On The Come Up

 Firstly, all I can say is On The Come Up simply left me speechless! Angie Thomas the author explored themes such as race, addiction and ambition. The book itself is based on a young black sixteen year old girl who dreams of being a rapper and following her dads footsteps in the music industry however, unfortunately her father was killed. As Brianna (Bri) tries to get her 'Come Up' her mum loses her job and she faces racial issues she soon takes out her frustration in a song which goes viral for all the wrong reasons. Will Brianna ever manager to make it in the rapping world? 

I found this novel a real eye opener. From a young age, Brianna was limited in what she could do in her life due to the colour of her skin. She has 'rules' which she has been following all her life, when her song goes viral she is portrayed as violent due to the colour of her skin and her lyrics. Her mum tells her 'you don't have that luxury'. Which is heartbreaking, a young girl simply following her dream being told she doesn't have that luxury. The irony is, she was simply writing about her experiences as a young black girl. 

I have to say, Brianna was an inspiring character. Despite everything she faced in her life she managed to stay focused on her goals, ambitions and dreams. In life, many of us face setbacks as did Brianna however, it is our reaction to those setbacks and how we handle them is what is important. Yes you may fall back but you cannot let that stop you from chasing your dreams. There are so many life experiences that I can use as an example however, I have no doubt that there are many personal situations running through your head as you read this. Brianna did not let her setbacks stop her which is one of the main reasons she was successful despite the difficulties she faced. In many ways, we can all take this as inspiration. Inspiration to keep chasing that job you have been dreaming about despite several rejections. Inspiration to push for that A grade you have been studying months on end for despite multiple failure. Inspiration to keep positive in any situation despite the constant negative news you have been receiving. Many people doubted Brianna yet she never let that stop her either which is another admirable thing about her character.

Another common theme was addiction. Brianna's mum had been a drug addict for many years, although she was recovered in the novel, Angie Thomas provided a strong insight into the effects addiction has on not only the person fighting addiction but their loved ones too. Brianna remembered every little detail of dealing with her mother's addiction, she was constantly fearful of her mother facing a relapse yet her mother had made such a strong recovery and her family were so loving and caring towards each other (most of the time). Their family have an unbreakable bond. When reading about her brother it is evidently clear that he simply wants the best for his mother and sister due to everything they have been through. This got me thinking especially about the pandemic which seems never ending. Maybe there is a reason behind it. To bring families closer together. To allow us to appreciate what we have. To ensure we stop taking simple things in life for granted again. Everything happens for a reason, this has been running through my head for months on end whilst we have all been living through this new normal. 

There is so much more I could say on this novel however as always I am going to close this post with a quote from On The Come Up.' Look, you can't be worried about what folks think... There will always be someone with something to say, but it doesn't mean you gotta listen.'