On the Come Up
Insightful, unflinching, and full of heart, On the Come Up is an ode to hip hop from one of the most influential literary voices of a generation. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; and about how, especially for young black people, freedom of speech isn't always free.
Themes & atmosphere
Also by Angie Thomas
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What you might want to know about On the Come Up
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be a rapper as big as her late, legendary father. After a hard day at school, she records a track that goes viral for the wrong reasons and threatens her chance at the future she has planned.
Yes, loosely. On the Come Up is set in the same Garden Heights neighborhood as Angie Thomas's debut The Hate U Give. The protagonists are different, but the world and minor characters cross over.
Yes. Paramount+ released a 2022 film adaptation directed by Sanaa Lathan and starring Jamila Gray. The film follows the novel's hip-hop battle storyline closely.
On the Come Up was written by Angie Thomas, published in 2019 by cbj.
On the Come Up is 456 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, On the Come Up takes most readers 7 to 10 hours to finish.
On the Come Up is a standalone novel by Angie Thomas, not part of a series.
On the Come Up is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.