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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
The prequel to The Hate You Gives takes you on a Journey of Star's father, Maverick and what he went through at the age of 17. This book was able to get me out of a slight reading slump, and It was so good I was able to get through it in a matter of hours. There were laughter and tears and it was just such an emotional ride from start to finish. The book will also start some conversations. It was truly a pleasure to see Maverick and Lisa from the beginning. This was such a great book.
5.0 stars
What. A. Book. I haven’t felt so many emotions from a book in a while! I was amazed and brought to tears when this book spoke of fatherhood, boyhood, and living in the hood. This book was ruthless, and hurt me so much 100 pages in…
I loved the characters and what they were going though, they felt so human, and so real. Thomas has a way with words and with her characters, and her books leave me with a little more hope for humanity. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Thomas handled themes of abortion and LGBT, this book just left me floored. Read THUG then read this. They’re both so dang worth it!
What. A. Book. I haven’t felt so many emotions from a book in a while! I was amazed and brought to tears when this book spoke of fatherhood, boyhood, and living in the hood. This book was ruthless, and hurt me so much 100 pages in…
I loved the characters and what they were going though, they felt so human, and so real. Thomas has a way with words and with her characters, and her books leave me with a little more hope for humanity. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Thomas handled themes of abortion and LGBT, this book just left me floored. Read THUG then read this. They’re both so dang worth it!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having read THUG last year I was really excited for this one. However I didn’t enjoy it anywhere near as much. I think Angie is a captivating writer and the themes of this book were interesting, but it fell a little short. Overall an ok read.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
I loved it. I think every book Angie Thomas writes is better than the last. Maverick’s voice and narration was great. Overall, I just thought it was really tight and there was nothing unnecessary in it.
At this point, I am convinced that Angie Thomas can do no wrong. The way she creates characters and atmosphere is something of beauty.
I think the most special thing about her writing is just how real it is. It's not just that she depicts realistic situations and people, but that her stories feel real. Like these things are happening and you can see and feel these character's frustrations and struggles. You can so clearly understand their emotions and their situations and it's just so great to read about.
Maverick is such a wonderful character. Although we knew him from [b:The Hate U Give|32075671|The Hate U Give (The Hate U Give, #1)|Angie Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476284759l/32075671._SY75_.jpg|49638190], he gets his time to shine in Concrete Rose. He's interesting and complex, and most importantly, he is a fantastic father. From the very beginning, you see the love he has for his children, despite the circumstances.
All of the other characters were equally wonderful, however minor. Angie Thomas puts so much life and personality into every single character interaction that it's hard not to feel like you know them all on some personal level. It's easy to imagine that this world and these characters continue on outside of the story.
I think my favorite thing about this book is the simple fact that it's not the kind of story that gets written about. YA contemporary is overrun by white, middle class, suburban teenagers. And while those stories do deserve to be told, stories like this one, often get overlooked, or not published at all.
It's a story that shows all the good and the bad that exists in real life places like Garden Heights. It shows the complexities, the tragedies, and the triumphs, of people whose stories have rarely gotten told. And it does all of this without either praising or demonizing it, but rather showing it all as it is. I think that's where the realism I was talking about comes from. All of the problems don't get solved in the end. Bad things continue to exist even after our heroes are triumphant. It's real life.
Overall, I enjoyed and highly recommend this book. As I said, I am certain that Angie Thomas can do no wrong. I am highly anticipating whatever else she comes out with next.
I think the most special thing about her writing is just how real it is. It's not just that she depicts realistic situations and people, but that her stories feel real. Like these things are happening and you can see and feel these character's frustrations and struggles. You can so clearly understand their emotions and their situations and it's just so great to read about.
Maverick is such a wonderful character. Although we knew him from [b:The Hate U Give|32075671|The Hate U Give (The Hate U Give, #1)|Angie Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476284759l/32075671._SY75_.jpg|49638190], he gets his time to shine in Concrete Rose. He's interesting and complex, and most importantly, he is a fantastic father. From the very beginning, you see the love he has for his children, despite the circumstances.
All of the other characters were equally wonderful, however minor. Angie Thomas puts so much life and personality into every single character interaction that it's hard not to feel like you know them all on some personal level. It's easy to imagine that this world and these characters continue on outside of the story.
I think my favorite thing about this book is the simple fact that it's not the kind of story that gets written about. YA contemporary is overrun by white, middle class, suburban teenagers. And while those stories do deserve to be told, stories like this one, often get overlooked, or not published at all.
It's a story that shows all the good and the bad that exists in real life places like Garden Heights. It shows the complexities, the tragedies, and the triumphs, of people whose stories have rarely gotten told. And it does all of this without either praising or demonizing it, but rather showing it all as it is. I think that's where the realism I was talking about comes from. All of the problems don't get solved in the end. Bad things continue to exist even after our heroes are triumphant. It's real life.
Overall, I enjoyed and highly recommend this book. As I said, I am certain that Angie Thomas can do no wrong. I am highly anticipating whatever else she comes out with next.