Yes, young adult books can be powerful, compelling and entertaining. The Hate U Give is just that. It's also one of the rare books I would classify as "illuminating," maybe even "life-changing." Here is why anyone who wants to understand others should read it...
When you're an author working on your next book or books (in my case a sequel to The Travelers, a children's book relating to a unicorn, a ghost story, a spec fic/scifi book) and also a mom, wife, resistor, sometimes bookstagrammer and daily blogger with a relatively demanding day job as a medical editor, finding time to read can be hard.