Book was very well done. Angie grabbed my attention and drew me in once aging with her among storytelling and details. Good work. Will be recommending this to everyone.

Angie Thomas has been one-to-watch in YA since The Hate U Give was released in 2017. While she has since had another book out, fans have been itching for more about the characters from her debut, and this year we got our wish: Concrete Rose, the story of Big Mav before parenthood and his coming-of-age as he deals with the slings and arrows of fortune.

Like many fans, I was compelled by Starr’s parents in The Hate U Give. They and their generation had such an intricate backstory and a gravity to them. In so many YA books, parents are absent, present as obstacles, or blandly supportive, but Lisa and Maverick have such life. While prequels can be a bit of a toss-up, I was excited to get my hands on this one. I was not disappointed.

Mav’s story, while in many ways more tragic than Starr’s, has many parallels to that of his daughter. Maverick experiences a huge loss, and that shapes the way he lives his life. But, ultimately, he does the hard, right thing, much like Starr does. Starr’s fight is for justice, while Mav’s is for survival. His story also shows why he is so determined to keep his kids out of the streets, given the effects it had on his life, and the lives of the people he loves. We see Mav growing into the man and the father he wants to be, and moving away from the people who influence him to be otherwise.

I was a little surprised that the book ended where it did- I guess given that it’s about Mav coming to terms with his roots and his desire for more, it ends succinctly with him confirming he wants to leave the King Lords, but given how much backstory there is to cover, I was a bit taken aback that the story winds up so soon. The journey for Mav is about deciding to pursue a different life, and so the ending does work, even if you might want more. I think my favorite part was reading about young Lisa, who is as much a spitfire as you would expect. Maverick’s mother Faye and his other family members were also wonderful supporting characters, and they really flesh out a world that is already so full of life.

I unreservedly recommend this book to any fans of Angie Thomas’ other work, it’s a wonderful read, and honestly worth buying if only for the gorgeous cover. Potential trigger warnings include: unintended pregnancy, gang violence, drugs, and gun violence.

Angie Thomas makes a triumphant return to Garden Heights, this time going back to 1998 and focusing on Maverick Carter, the father of The Hate U GIve’s Starr.

Maverick is 17. He’s half-heartedly at school as well as selling drugs with other “l’il homies” from the King Lords and he’s in love with Lisa, a together and ambitious young woman. But Mav’s life changes dramatically when he discovers he’s a father and the girl leaves the baby boy in his care.

It took me a little while to warm up to Concrete Rose (tip of the hat to Tupac title) - maybe because it has a male lead or maybe because it’s set in the past. However, Ms Thomas is such a skilled writer, fluidly developing her characters both major and minor, and keeping the plot evolving, that I was soon drawn in. She writes in an evocative vernacular that feels both authentic but also manages to stay comprehensible to an older white librarian.

Maverick is a sympathetic young man who has such a clear vision of what is right but not always being able to square that with what he needs. The author brilliantly shows the economic circumstances of this family, with the pressures of poverty as a driver for much crime. The adult figures - Mav’s mother and imprisoned father as well as local store owner Mr Wyatt are all there to support and encourage him to stay on the straight and narrow, but there are also darker forces that pull at him. The complex ties of masculinity and family compel and compete for Mav and, in trying to stick with his code, his choices may not always seem to be the best ones. Nonetheless, he has a strong and steady heart which guides him through.

Though this is a prequel, it absolutely stands alone, but the details of many characters’ earlier years enhance and round out their portrayal in The Hate You GIve; I can see many readers going straight (back) there from Concrete Rose.

Thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

Angie Thomas does it yet again. In writing a compelling and enlightening story about a young man growing up against all of society's dissent, Thomas crafts a masterful story about love, responsibility, justice, and how one young man bridges his youth into a very difficult adulthood.

Angie Thomas truly hit the nail on the head yet again with another beautiful, honest, and riveting story.

Concrete Rose follows the father of The Hate U Give protagonist Starr Carter, Maverick, as a teen growing up in Garden Heights. So rarely do we get an opportunity to get to know the parents of YA protagonists and Concrete Rose is a wonderful exception that both adds to THUG and also stands on its own as a brilliant story about family, duty, love, and what it means to be not only a father but also a man. It is a perfect 90s snapshot, full of musical, cultural, and fashion references that set the perfect tone to learn about how Maverick became the person, and father he is in THUG.

All in all, Concrete Rose was thought-provoking and poignant. It was not only full of surprises, sorrow, and hardship but also life and love and the impact a positive and supportive community can have on someone's life. Angie Thomas creates such rich and full characters and Maverick is no exemption. He makes mistakes and is flawed, and that makes him feel all the more like a real person.

This story wonderfully examines themes of grief, loss, family, and how communities, even full of people who have next to nothing, can come together to support and care for their own. This is not a book that wraps everything up in a pretty bow at the end, Maverick didn't have it easy before and that doesn't magically change over the course of the book. You know that there are still some struggles to come based on THUG, but Angie Thomas leaves us feeling hopeful for his future, it doesn't give us all of the answers of his life before Starr.

I loved all of the nods to not only Angie Thomas' other work but also some to Nic Stone's books, which was really neat to spot as a reader. I definitely want to reread THUG after finishing Concrete Rose as it has been a couple of years since I read it. One of the things that I loved about this book is that it didn't read like a prequel, it stands completely on its own

CW: death of a loved one, drug dealing, drug use, grief, gun violence, incarceration, teen pregnancy

This ARC was provided to me from NetGalley and Harper Collins Canada in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this to review! I read this entire book in one sitting, as one does with Angie Thomas books. It honestly was the prequel to The Hate U Give that I didn't know that I needed.

The characters! Thomas has such a knack for writing characters. We all loved Maverick as Starr's dad in The Hate U Give, and getting to see his backstory is amazing. Plus, there are little nods to other characters we already know throughout the book. While you can absolutely read this without reading the original book, having read The Hate U Give will make the experience even more satisfying.

What I also appreciated about this book is we see Maverick as a teen father. In most of young adult books dealing with teen pregnancy, we usually only see the affects on the mother. However, in this book, we see how it affects Maverick and his life. Not only does Thomas look at the nuances of being a teen father, but also a Black teen father. His story is an important one, and I'm glad Thomas chose to tell it.

Angie Thomas is back with a "prequel" to The Hate U Give! In Concrete Rose we are introduced to Maverick, Starr's father, when he was in high school and trying to find his way in the world. Maverick is thrown into being a single father after a DNA test shows that the baby he thought was his best friend's...is actually his. After the mom disappears, Maverick has to figure out parenthood, school, and not making "easy money" for the King Lord's gang anymore. Yet...his father was a King Lord, his best friend is part of the King Lords...being a King Lord runs in the blood. How can you turn that all away to lead a straight life? Maverick will find out the hard way what to do when torn between loyalty to his family, and his streets. How can he do right for his child, and for their future?

Maverick Carter is seventeen when he finds out he's the father of a three-month-old son. His cousin, Dre, is ready to help him navigate the reality of being a teen dad, his girlfriend, Lisa, won't talk to him, and Mav is torn between being a King Lord and making his own way. This prequel to The Hate U Give (I HIGHLY recommend you read it first!) gives us the riveting back story on Starr's dad and how he becomes the man we know in The Hate U Give. Angie Thomas is a masterful storyteller and I will read anything she writes. This is a must read!

This books captures your attention and draws you in right from the first paragraph. It is written in such a way that you can feel the pain and joy of the characters. I have recommended this book to young and old alike.

Real talk: I wasn’t impressed by THUG, I thought Dear Martin was better. But CONCRETE ROSE is where it’s at. The story of Maverick, of having to run the streets and learn he’s a dad. Of having to learn how to be a dad and how to make the decision between selling drugs and making big money or working “clean” and making small money but being a dad his kid could look up to. Concrete Rose is amazing, Angie brings back her Tupac and rap references, along with a great voice for Maverick. Highly recommend. 6 stars lol 😂 #ConcreteRose #NetGalley

This was absolutely everything.

I don't know how Angie Thomas does it, but her ability to write characters and character development is honestly masterful. I loved Maverick so much, and it was so much fun getting to see him and Lisa, Iesha, and King when they were teenagers, years before we knew them in The Hate U Give.

If you liked The Hate U Give, you definitely need to read this! You can also read this before you read THUG if you haven't already.

*Thanks so much to the publisher for providing my copy of the book in exchange for my review!*

Once again, Angie Thomas delivers an important text that should (and will) shake the canon. Concrete Rose explores black identity from a different perspective than what we saw in On the Come Up, but this is a perspective that is just as important and needs to be told.

17-year old Maverick Carter hasn't exactly had a storybook childhood. His dad is in prison, he's dealing drugs and is part of a gang. He has a few good things going for him though. He's in love with his girlfriend who, along with his mom, his cousin, and a neighbor, see so much potential inside him. Gun violence rocks Mav's world just as he's getting over the shock of becoming a father. He has a lot of tough choices to make - Should he avenge the murder of a loved one? Should he keep selling drugs to support his child? Should he stay with the gang that has become his family? About the only thing he knows for sure is that he loves his son more than anything and he wants to be there for him always.

I love this book so much. It's the perfect prequel to one of my all-time favorite books, The Hate U Give.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

This was a great prequel in the world created for The Hate U Give. I loved Maverick and wanted to be there through this challenging/exciting time in his life. I think that Thomas did most of the character development in her original book, making it easier for me to positively respond to this book, but I am okay with that. This novel does rely heavily on dialog and I do think it needed to be further fleshed out. However, my love of Mav and Lisa, overshadowed everything else in this book.

I love Angie Thomas's writing! Her writing is honest and beautiful and it makes you think. I read The Hate u Give last year and I fell in love with the book. I loved the characters and their story. Once I found out that she was writing a prequel, I knew I had to read it! This book is everything I could have wanted! Maverick was one of my favorite characters because of his relationship with his kids. He was always having conversations with them and asking questions so they would think about topics. In Concrete Rose, we go back 17 years to when Maverick is still in high school. This book gave me all kinds of 90's nostalgia! The book focuses on what Maverick must do to "man up" and take care of his family. The title is perfect for this book and I love the continued homage to Tupac (The Rose that Grew from Concrete).

I absolutely LOVED this. Maverick’s voice pulled me into the story from page one and I loved seeing him grow and find himself. It was also fun seeing all the little Easter Eggs Angie Thomas sprinkled around Garden Heights and learning more about characters from THUG. Probably going to be one of my favorite books of the year.

Angie Thomas nails it with this prequel to The Hate U Give. I liked that this was a prequel, rather than a sequel since the backstory of Maverick and King is so compelling.

When people talk about kids making bad choices, we don’t talk about fighting back against the lessons we are taught of toxic masculinity, institutional racism, and the worship of wealth/consumerism to the detriment of family and community. Thanks to the brilliance of Ms. Thomas’ writing we are able to walk a mile in Maverick’s shoes and truly understand how difficult his choices are. And what a brave and loving man he is because of the choices he does make. The most loving of fathers, partners, and friends, Maverick has something to teach all of us. A lesson in empathy and courage and I am HERE for it.
Come for the amazing storytelling, stay for the cameo of one of Nic Stone’s characters. Freaking brilliant.

When I read The Hate U Give I took the title to heart. Now this prequel show cases that hate and where it came from. I loved reading about Maverick as a character. To finally see where it started, how he fought against it, and how that hate grew. This book opens my eyes to things in its sequel that I missed the first time around and now I look at it differently reading this book and then The Hate U Give right after it. These stories are different and in my opinion Concrete Rose shows the prejudice, the hunger, the poverty, the lifestyle, the desperation, the fight that all builds that angry world viewpoint of hate. In The Hate U Give you see Concrete Rose' Hate being passed until finally someone pushes back.

One of the best things I did while in library school was read The Hate U Give for my YA Materials class. Angie Thomas did an incredible job of portraying the realities of systemic racism and why the Black Lives Matter movement is so important. Angie does another important job in Concrete Rose by portraying the struggles of a young black man who is expected to do nothing with his life and must make life altering decisions. This is without a doubt, one of the most authentic books I have ever read. From the language that Angie uses, to the rules of the streets that are presented to us, and Mav’s growth within the book. The best part about this being a prequel is that while we know that Mav faces hardships in this book, and in between this book and THUG, we also know that he experiences true joy as well. For many readers, myself included, Concrete Rose acts as a window or a sliding glass door, and of course, and more importantly, for other readers it will act as a mirror. This concept was introduced by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop (1990 ix-xi) and is also an important concept when it comes to collection development for young readers.

Concrete Rose also comes out at such an important time. During the summer of 2020, there have been numerous protests around the United States for racial and social justice and for an end of the shooting of black people by law enforcement. It also comes out almost a week after the events that transpired on Wednesday, January 6th, 2021, when white Trump supporters were encourage and allowed to storm the Capitol building in Washington DC, highlighting once again the differences in how people of color and white people are treated by law enforcement.