On the Come Up
Angie Thomas
eBook
(Balzer + Bray, Feb. 5, 2019)
#1 New York Times bestseller ¡ Seven starred reviews ¡ Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book âFor all the struggle in this book, Thomas rarely misses a step as a writer. Thomas continues to hold up that mirror with grace and confidence. We are lucky to have her, and lucky to know a girl like Bri.ââThe New York Times Book ReviewThis digital edition contains a letter from the author, deleted scenes, a picture of the author as a teen rapper, an annotated playlist, Angieâs top 5 MCs, an annotated rap, illustrated quotes from the book, and an excerpt from Angieâs next novel, Concrete Rose.Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Briâs got massive shoes to fill.But itâs hard to get your come up when youâre labeled a hoodlum at school, and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral . . . for all the wrong reasons. Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesnât just want to make itâshe has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be. Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isnât always free.