There is a lot of colloquial language that teens recognize. Coming of age and finding one's voice also speaks to adolescents. Starr struggles with speaking up for Khalil for a variety of reasons. She worries that she doesn’t deserve to defend Khalil since they had grown far apart in the time before Big D’s party. She is also afraid to speak up, and in the midst of trauma and grief, it’s difficult for her to take on such an emotionally taxing project as standing up for Khalil in the face of national attention. Kenya inspires Starr to speak up because of her resounding logic: Khalil would have fought for Starr, had she been the one to get shot that night. Maverick also explains that Tupac would have wanted Starr to use her voice, because she can help fight against the oppressive systems that keep minorities from getting ahead. By the end of the book, it’s clear that Starr has conquered her fears and recognized the importance of speaking up.