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 childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of the police officer and Khalil was unarmed. soon after his death is a national headline with so many people calling him different names, protesters took to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and 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,