Angie Thomas looks set to be the hottest YA author of 2017 after her debut novel, The Hate U Give, shot to the top of the New York Times Bestseller list at the beginning of March, before its release on April 6 in the UK.

The topical novel is inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, and follows 16 year old Starr Carter after she's the sole witness when a police officer shoots and kills her best friend Khalil. Mississippi born and raised Thomas has received praise from literary giants such as John Green, who said it's 'a stunning, brilliant, gut-wrenching novel that will be remembered as a classic of our time', and Adam Silvera, who called it 'tragically timely, hard-hitting, and an ultimate prayer for change'. The Hate U Give is now being developed into a film starring Amandla Stenberg.