From the international phenomenon Angie Thomas comes a hard-hitting return to Garden Heights with the story of Maverick Carter, Starr’s father, set seventeen years before the events of the award-winning The Hate U Give. The son of a drug king, seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter is negotiating life in Garden Heights as he balances school, slinging dope, and working two jobs while his dad is in prison. He’s got it all under control – until, that is,…
Set 17 years before Angie Thomas’ critically acclaimed novel The Hate U Give, Concrete Rose is ostensibly a prequel but stands on its own as an earnest and heartfelt story of love, fatherhood, and growing up. Maverick is a brilliant protagonist, facing the world with a kindness and honesty that is inspiring to see in a male hero. Concrete Rose is full of good men: fathers, cousins and mentors who aren’t afraid to show love or share their feelings – men who are sometimes flawed but never irredeemable.
Maverick’s story is equal parts heartbreaking and empowering; it’s the perfect excuse to revisit The Hate U Give, but also stands tall as an excellent novel in its own right. 5 stars. Review submitted by Joe.
