Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain descriptions of racism, police brutality and racial profiling, murder, addiction, drug-dealing, and gang-related violence.

Starr Carter, the protagonist and narrator, attends a spring break party with her childhood friend, Kenya. The party is in Garden Heights, a fictionalized neighborhood that is primarily made up of Black families with low incomes. Though born and raised in Garden Heights, Starr enrolled at Williamson Prep, a private, mostly white school, six years ago. She has not attended a Garden Heights party in a long time and feels out of place.

Kenya remained Starr’s friend in part because they share a brother named Seven. Seven’s father is Mav—who is also Starr’s father—and his mother is Iesha, Kenya's mother. Kenya’s father is King, the leader of the local gang called the King Lords. Mav used to be a part of the gang but left and now owns the neighborhood grocery store.

Kenya encourages Starr to mingle, alternately calling her stuck-up for attending the rich white school and telling her how lucky she is to go there. Kenya is upset with a girl named Denasia, whom she accuses of flirting with

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