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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
I liked this book!!! I almost forgot that it was a prequel and was going to say that it ended so abruptly, but then I remembered THUG and everything started to click! Lovely book :P.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
really nice to get to know his side of things
Great prequel to The Hate U Give. Angie Thomas wrote a fantastic backstory filled with Easter eggs. If you haven't read either, definitely read this one first.
Ok I’m so happy I’ve finally got to this! I love seeing into Maverick since he was one of the most interesting characters in the Hate U Give. I will say i loved reading his story, and he had amazing character development too! I think the main thing i loved though was seeing little things that were going to happen in the hate u give. I love how honest it was about being a teen parent, the struggles and the achievements. I will definitely be rereading the hate u give, I absolutely loved this!
(*4.5)
(*4.5)
I loved The Hate U Give and On the Come Up, but this book just completed the trilogy of Angie Thomas love. Wow. So many emotions and so much love for this prequel! Here are my random thoughts in no particular order.
First of all, I don't ever want to have kids but this book made me think twice about that. It made me realize that all parents (for the most part) are just trying to do the best they can for their kids. Somehow, through Angie Thomas' magic author skills I ended up empathizing with a 17 year old parent and realizing that if I ever did have a kid, it would be okay. No one is ever prepared for parenthood. This book made me less fearful of that.
Secondly, this prequel only enhances everything in The Hate U Give. It helped me to see just how much foundation Mr. Carter built in order for Starr to have a better life. It helped me to find the redemption in the midst of poverty and systemic racism. It showed me that there is hope in the midst of very bleak situations. Concrete Rose is such a fitting title for the beautiful metaphor Angie weaved throughout this story.
Thirdly, the ending of this was so incredibly sweet that I almost welled up in happy tears. It's just the way Angie Thomas writes and the deep affection these young teenagers have for their kids and the sacrifices they have to make, it just makes me a puddle of feelings. See? I can't even write in complete sentences to describe how powerful this book was for me.
Lastly, I'm convinced Angie Thomas is a magician of a writer. She just adds extra magic (like JK Rowling) into all of her books to make them so powerfully moving. I can't wait to see what other masterpieces she produces!
First of all, I don't ever want to have kids but this book made me think twice about that. It made me realize that all parents (for the most part) are just trying to do the best they can for their kids. Somehow, through Angie Thomas' magic author skills I ended up empathizing with a 17 year old parent and realizing that if I ever did have a kid, it would be okay. No one is ever prepared for parenthood. This book made me less fearful of that.
Secondly, this prequel only enhances everything in The Hate U Give. It helped me to see just how much foundation Mr. Carter built in order for Starr to have a better life. It helped me to find the redemption in the midst of poverty and systemic racism. It showed me that there is hope in the midst of very bleak situations. Concrete Rose is such a fitting title for the beautiful metaphor Angie weaved throughout this story.
Thirdly, the ending of this was so incredibly sweet that I almost welled up in happy tears. It's just the way Angie Thomas writes and the deep affection these young teenagers have for their kids and the sacrifices they have to make, it just makes me a puddle of feelings. See? I can't even write in complete sentences to describe how powerful this book was for me.
Lastly, I'm convinced Angie Thomas is a magician of a writer. She just adds extra magic (like JK Rowling) into all of her books to make them so powerfully moving. I can't wait to see what other masterpieces she produces!
4.5 stars! I really enjoyed Maverick’s story (I listed to the audio, so I realized his name could be spelled differently). I don’t know why it took me so long to connect who the characters were in this story to the characters in The Hate U Give, which I also loved.
Dion Graham read the audio for Concrete Rose and he’s absolutely incredible, and I would highly recommend listening to the audio version because of his performance. 12/10
Dion Graham read the audio for Concrete Rose and he’s absolutely incredible, and I would highly recommend listening to the audio version because of his performance. 12/10
emotional
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes