You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
I loved it!
I recommend reading 'The Hate U Give' before 'Concrete Rose' (as does Angie Thomas).
I recommend reading 'The Hate U Give' before 'Concrete Rose' (as does Angie Thomas).
Whipped through CONCRETE ROSE in less than two days. In spite of knowing a few major plot points ahead of time - thanks to reading and re-reading THE HATE U GIVE - and anticipating a few more, I still couldn't put it down. Angie Thomas is a master at populating her books with characters you can't help but care about whose stories you feel compelled to listen to.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.75⭐️ Again so pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying this book. Angie Thomas is a phenomenal author. I'm really gonna miss Mav <3
'Don't give the police a reason to pull you over. If they do—'
'Keep my hands visible, don't make no sudden moves, and only speak when they speak to me.' I know the talk by heart. Ma and Pops drilled it into my head since I was seven.
Welp, so people love, love, love this prequel, and I think what I've really learned here is that I should have re-read The Hate U Give first.
This is a very skilfully-written book that beautifully lays out how easy it is for a person to get caught up in the gang cycle, and how easy it is for that to be misunderstood. The sympathy and clarity with which this is done is exquisite. But... because I had forgotten my attachment to Starr's father Maverick that was developed with the original book, I just constantly found myself frustrated and impatient with him as a teenager. I feel like Angie Thomas leans a bit too much on the reader's pre-existing affection, which means there are certain sequences that leave you furious with your main character... and because Thomas depends on that bond, she risks there being no underlying warmth between character and reader.
My second issue is not remotely Thomas's problem, and it's that I grew up reading, learning, talking exclusively in a "typical" dialect and grammar set of English. My brain really struggled with what I believe is AAVE. I would never blame the author or story for this, but it would be disingenuous for me to claim that this language use didn't cut back my enjoyment considerably. Of course, I'll only resolve this issue by reading more AAVE.
This is a good book, but it's a bonus book. Not to be read outside the context of The Hate U Give.
'Everybody gon' have an opinion 'bout how you do things. What I always tell you? Living your life based off what other people think–'
'Ain't living at all,' I finish.
'Keep my hands visible, don't make no sudden moves, and only speak when they speak to me.' I know the talk by heart. Ma and Pops drilled it into my head since I was seven.
Welp, so people love, love, love this prequel, and I think what I've really learned here is that I should have re-read The Hate U Give first.
This is a very skilfully-written book that beautifully lays out how easy it is for a person to get caught up in the gang cycle, and how easy it is for that to be misunderstood. The sympathy and clarity with which this is done is exquisite. But... because I had forgotten my attachment to Starr's father Maverick that was developed with the original book, I just constantly found myself frustrated and impatient with him as a teenager. I feel like Angie Thomas leans a bit too much on the reader's pre-existing affection, which means there are certain sequences that leave you furious with your main character... and because Thomas depends on that bond, she risks there being no underlying warmth between character and reader.
My second issue is not remotely Thomas's problem, and it's that I grew up reading, learning, talking exclusively in a "typical" dialect and grammar set of English. My brain really struggled with what I believe is AAVE. I would never blame the author or story for this, but it would be disingenuous for me to claim that this language use didn't cut back my enjoyment considerably. Of course, I'll only resolve this issue by reading more AAVE.
This is a good book, but it's a bonus book. Not to be read outside the context of The Hate U Give.
'Everybody gon' have an opinion 'bout how you do things. What I always tell you? Living your life based off what other people think–'
'Ain't living at all,' I finish.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
This was beautiful. Angie Thomas is an incredibly powerful writer. I dreamed about this book and thought about it constantly during the hours I wasn't reading it.
Liked it a lot! Never read a book about a teen dad before, and I love how Angie Thomas writes about racial issues in the US. Very well done! This book can be read separately from her other books, but more from Angie Thomas is always better.
Bij de Nederlandse versie kun je wel heel goed merken wat er in het Engels gestaan zou hebben.
Bij de Nederlandse versie kun je wel heel goed merken wat er in het Engels gestaan zou hebben.
This was fantastic. I really enjoyed getting to know younger Maverick and Lisa.
Amazing! I loved hearing Maverick’s story, and I especially loved the mention of Mrs. McAllister and her being pregnant with Justyce during the college tour. A nod to Nic Stone’s series. Absolutely loved it.
I went into this book thinking I knew what I was getting into. I didn’t. The honesty and rawness in this story touched me deeply, and the new perspectives on characters from The Hate U Give reminded me yet again that there is so much I don’t understand - cannot wholly understand - and so much I must still learn.