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Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this story about one girl’s struggle for justice is more timely and important than ever. Starr Carter must learn to bridge her two worlds—the poor, black neighborhood she calls home and the wealthy, predominantly white prep school she attends. An unflinching and unforgettable look at police brutality after Starr becomes the sole witness to the fatal shooting of her childhood friend, Khalil. Facing pressure from her community and intimidation from law enforcement, Starr must decide whether speaking her truth is worth the risk to her and her family.