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Marissa Dow

Keith Newvine

AP Literature and Composition

April 14, 2019

Introduction:

The novel On the Come Up by Angie Thomas is a Charles Newvine in all of the

categories below. This book is extremely relevant to today’s societal problems while still

being interesting. In addition, it has a high-quality plot and an abundance of curse words.

By the end of the book, the characters feel like friends, not strangers. All of these

characteristics, when combined, create the perfect young adult novel.

Relevance & Life Lessons: Charles Newvine (5)

This book has an abundance of examples when it comes to relevance and life

lessons. At the beginning of this book, Bri was just a kid with a rap dream that would do

anything and everything to achieve that dream. However, when it came to her personal

life, she was stubborn and distanced herself from people that were close to her to avoid

being let down.

Jay, Bri’s mom, is a single mom that became addicted to drugs after her husband

was shot and murdered by a rival gang. She eventually overcame her addiction and got

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her children back, but there was still a rift in the family. Bri refused to call Jay “Mom” due

to this rift until the day they had dinner at her grandparents’ house. Bri thought to herself,

“There’s a lot I don’t know. I don’t know why she chose drugs over me and Trey. I don’t

know if five-year-old Bri will ever stop being afraid. I don’t know if Jay’ll stay clean for the

rest of her life. But I know that she loves me” (Thomas 414). At this moment Bri learned

the important life lesson of forgiveness. Yes, Jay fucked up, but Bri found it in her heart to

give her mother another chance. She let her mother back into her heart despite her fear

of being let down, which displays both maturity and growth.

The most important life lesson that Bri learned throughout this novel is that the

only person's approval she needs is her own. Bri wrote her song “On the Come Up” to

make a crowd like her. She sang the song with Dee Nice to make Supreme and the

record executive happy. However in the ring, she rapped what she believed was right,

and she thought “...for the first time in my life, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to

be. I'm doing what I'm supposed to do...The crowd could be silent and I’d still know that”

(Thomas 442). Bri no longer needs the satisfaction of others to know that she is doing

the right thing. She learns that the only validation she needs is her own, and that is a life

lesson that everyone should take away from this novel.

Tea-Level & Gasps: Charles Newvine (5)

The tea in this book is overflowing. This novel is full of drama--the good kind of

drama that keeps you reading, not the type of drama that you know could never really

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happen. Every twist is realistic and authentic, which makes the book even more

suspenseful and gasp-worthy.

A big source of tea in this novel is Bri’s ongoing conflict with The Crowns. This

gang took her father’s necklace and his life. Any scene in which a sixteen-year-old girl is

held at gunpoint is going to make you gasp, but the fact that Malik got hurt gave the

scene much more emotion. It was easy to tell from the beginning of the book that shit

was going to go down between The Crowns and Bri, but the shock came when Malik

was almost killed because of it. This tea-filled subplot continued to the very end of the

book as Bri entered the ring and saw that “The Crown in a grey beanie [held her] dad’s

pendant and [made] a kissy face…” (Thomas 438). This was the ultimate sign of

disrespect and the last drop of tea that made it all spill. The drama surrounding the

necklace gives the reader something to continue to wonder and worry about, which in

turn, makes them continue reading.

Another extremely drama-filled topic is the love triangle between Malik, Bri, and

Shana. There was drama on this topic throughout the book, but the biggest conflict came

when Malik kissed Bri. The tension between them was evident throughout the book, but

when they kissed, all hell broke loose. Shortly after the kiss, Malik said “Look, I know

you're upset that I’m with Shana...But Bri you don't have to flirt with Curtis to make me

jealous” (Thomas 289). This assumption led to Bri admitting to liking Curtis, which

shocks the readers and Bri as well. Love triangles are always drama-filled, but Angie

Thomas makes it real, relatable, and intertwined with the main plot, making the drama a

Charles Newvine out of 5.

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Quality, Depth, And Juiciness of Plot: Charles Newvine (5)

There are around a million and one books out there about a character's journey to

make it big in the music industry, but Angie Thomas gives readers a new perspective.

This novel has countless subplots that give readers a better understanding of Bri’s life,

her neighborhood, and her families struggles. The insight into the plot is what makes this

book the one that stands out among millions.

Bri’s story starts in the ring where she makes a name for herself and proves that

she can make it, but it isn’t just smooth sailing from there. Because of her race, Bri is

tackled to the ground by cops in her school. This is Thomas’s way of bringing the

problem of racism into the novel, and Bri’s song is her way of bringing this issue to the

attention of anyone and everyone that will listen; however, the song is misinterpreted.

Bri’s song is a symbol that even good intentions can be turned against you if you're not

careful. Most people, after being ridiculed, would give up. However Bri didn’t give up,

she made a video to help others understand her intentions. This gives the plot depth

because it has an underlying message to the community, and to the world.

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Frequency of Curse Words (Craft & Style): Charles Newvine (5)

Angie Thomas’ writing is far from formal. She gives younger generations a book

with a meaning and a message without sounding archaic and boring. Her diction is also

relatable and easy to comprehend. The cursing in the book is done tastefully and adds

emphasis to her message.

Bri is a typical teenage girl, and there are very few teenagers, or adults, that don’t

let a swear word slip at least once or twenty-three times a day. When Bri faces problems

she reacts in the way that anyone would, even if that includes a little bit of colorful

language.

The author has a unique style in this book. Throughout the novel, there are small

breaks in which Bri stops to pick apart important words for future raps. When Jay loses

her job, Bri thinks of the word “Homeless. One word, two syllables. This whole mess,

May make us homeless” (Thomas 192). This thought process gives the reader insight

into how Bri creates her raps. It also exemplifies that rapping is a part of Bri’s everyday

life, not just something that is easy and thought up randomly.

Characterization: Charles Newvine (5)

In most novels, there are one or two developed characters and the rest are static

characters. Angie Thomas manages to give almost all of her characters layers,

backgrounds, and conflicts to overcome.

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At the beginning of the novel, Milez with a z is made out to be a disrespectful

hood rat and a fake rapper; however, by the end of the book, readers have a completely

new perspective. The Miles the readers meet near the end of the book (Miles with an

s)“...hates rapping, prefers photography, and is completely, one hundred percent gay”

(Thomas 406). This new information about Miles forces the reader to rethink their views

toward the character, and why he did the things he did in the past.

Bri struggles throughout the novel to figure out who she is. Angie Thomas takes

the reader on the journey with Bri to discover herself, in good times and in bad times.

The reader watches Bri go against her core values and question her decisions. The

reader is right there with Bri as she loses her aunt, and her pain is evident. However, the

pain is needed for Bri to find herself. At the end of the book, Bri says, “Not long ago, my

mom asked me who I am. I’m starting to think I know. You see, I'm headstrong (and petty)

like Grandma...And although Kayla isn’t family (yet), maybe she’s a glimpse at who I

could be. If I’m nothing else, I’m them, and they’re me. That’s more than enough”

(Thomas 425). The reader gets to follow Bri on her journey to this conclusion, and by this

point in the novel, can see each of Bri’s characteristics and those she compares herself

to as well. Even though Bri does not completely know who she is, the reader does. They

know Bri like she is their best friend because of their journey through self-discovery with

her.

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Conclusion:

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas is a young adult novel that showcases a

captivating voice that brings to light social injustices in a way that people will listen to.

Thomas proves that a book can be both fun to read and have a message at the same

time. She relates the book to a younger generation that has the power to create change

by using relevant events and diction that can be understood and relatable. This novel

has all of the components to be a successful and moving piece of young adult literature.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas more than deserves a Charles Newvine and Declan

having a sex talk (6) out of 5.

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Work Cited

Thomas, Angie. On the Come Up. HarperCollins Publishers, 2019.

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