<P> Unsure whether publishers would be interested in the Black Lives Matter - inspired material, Thomas reached out to literary agent Brooks Sherman on Twitter in June 2015 to ask for advice . A year later, HarperCollins imprint Balzer + Bray bought the rights to the novel in an auction with 13 publishing houses bidding, signing a two - book deal with Thomas and Fox 2000 optioned the film rights . </P> <P> The 464 - page book was published on February 28, 2017 . </P> <P> Starr Carter is a 16 - year - old black girl who lives in the fictional, mostly poor black neighborhood of Garden Heights, but attends an affluent, predominantly white private school, Williamson Prep . After the police break up a party Starr is attending one weekend, Starr is driven home by her childhood best friend, Khalil . On the way home, they are stopped by a white police officer . The officer has Khalil, who is black, exit the car; while outside the car and talking with Starr, Khalil reaches back into the car for a hairbrush, which the officer mistakes for a gun . The officer shoots and kills Khalil . </P> <P> Khalil's death becomes a major national news story . The media portrays Khalil as a gang banger and drug dealer, while more favorably portraying the white officer who killed him . Starr's identity as the witness is initially kept secret from just about everyone outside Starr's family, even her younger brother Sekani . This means that Starr's two best friends, Hailey Grant and Maya Yang, and Starr's white boyfriend, Chris, who all attend Williamson Prep together are unaware of Starr's connection to the news story . Having to keep this secret weighs on Starr, as does her need to keep her Williamson and Garden Heights personas separate . Starr's struggles with identity are further complicated when the family moves out of Garden Heights after her mother Lisa leaves her job as a nurse in a Garden Heights clinic for a high - paying hospital job . </P>

Where does the book the hate u give take place