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taliatalksbooks's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas is a prequel to her book The Hate U Give, focusing on Starr’s father, Maverick as the main character. I was a little sad to not have a female main character (because I love Starr and Bri), but I think in this case, it actually worked to the story’s benefit. I really loved Mav, and watching him go through his struggles first hand was a more rewarding journey than I was expecting it to be. With most prequels, I am annoyed by the fact that we know where the characters end up, but there is a lot that Starr doesn’t know about her dad in The Hate U Give. This actually makes this prequel feel fresh and new, even though we already know the fates of the characters. I think this book also address a lot of really important social issues, that are important to understand in order to promote discussion and progress in certain areas. I think that like the other two in this series, Concrete Rose is an important read that is worth everyone’s time, regardless of age.
Content Warnings
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
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- 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
if angie thomas can’t do anything else, she will move me to tears. i loved mav in the hate u give and it’s no different here. his backstory fleshes out and develops his character so well. this book also shows the cycles of gang violence. the parallelism was done so well. mav witnesses dre’s death and starr with khalil’s. my chest got tight when baby khalil was introduced, since we know how his story ends. i’m grateful that concrete rose ends on a slightly positive note, because i can’t take more heartbreak.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Death, Racial slurs, and Violence
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
“Son, one of the biggest lies ever told is that black men don't feel emotions. Guess it's easier not to see us as human when you think we're heartless. Fact of the matter is, we feel things. Hurt, pain, sadness, all of it. We got a right to show them feelings as much as anybody else.”
➽ I finally read Concrete Rose and it was fantastic!! This is a prequel to The Hate U Give and follows Starr's father Maverick Carter as he navigates becoming a teen father. I wasn't too sure if I would enjoy this as it has been a while since I read The Hate U Give, but I was pleasantly surprised! This is a very emotional, character-driven story and you could feel Maverick's inner struggles. I liked that he was a flawed but realistic character who was trying to do his best. Maverick has just become a father, but he's only seventeen and struggling to take care of his son Seven when she still feels like a kid himself. The book gave us an honest insight into parenthood as Mav suddenly has to provide for his son and sacrifice his own time (and sleep) in order to take care of him. He's no longer free to do whatever he wants and while his mom helps out, she makes sure he takes responsibility. Maverick's juggling school, a part-time job and his involvement in Garden Heights.
➽ The book did a great job discussing Maverick's struggles with his masculinity and his relationship with Garden Heights's gang. He feels like he has to be tough and 'man up' instead of feeling his emotions. Mav has some people like his friend King (who's also active in the gang) who are a bad influence and reinforce the toxic masculinity he has internalized. Luckily, there are also many amazing people who let Maverick be vulnerable and want to help him stay on the right track. His mom's great and I loved that she was always there for Mav, but also called him out on his behavior. She makes clear that he needs to take care of his son and can't just shove him off to her, as it's not her baby. Lisa, Maverick's girlfriend, also calls him out when she needs to, as sometimes he can be jealous and stubborn without having any right to be. Dre, Maverick's friend who is basically his brother, also tries to convince him to earn 'clear' money outside of the gang now that he has a family to think of.
➽ Maverick is trying hard to handle everything going on in his life but also struggles with the expectations others have of him. It was sweet to see how much he adored his son despite feeling out of his depth at first and being tired out by being a parent. He's helping out at a convenience store and the owner is offering him a perspective of the future. However, Maverick is struggling to pay for all the expenses of raising his kid and knows that selling drugs in his neighborhood like King would bring in so much more money. Maverick makes his fair share of mistakes, but you can always tell where he's coming from and how difficult it is for him to have a perspective for the future. His own father has been in jail since he was 8 and he feels like he has to live up to his reputation as a prominent gang member. Mav is torn on how to manage his life and deal with all the anger and frustration that come with it. This was such a well-written story with raw, honest characters and I was fully invested in Maverick's story!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Murder, Grief, and Death
Minor: Homophobia, Abortion, and Drug use
kristapeters's review
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Pregnancy, and Violence
marmillade's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Addiction
tenika04's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The book focuses on the challenges that young maverick faced after becoming a father. The age in life when you should be care and stress free, yet the pressures of life, parenting, friendships & the cycle of life because of the neighbourhood you grow in weighs heavily on you. Sell or struggle? Sometimes it felt like he couldn’t catch a break and that was all I wanted for him as he certainly was a trier. I loved the relationship with his mum & the support/encouragement from good old Mr Wyatt. Pleasant to read a book from a male POV.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Drug abuse
anavae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gun violence
ms_sarah621's review against another edition
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
4.5
This story is phenomenal. I couldn’t put it down. I read 50 pages one day, and I finished the rest in one sitting when I had more time to just dive in. The character of Maverick and his development throughout is so well-done. The exploration of fatherhood, grief, struggling to survive, family relationships, unplanned pregnancy, and men’s emotions was incredibly powerful. My main love for this book was the focus on fatherhood and men’s emotions. These are two things that are often overlooked or looked down on. The book touched these topics in a delicate, but moving way. I feel this is a book everyone should be reading and learning from. I barely can come up with the words to describe it. I didn’t give it 5 stars because I felt that it’s not a favorite of mine. I’m growing out of YA books, but it has so much weight and amazing storytelling that I highly recommend it to everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Gun violence, and Murder
skybluespines's review against another edition
fast-paced
- 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
4.0
Truly enjoyed! It's been a hit with some of my students so I wanted to read it. It has more sexual content than I anticipated for a YA book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Death
Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy
transfluff's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Abortion