First line: "I shouldn't have come to this party." 
 Wow. It's been a while since I've read a book that packs so many different feelings in one. I was sad, I was happy, I was shocked, I was uncomfortable, I was so. damn. angry. But I learned and took away so many different things. Starr's story is so important and so eye-opening, and I fully understand why people think this should be mandatory reading. 
 What I really loved was how it challenged my way of reading. I am by no way a racist. Absolutely not. However, I noticed that sometimes I had to catch my thoughts on certain things. Mainly, the lens in which I was reading the book. For example, there may have been a decision that Starr had to make and I would think "Oh, why is she struggling so hard to make a decision about this? Just say or do this." But that thought process is through someone who has gone through a completely different life experience than Starr. She was constantly living in a much tougher, harsher experience than I could ever go through. I liked that my lens was challenged and I was able to appreciate this book on a next level. 
 Starr is an amazing character, so tough and fierce and smart. Her family and friends were remarkable as well, and I would love to read about all them for several more books. I'm sad that my time with them is done. 
 If you haven't read this book yet, please do. It's incredible and makes you think about the world around you more than a lot of other books do. It's not sugarcoated or water downed to give you a happy ending. You're going to feel uncomfortable but for very important reasons.