Starr Carter is a complex and multi-dimensional character in “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas. She is a young African American girl who is thrust into the spotlight after witnessing the shooting of her childhood friend Khalil by a police officer. Starr’s character is shaped by her identity, her voice, her trauma, and her relationships, all of which contribute to her growth and development throughout the novel.

Starr is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in Garden Heights, a predominantly Black neighborhood known for its poverty and crime. She attends Williamson Prep, a mostly white school in a different part of town, where she is one of the few Black students. This duality of her identity as a Black girl who is navigating two different worlds shapes much of her character arc. In Garden Heights, Starr is known for her “Big Mav’s daughter” reputation, referring to her father Maverick, who is a former gang member turned community activist.