Review: Concrete Rose

Title: Concrete Rose

Author: Angie Thomas

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication date: January 12, 2021

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Summary

Even though he’s only seventeen, Maverick knows that a man is supposed to take care of his family. As the son of a former gang member, that’s the only way Maverick knows how to help his mom with the bills. Plus, he can’t deny that being a member of the King Lords comes with its own protection.

However, when Maverick finds out he’s a father, everything changes. Now, he has baby Seven who is depending on him for everything. When offered the chance to get out of the drug dealing game, Maverick takes it. He wants to make a life that his son can be proud of. But walking away from gang life isn’t that easy, especially after the murder of a loved one.

Review: Concrete Rose

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! I read this entire book in one sitting, as one does with Angie Thomas books. It honestly was the prequel to The Hate U Give that I didn’t know that I needed.

The characters! Thomas has such a knack for writing characters. We all loved Maverick as Starr’s dad in The Hate U Give, and getting to see his backstory is amazing. Plus, there are little nods to other characters we already know throughout the book. While you can absolutely read this without reading the original book, having read The Hate U Give will make the experience even more satisfying.

What I also appreciated about this book is we see Maverick as a teen father. In most of young adult books dealing with teen pregnancy, we usually only see the affects on the mother. However, in this book, we see how it affects Maverick and his life. Not only does Thomas look at the nuances of being a teen father, but also a Black teen father. His story is an important one, and I’m glad Thomas chose to tell it.

5/5 stars