On the Come UpOn the Come Up
Score Modern
What it's about
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, like her late father, an underground hip-hop legend. With her family facing eviction and money running out, she pours her anger into her first song, and it goes viral for all the wrong reasons. It's a story about chasing your dreams when the odds are against you, and about who gets to speak freely.
Why it's worth reading
It has spent 36 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give, writes with heart and real insight about young Black lives.
You'll love it if you liked
The Hate U Give
Dear Martin
The Poet XGood to know
It's set in Garden Heights, the neighborhood of The Hate U Give, but stands alone. It's a young-adult novel.
By the numbers
- Readers87 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller53 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #34 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #63 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #286 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #573 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
More by Angie Thomas
If you like this, read next
The Help
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Nineteen Minutes
The Last Song
The Deal
RoomExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is On the Come Up worth reading?
Yes. It has spent 36 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #573 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is On the Come Up about?
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, like her late father, an underground hip-hop legend. With her family facing eviction and money running out, she pours her anger into her first song, and it goes viral for all the wrong reasons. It's a story about chasing your dreams when the odds are against you, and about who gets to speak freely.
How long does it take to read On the Come Up?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after On the Come Up?
If you liked it, try The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Dear Martin by Nic Stone or The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo.