Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Concrete Rose

If you loved The Hate U Give, you'll adore this book. Every dynamic between the adults in THUG has the groundwork laid in this prequel and it was so wonderfully done.

It felt real. Each conversation felt like I could hear it spoken in my head perfectly. You truly root for Mav, even when he makes the wrong decisions. He is a fantastic main character and his journey in this book is truly beautiful.

I also loved that this story was even given a chance, given the tough topics within. It isn't often that a YA book tackles teen pregnancy/parenthood in a positive light, with so many examples of supportive adults and sage advice from elders. Is there some tough conversations? Of course. But you could feel the love each person felt for Mav as he struggled to find himself.

I'd love to see this given a film adaptation. My 90s kid heart loved all the music, film and sports references.

Content Warnings

confused_art_person's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Title: Concrete Rose
Author: Angie Thomas
Series: The Hate U Give, #0
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: January 12, 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Authentic • Vital • Revealing

📖 S Y N O P S I S
Concrete Rose returns to Garden Heights where young Maverick Carter knows the importance of family. The son of a former gang legend, Mav does the only thing he knows: dealing for the King Lords. Mav thinks he has everything under control, that is until he finds out he is a father. When offered the opportunity to get it out, he takes it, but it isn't easy.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Another extremely powerful story from Angie Thomas! Tackling similar topics, this one follows Mav as he tries to navigate being a father, a son, a high school student, and a gang member. I really enjoyed getting to know his character more and the offering of a new perspective. It tackles pervasive stereotypes about young black men, and for me, it really humanizes the young black male experience. There is so much realness to the characters, and the pacing is spot on.

Some of the aspects I really appreciated were Mr. & Mrs. Wyatt as parental figures - they endeared themselves to me instantly. Secondly, I absolutely loved the metaphorical and symbolic nature of the title (revealed at the end), as well as, the chapter headings. Sometimes it is the little things that can be so powerful.

On a personal note, I tend to struggle with prequels that come out afterwards, and in the beginning I had trouble keeping track of the characters in relation to THUG. I'd be curious if this would have been the case it I'd read this one first. With that said, it can easily be read as a standalone, but my advice would be to read it before THUG for context.

I didn't love Concrete Rose as much as The Hate U Give, there is so denying Angie Thomas is a supremely gifted writer and I will without a doubt be picking up anything and everything she writes.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• THUG fans
• contemporary readers

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Bushes? Them things look like twigs. 'You only putting roses in this bed?'
'That's the plan. Roses need space to grow. Why you ask?'
He got greens, green beans, tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries - all kinds of fruits and vegetables out here. 'Seems like a lot of space to give something you can't eat.'
'You might be right,' he admits. 'I like to be reminded that beauty can come from much of nothing. To me that's the whole point of flowers.'"

Content Warnings