Salt to the Sea vs The Hate U Give

I must admit that I've been reading Salt to the Sea since my gracious colleague attended a conference, bought the book, met the author, got it signed, and loaned it to me in the summer of 2016! As someone who loves historical fiction and spends much time book talking it to my students, it shocked my supportive, yet increasingly perplexed book loaning colleague, that I was stalling on this book.  And stalling mid way through.  Then restarting.  Stopping.  Leaving weeks, at times months long, aching gaps in my reading.  When I did finish the last one hundred pages or so, it was in a three hour tear soaked session during which I was lost to everything and everyone around me.  This book wrenched my heart apart over fifteen months.  Each chapter required me to steel myself and stock up on Kleenex.  It asked me to open my heart, to understand, to think, and to wrestle with what we have done to each other in the past. This story shook me to my core.  It is essential reading.

In contrast, The Hate U Give I consumed in less than 48 hours.  And then spent at least a few more hours researching 2pac and Thug Life.  As someone already deeply moved by events in our world over the past few years, this book gave even more faces to its cause and wrenched my heart apart.  This book inspired deep conversations with my (adult) extended family.  It asked me to open my heart, to understand, to think, and to wrestle with what we are doing to each other now.  This story shook me to my core.  It is essential reading.

Being asked to choose between these two books is to literally rip my soul, which I consider the seat of my compassion, apart.  Both these books are required reading.  One to help us understand where we have been and the other to shock us into realizing where we are now.

I intentionally did not speak much with my colleagues before making my decision and have not made my voting decision as I type these words.  I feel the arguments for both are equally strong and each is inspirational and achingly sad at the same time.  I will regret my choice as soon as I hit 'publish' and will change my mind over and over again after this goes on the blog.  Please, read them both regardless of which moves on.

Do I feel either is targeted at my grade 7's.  No.  But there will come a time in their future when they must read these stories.  You cannot fail to be moved by the powerful characters and the ways in which their lives are torn apart.  Yet still, I hear each of the female protagonists call, in the words of Maya Angelou, "But still, like dust, I'll rise." ("Still I Rise"  Maya Angelou)  And rise they do.

My vote is The Hate U Give.  I only give this book my vote over Salt to the Sea because we are living the issues in this novel now.   In everything else, especially societal importance, they are equal.