A review by deirdrerosemorgan
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

dark emotional funny informative tense 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

In this prequel to The Hate You Give Angie Thomas takes us back to the teen years of Maverick Carter - who would eventually become big Mav. Maverick is seventeen and he just found out that he's going to be a father. Maverick quickly realizes that he needs to step up if he's going to be able to take care of his child, Seven, make it through school, and not lose some of his relationships in the process. But Maverick himself is still a kid! How can a kid raise a kid! Mav has also been in and out of selling drugs with the King Lords and is caught in an internal struggle of wanting to adequately provide for his family while constantly being afraid he will end up in jail for his drug dealing like his own father. Maverick ultimately has to decide how he can move forward and become the man he was meant to be.

Angie Thomas has done it again! This book is heartbreaking and funny, and enticing. Each of the characters beautifully reflect so many human experiences and emotions without feeling like caricatures and the world of The Garden fully comes to life through her words. I listened to the audiobook and I was captivated from the beginning. The heavy topics in the book are balanced out with humor that makes reading it feel like an actual real life story, rather than something fictional. 5 stars, this book is so wonderful and I would encourage everyone to read it!