My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Author: Angie Thomas

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 447

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Family

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

On the Come Up is so good! I love hip-hop. I grew up on it because I lived with four older male cousins who constantly listened to it. I grew up in the 80’s so they were all into break dancing and hip-hop music. I remember the first ever cd I bought when I was like 13 or 14 with allowance money, was Dr. Dre – The Chronic, at Sears of all places! 😅 So this book reminded me of my love of hip-hop. I love how lyrics and a beat can make a statement, it can change a mood, and it can even start a movement.

Bri, wants to be a rapper and she is talented. She just needs a chance to show her talent. Her mom Jay is a recovering drug addict. Bri’s brother Trey had to drop out of college to help his mom make ends meet. Her dad was an up and coming rapper but died after getting caught up in the wrong crowd. Bri sees her family struggling and she just wants to help them survive.

I love the other characters we meet in this book like Aunt Pooh who means well but is caught up in the thug life. And her friends like Sonny, Malik and Curtis who got her back. She doesn’t have much girlfriends though. But she definitely has a family that loves her.

When Bri gets a big break after winning a rap battle, she has to come to the realization that her words are important and powerful. Words also have consequences and she experiences a few of them after she records a demo that goes viral. Words can cause violence, words can be misconstrued, but they can also instill so much hope in the people that listen.

One of my favorite characters in this book is Bri’s mom, Jay. She’s made mistakes but is on a path on trying to right her wrongs. Yet she has so many obstacles and challenges along the way. Jay doesn’t give up though – and she especially doesn’t give up on her kids. ❤️

This story is not only an homage to hip-hop but it’s a story about the love of family too and how Brianna has a support group that will try and keep her on the right path, no matter what mistakes she may make. It is an inspiring book and I was cheering Bri and her family on. I love how the story ends, with Bri doing things, her way.

Get it here: Amazon

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