disenfranchised community, is sadly often still ad radical idea. There is so much power in inclusive storytelling, in inclusive representation.”
— Kerry Washington
The following novels are written by people of color. Often, but not always, the backgrounds of these authors make their way into their books in one way or another that I find extremely beautiful and significant.
Read on to discover something new and perhaps broaden your horizon along the way.
Disclaimer: Please note that I have organized these novels into this list so that people specifically looking for books written by writers of color find it easily accessible. That being said, please note that these novels are comprised of more than just the background of their authors and should be taken as literary achievements on their own like any other book in their category.
The Hate U Give
Title: The Hate U Give
Author: Angie Thomas
Review: 8/10
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.
Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.
But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.