Scan barcode
taliatalksbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Racism, Addiction, Classism, Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Death, Racial slurs, Gore, Gun violence, Child death, Vomit, and Sexual content
demyajanayxo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Death, Racial slurs, and Violence
zombiezami's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Cursing, Classism, Violence, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Murder, Death, Pregnancy, and Bullying
Moderate: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Excrement, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Stalking, Vomit, Drug use, Police brutality, Mental illness, Medical content, Death of parent, Confinement, and Addiction
Minor: Slavery, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol
Incarcation, Gang violencebrookey8888's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Classism, Murder, Racism, Drug use, Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, and Violence
rachel1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Cursing, Grief, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs
Minor: Abortion, Medical content, and Misogyny
Gang violence.shoelady523's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Violence, Racism, Pregnancy, Murder, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Grief and Addiction
kelly_e's review against another edition
- 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
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.'"
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Grief, Drug use, Racism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
morganperks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Grief, Drug abuse, Violence, Bullying, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Cursing, Racism, Addiction, and Infidelity
Minor: Abortion and Police brutality
jojo_'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief and Gun violence
Moderate: Death, Murder, Pregnancy, and Racism
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
kthedestroyer's review against another edition
- 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
I really liked the pacing and the writing style which is probably the main reason that I really enjoyed reading it. I wasn't really expecting the whole novel to be around very convenient baby-making but okay, whatever. It was fine I guess. The story isn't something that I would normally enjoy but as I said earlier, there are other attributes to it.
The characters are enjoyable and they usually feel like real people in real-life situations. I like Thomas's representation of black people and their life in her books but still... how can no one use a condom on those streets? Like, everyone has babies at 17. And then they repeat their mistakes. Yeah, it's very convenient but that's just a minor observation.
Overall the book was good and would be great to get me out of a reading slump.
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Cursing and Racism
Minor: Abortion and Police brutality