leslexreads 's review for:

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

5.0

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This is definitely a must read for 2021! Maverick Carter is just 17 years old when his life begins to change. When he was younger, his Pops was sent to jail because of his history with being in a gang, meaning that Mav must keep up the tradition because his dad was legendary. But, after a rough break-up, he makes a few mistakes, and ends up being the father of a baby that was supposed to be his best friend, King’s. The mother of the baby becomes very absent, leaving this new responsibility left on Mav and his mom, who wants him to learn to own up to his mistakes. One night, his older cousin Dre, who was like a big brother to him, comes over and things escalate. Mav ends up with even more responsibilities than a high school senior with one baby should have. This book is the prequel to Angie Thomas’s bestseller, The Hate You Give, which really puts into perspective what her dad had to go through to help her make it to where she is during the timeline of the book. I love reading all books by Angie Thomas because she helps me learn what the experiences are for young black people and that we as a society have not grown all that much in the past 20 years, as far as acceptance of different races, especially because we are all people who want to live a fulfilling life.