Title: Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give #0)
Author: Angie Thomas
Pub. Date: January 12th 2021
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Format: Audiobook
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 360 pages
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In 2017 Angie Thomas introduced us to Maverick Carter in The Hate U Give as the father of Star, Seven & Sekani Carter. In Concrete Rose we get Mavericks story on his upbringing, young adult life, and the circumstances that eventually led to him becoming a father of two at the age of 17. This was a fast paced character driven emotionally charged story. Maverick is in High School when we meet him, he’s living with his mother and his father is incarcerated. Watching his mother hold down a job to put food on the table, Maverick joins the King Lords. The same gang his father belongs to and has gained much notoriety in. This is how Maverick goes about bringing a second stream of income while being a student. Things get further complicated when a girl he slept with turns out to be pregnant with his first born. Maverick must decide whether he will continue to live life earning money on the streets seeking drugs or take an out that is being offered to him. An opportunity to get his life back on track and provide for his three month old son Seven. Working in the neighborhood store/garden, going to school and selling drugs while being a father is more than what maverick can handle. Something has to go.
We see Maverick’s internal struggle with the loyalty he feels to King, the friend who brought him into the street gang & leaving it all behind. We also see him come into his own as a young single father who has to juggle his responsibilities. I LIVED for the nurturing moments he has with his baby boy Seven. Even while feeling overwhelmed and as if he wasn’t cut out for parenthood, he never gives up on trying to get it right. Concrete Rose advocates for young black men, we simply do NOT have many (If any) books on our shelves with this representation. In many ways Maverick is healing generational trauma by choosing a different path even if it is by way of tough love from his Mom. Maverick’s mother is a beacon of light in the storm. She isn’t going to do the work of raising Seven but she’s going to make sure Maverick aka her baby, knows she’s there for support. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED to see the bond between mother and son! He may trip up a few times but his mother never gives up on him. It wasn’t an easy journey to the Maverick we meet as Star’s father, but just like Star he knows what it’s like to get caught in the middle of two worlds. If you’ve read The Hate U Give and/or watched the movie, I feel this book gives some much needed insight on the Carter family.
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Sounds like another important Angie Thomas book, and I love that she’s focusing on a positive representation of a Black male character😁
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Angie Thomas is an author I will continue to support, she’s giving us POV’s that have been silenced long enough. Happy Reading Tammy! ❤
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I’ve had The Hate You Give on my shelf for ages and I started to read it when I first moved to uni but had to stop as I needed a comfort book cause I found it so hard to settle! Hopefully I will pick it back up again this year cause I really want to read it!
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That’s understandable, The Hate U Give isn’t meant to provide comfort but it is very powerful. A book that has made many take off their rose colored glasses and one that I truly appreciated as the mother of a young black boy myself. I hope you do return to this story, the movie also was a great adaptation and invoked even stronger emotions. I also hope Uni is treating you well, happy reading Luv! 🙂
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I’m graduating this year so it’s going okay! Yes I definitely plan on reading it this year and I want to read the rest of her books too!
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This makes my heart happy!💕
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I’m so excited to read this. I loved your review and how you touched on things without giving anything away.
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Thank you! I hope you enjoy Maverick’s backstory 🙂
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I’m sure I will, Angie Thomas can do no wrong! I’ll probably read The Hate U Give after I read Concrete Rose.
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Now that’s a fact! ❤ Happy reading!
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