A review by bookedupandbusy
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

As the son of a former gang legend, 17 year old Maverick lives life doing what he knows: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mum, who works two jobs while his dad's in prison.

I have avoided reading this book for years, I thought it would be a stereotypical read and rather predictable. After reading, I reminded myself never to judge a book again, I loved it! Even though it was predictable in places, the author took a different direction. Through all Maverick’s challenges, we are presented with hope, his potential and a light at the end of every tunnel to his problems. 

The exploration of being a single black father stood out for me the most. I haven’t read any stories portraying men raising a newborn. Newborns present different challenges to toddlers and older children and Maverick’s journey was insightful. He had the exact same challenges as most mothers and with the support of his mother (my favourite character) he was able to learn and mature into a responsible adult. 

I love how the author displayed peer pressure amongst young men. I felt the book was heavily based on the choices one makes. It was also beautiful to see that as a young black man, the older characters and his girlfriend became great mentors and inspirations to Maverick. They were able to show him the beauty of life besides dealing drugs.

Maverick’s character is written as a person you want to root for. He had my whole heart, I wanted him to win in every way possible.

I did struggle with the dialogue at first. It’s heavy on American 90s slang, however once I got into it, it easily flowed and was very funny in parts. Its narratives are authentic and reflective of where the characters have been raised. 

I hear that this is the prequel to ‘The Hate U Give’ and this book has one or two spoilers for that book, but I will still read it.